Page 4 - SEPT2025

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Community
By William nieman
What are your roots? We often answer this question by recalling where we were born or raised. In other words, we name a physical location. Our response is understandable for these places were the cradles of our early personalities. How- ever, we should keep in mind that when people suggest that we “stay rooted,” they are usu- ally not advising us to return to our first home. Rather, they are speaking about how we should affirm our “true selves” and not allow an “imposter personality” to take over our life. It is not al- ways easy to be in touch with this true, rooted self. Like the roots of a healthy tree, our roots
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
September 2025
Stay Rooted, The Inside Story
can be buried deeply. If we have been lucky, the soil has been fer- tile. Some have not been lucky. Their emotional roots struggled for life in barren soil. By now, you know I am writing about roots not so much as part of a plant, or as a place, but primar- ily as a metaphor for a life that is “grounded” with good values, hope, and confidence.
There is a shop on Lake Street in Bristol called “Stay Rooted”. It’s a little shop tak- ing up only 400 square feet of space, but within that modest space is a cornucopia abun- dance of creativity. The shop’s name holds many meanings for its proprietor, Janice Snyder. She began exploring her true
roots, working with plants and making planters. Indelibly, she has affirmed the importance of roots as “place” with a small
outline of New Hampshire tat- tooed on her left leg. Most im- portantly, her investment in the shop is a testament to her deeply held core values (roots) that the “ethically sourced” products, which are for sale, exemplify
what can be produced by the intuitive creativity of people living in a community that af- firms the freedom to explore, to express one’s innate talents and inventive aspirations.
As curious shoppers enter Stay Rooted (open Wednesday through Saturday 10 AM-5 PM; Sunday 10 AM-2 PM), they experience a pleasurable sensory circus. Colorful col- lectables greet the eye, and one feels uplifted by a mix of pleasant fragrances. Some of the available items are whimsi- cal, others are practical, and, if one wants a tactile experience, there is a craft corner where the customer can actually cre- atively work to complete an unfinished artifact. The shop’s diverse inventory includes jew-
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