Perseverance. You've heard the word, or it's shorter form, persevere. “Nevertheless, she persevered.” But what does it mean? You no doubt have a pretty good idea, but just to make sure I'll tell you.
Merriam-Webster defines perseverance as “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.”
Being steadfast.
Overcoming.
“We shall overcome!”
It means not backing down when faced with difficulties. Not giving up when the going gets tough. Pushing through the problems.
Come with me to the small town of Ash Fork, Arizona, population just under 500. It was founded about 1883 and burned to the ground a few years afterward. However, the residents didn't give up. Most of them, at any rate. I'm sure some did, but we're not talking about them.
The area around Ash Fork is heavy with stone. The residents began quarrying it to rebuild and soon had a thriving community again. They also recognized the wealth of building material they had and went into business shipping stone all over the country, particularly in the form of flagstones. Having the railroad in town helped greatly.
The town became so popular that the Escalante, one of the largest in the Harvey House chain, was built in Ash Fork, opening for business in 1907, about 20 years after the town was destroyed and rebuilt. They persevered. In fact, by this time the residents had begun billing the town as “The Flagstone Capital of the World!”
The creation of Route 66 (you were wondering, admit it) brought highway traffic to town. In fact, the Mother Road brought so much traffic they had to realign the streets, running the eastbound traffic on one street and the westbound on another. This caused some problems for locals but they overcame. They adjusted and welcomed the flow.
Then came a decline. Rail travel was less prevalent now and in 1948 the Escalante closed. Twelve years later, in 1960, the railroad rerouted their main line several miles north of town, leaving only a side spur through town. This didn't deter the general population of Ash Fork. The town still stood strong. They still had their quarries and they still had Route 66.
That is, until the late 70s. As Interstate 40 was being built around the town another massive fire destroyed much of the town. The combination of destruction and loss of traffic was more than many could handle.
Many, but not all.
Some residents still remained determined to keep their town alive. They came together and rebuilt what they could. A third big fire in 1987 tried to finish what the one a decade before didn't, but it wasn't enough to deter the town. Ash Fork and her residents are still there today. Still persevering.
If you take the exit ramp into town you'll find several run down houses, some nicer ones, a couple of restaurants and a couple of gas stations. There's a motel or two and a museum that has some Route 66 history but a lot of local history.
Pull in to the Ashfork Inn. It's not fancy by any stretch but it is nice enough. It's a good base to explore the town from, and it's walking distance to the museum. Seriously, if I could have thrown a stone from my bathroom window I would have hit the museum. It's that close.
The town of Ash Fork overcame total or near total destruction not once, not twice, but multiple times. They lost major traffic venues. Some lost everything.
Still, they persevered. Take from this example along the Mother Road. When your life hits you hard, stand up. Rebuild. Don't let the fires destroy you. Don't let loss destroy you.
Remain steadfast.
Overcome.
Persevere.
