By Roslyn Ryan, Editor

I once heard someone from another country note that Americans tend to have the same attitude towards vacation travel that they have about food: they value quantity and speed (seeing and doing as many things as they can in the time they have allotted) over the quality of their time spent away.

Needless to say, this person was generalizing, and I’m not entirely sure what they were basing that assessment on or how much truth there is to it (I tend not to get too far away from Powhatan these days, so I can’t really weigh in one way or the other.)

That said, there may be some sort of lesson there that can be applied to the way we live at home.

How often do many of us ever take the time to slow down and actually get to know, and really see, the place we call home?

Maybe you attend the festivals and parades, or show up at a county meeting once in a while. But what about the behind the scenes stuff, the inner workings of the county that the average person never gets to see.

“I’d love to know about all that,” you say, “but where in the world do I even start looking?”

Friend, you’ve come to the right place.

In my e-mail inbox last week was a note from the organizers of the 2010 Powhatan Leadership Institute. They are gearing up for a new year and asked us here at the paper if we would help spread the word.

The Powhatan Leadership Institute is a series of 14 classes intended to help county residents get an “up close and personal” look at their county, featuring field trips and guest speakers drawn from many different areas.

Participants learn about everything from agricultural life to law enforcement, and get to enjoy a “backstage” view of the county many never see.

When you ask a PLI graduate what they enjoyed most about the class, almost all will have a different answer. But all will undoubtedly say they are thrilled they decided to take part.

The PLI is an invaluable resource, both to those who are new to the county and those who have lived here all there lives. And as far as quality goes, I can’t think of a better way to spend the time.

For more information on the Powhatan Leadership Institute, contact the Powhatan County extension office at (804) 598-5640.