The Fairytale Of Cherrytown – A Modern Parable

The Fairytale Of Cherrytown – A Modern Parable

Once upon a time, in the town of Cherrytown, the ageing mayor looked out over his domain with a satisfied but slightly sad countenance. Despite the occasional moans, common to all towns such as this, Cherrytown was a happy place with all the citizens seemingly pulling in the same direction. The last few years had seen unprecedented success and growth for the small, sleepy town and its people had witnessed days of glory and excitement that they’d neither seen nor expected to see before.

But now the time had come for the mayor to pass on his mayoral chain. He’d given the job his all but now had neither the energy nor money to continue in his role, If the town were to continue to flourish it needed a new leader. Someone with a bold vision and deep pockets. He could think of nobody better than the man he’d sought out to further the fortunes of his successful but far from rich domain. The new mayor had transformed the barren wastes of a faraway desert city into a place where many aspired to live or spend their leisure time. And with the promise of untold riches and unparalleled success, it was hoped, by the departing mayor and the inhabitants of Cherrytown, that the new incumbent could do something similar for their town.

“People noticed that the streets were looking more neat and tidy and the new mayor had started to recruit new members to the town council who he could trust”

The first few months of the new mayorship did not see any dramatic changes to Cherrytown. However, people noticed that the streets were looking more neat and tidy and the new mayor had started to recruit new members to the town council who he could trust to progress the plans he had for Cherrytown. “Forwards at all costs,” became the rallying call of the mayor and his acolytes. Any fears that the inhabitants may have had about the new regime appeared to be unfounded.

Perhaps the first time anyone noticed that things might be a little different in the future was when the mayor informed the population that, in order for the town to keep up and be competitive with other local towns, they would need to pay more money to the Council. After the initial shock, most of the townsfolk came to the conclusion, albeit reluctantly in some cases, that the mayor was right and sacrifices had to be made for progress to be made. A few eye-brows were raised when it was realised that the people who lived in the district of Pointsville were being required to pay more than those in Seasonsbury. This, despite the latter already benefiting from many advantages such as a nicer living environment, and a guaranteed level of services. But the new mayor was in no doubt that he was on the right track to bring good times to the town. “Forwards at all costs,” he proclaimed. As is the way when things change, some grumbled and some wondered where this was all leading but most accepted their lot in the hope that a small, financial sacrifice would be rewarded in the future.

However, it wasn’t long before the boat was rocked again.

“If we are to move forwards, we need to look beyond the limits of our town.” proclaimed the mayor. “The outside world possesses many riches and we want to share in those riches.” That sounds interesting thought the people, particularly if we are all to benefit in the long run.

So it was with some surprise when, a few days later, the people of Cherrytown awoke to find the doors to some of their favourite places in the town locked and chained. Many people urgently contacted the mayor who responded by saying, “I understand your concern but we must build new and better attractions in place of the old, outdated places that you have been frequenting for years. We appreciate that not all of you will be able to afford to go to these places but we are sure that they will act as a magnet for rich out-of-towners, desperate to visit our lovely town. Rest assured, we will all benefit from this and you have not been forgotten.”

Within a few weeks, Cherrytown looked a very different place. The whole town was looking more spick and span than ever with The Wardroom, the Cherry Copse and the Emperor’s Piazza being some of the crown-jewels amongst the new facilities. Sadly though, few local people ever had the opportunity to see exactly what they had to offer. As they pressed their noses up against the windows, they were able to see many finely dressed visitors who had come from far and wide. Banquets were consumed, wine flowed and great fun was had by one and all inside but, sadly not the majority of the locals. “Don’t worry,” said the Mayor. “Even though you are now forbidden to enter certain parts of the town, we’ve provided new attractions for you instead. Unfortunately, they are outside the town walls and we’ve had to use basic materials to build them because we have invested most of our money on the new attractions for our visitors. But remember, we must move forward at all costs and, ultimately, you will benefit from what we have done.”

“The previous cohesive population was now diluted by the influx of outsiders and the townsfolk were starting to feel like the town no longer belonged to them.”

The people of Cherrytown heard these words and pondered. The mayor was right. The town did look much brighter and sparklier than it had ever done before. It was frequented by the rich and famous who certainly brought in more money to the town and maybe this would trickle down to the population as a whole. But at what cost? Sizeable parts of the town were now no longer accessible to its inhabitants, the previous cohesive population was now diluted by the influx of outsiders and the townsfolk were starting to feel like the town no longer belonged to them. Some even started to wonder whether it was really their town anymore?

Despite everything, most of the townsfolk still kept faith with the new mayor, believing he did have their best interests at heart. They desperately wanted to believe in him and his plans for the future. After all he’d proved he knew what he was doing previously and he’d brought in new, talented people with great ideas to run the town. The people of Cherrytown could still aspire to being able to access the new exclusive facilities and wonderful, new districts created by the new regime even if, in reality, few would ever be in a position to do so.

The final straw for many occurred one bright, sunny day. As usual, the rich out-of-towners, had flocked to the Emperor’s Piazza and other top attractions in the town. But today was different. Today the outsiders did not remain confined to the areas and facilities built for them but could be seen and heard in all areas of the town. The serenity of Cherrytown was now being disrupted by people who neither knew about nor really cared about the town or its people. They had been given unlimited access to all parts of the town by the mayor and were going to make sure they enjoyed themselves, wherever, whenever and however they wished. Many areas of Cherrytown were affected by this “licence to roam” and the population looked on, with sadness and fear, at what had become of their home.

Unperturbed, the mayor addressed his people. “I appreciate some of you may feel uncomfortable about all the recent changes. You may even fear them. However, they are inevitable and necessary if we are to move forwards and I promise you that we will all benefit in the future. As the town expands you will feel the benefits so please keep faith with us and remember, ‘Forward at all costs!’”

Was this right? Would things change for the better? Would the streets of Cherrytown be paved with gold and would all the inhabitants be able to walk these streets and luxuriate in all their glory? Some decided to trust the mayor and to keep the faith, some decided to wait and see what would happen next whilst others packed their bags and left for foreign fields. For these people, the town they had grown up in and loved no longer existed. For them at least, it was time to move on. For them at least, they did not live happily ever after.

…to be continued.