Get Hammonasset Beach to Reverse their Decision to take down the Gratitude Trail

HAMMONASSET GRATITUDE TRAIL CRUSHED BY 15 COMPLAINTS
To watch the video about what happened, click here:http://youtu.be/Z3lY98zP_SE

My name is Anne Kubitsky and I am in charge of The Look for the Good Project – a grassroots campaign which collects and shares gratitude in as many public spaces as possible. In the last two and half years, the project has been featured in The Huffington Post, Reader’s Digest, Good Housekeeping Magazine, WNPR, and even MSNBC. However, I like to stay local and was delighted to have the opportunity to install a gratitude trail for the second year in a row at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, CT. Last year, the gratitude trail got so many positive responses that I decided to expand the walk from 40 signs to 118 – and just recently spent a good week and a half installing the signage along the boardwalk myself, with just a few volunteers. As we were installing, we were overwhelmed with positive feedback. Even international celebrity Jacques Pépin delighted in the project and shared his own gratitude about his little dog Paco. I was convinced it was going to be a great summer at the beach!

But unfortunately, negativity won out.

It took only 15 complaints to shut the project down. I was informed of it moments before the park staff removed the signs and am still not clear about the specific complaints or the ultimate decision to remove the trail, although park officials were sad to see it go. Having invested countless hours and thousands of dollars in creating the installation, I am heartbroken about this and ready to start a public conversation about what happened and how we might get the trail back into the park. Since many rumors are now swirling, I am writing this letter to clear the air.

First of all, I have no other agenda then to share a selection of the many grateful messages that have been sent to me from around the world (I have at least 6,000). I strongly believe that gratitude – unexpressed – is toxic. Research shows that gratitude eliminates stress, reduces violence (including bullying and suicide), it makes you healthier, it makes you happier, and it builds deep connections within the community. This is why I continue to create public spaces which encourage people to think about gratitude. In fact, I had a professional photographer lined up to interview people at the installation this summer, who would have published these interviews online and in The Shoreline Times. It would have been a wonderful way to celebrate the gratitude inspired by the beach trail and bring our own local community closer together!

Second, I am very grateful for the individuals, organizations, and companies who have decided to donate money to this project for the betterment of humanity. I stand by them wholeheartedly and am proud to have made space for them in my gratitude trail. I had done this last year with no complaint but the gesture this year was criticized by some as, “tawdry advertising.” This was not my intent and I think this kind of negativity stems from a narrow view about how public art projects should be funded. Since I’m not a nonprofit nor have any big grants behind me, I fronted the endeavor myself until my personal savings had dried up and I was forced to downsize my lifestyle to keep the project going. This is why these individual and business sponsors have been so important. They have bailed me out and helped me pay for public works that I cannot personally afford. All money goes directly into public installations like the one at Hammonasset and doesn’t even account for my time and talent, which is still unpaid. How could I not acknowledge these sponsors along the beach trail? They are the only ones who are enabling this great project to happen! If you would like to learn more about my sponsors, please visit: www.lookforthegoodproject.org

Finally, a word about censorship: Although I try to give voice to as many people as possible, the content of the gratitude trail was carefully selected and approved by park officials before any signage was printed. We made sure to stay away from religion and politics (two very volatile subjects) but it seems that wasn’t enough to keep people from complaining. Since 15 people have ruined the experience for the almost 2 million park visitors who would have seen the trail between now and October, I am collecting positive comments to share with people who can either reverse the decision or help me find a new, comparable location. If you have something positive to say about this issue, I would be so grateful to hear from you. Please send letters to: Anne Kubitsky / anne@findgoodnow.org / RE: Gratitude Trail / The Look for the Good Project / PO Box 602 / Old Lyme, CT 06371.

Here are some comments I received in just a few hours after making the announcement about the removal:

"Why would anyone have an issue with the gratitude trail? When we made our annual trip last summer, we were elated to see such a positive and loving act of creation. Our annual camping trip with 4 other Sandy Hook families carried a sadness that summer of 2013 and we were so uplifted and encouraged to be reminded of gratitude. Thank you Anne for all you do!" - Betsy

"I was dismayed to learn that the presence of a few unobtrusive and affirming postcards so offended a tiny minority that the rest of Hamonasset's visitors will not share in this long-running and successful public art project. The removal of these positive messages is especially surprising given how well received last year's Look for the Good installation was. I hope those who called for the postcard trail to be dismantled will reconsider, and restore their original decision. Good luck, and hang tough." - Tom P.

“I'm stunned and very disappointed at learning that the gratitude project has had to come down at Hammonasset.

I live in Granby, hadn't made it yet to Hammonasset in 2014 and was planning to do so in the near future in order to celebrate my first sighting of this wonderful project exactly a year ago. At that time, I had just begun to deal with a very stressful caregiving situation - a parent with increasing dementia - and when I walked along the path and read beautiful sentiments and images about why people were grateful, i realized that I too had a lot to be grateful for. It made my heart soar, and has continued to help me through a difficult time.

I have been so looking forward to seeing the images again. I am horrified at the thought that a few people - and I can't imagine who they are or why they would be so hateful - could take away pleasure from so many others.“ - Judy W.

"I'm not surprised to see something as powerful as this project be threatened by darkness. My girlfriend and I visited the week prior to the official opening, we were absolutely impressed and grateful that it was there. It was on a Tuesday two weeks after that I woke up with a very poor attitude but then remembered I had the "Good" card. Thereafter, I visited the website and after reading so many thoughts from different people, my perspective changed. I've been sharing the website with as many people as I can. Its truly a selfless act that can help one and many. I'm glad there are still people in the world that rather than complain give thanks. Thank You and all the people that make this, a project described with one word: HOPE." - Pedro Hernandez

To watch the video about what happened, click here:http://youtu.be/Z3lY98zP_SE