A Hometown of Promise

“Success is never final; Failure is never fatal.  It is courage that counts.” – John Wooden

A Hometown of Promise

It had snowed overnight!  The promise of spring was no more.  There was four inches of fresh Utah Powder covering my deck.  A mere three days ago the grass was green and growing.  It had grown so much, so fast, that cutting it had been a needed and welcome activity.

“Cutting it?”

“Cutting it!”

Fireworks were exploding across my brain!  It was still cold and dark outside, yet I instantly felt warm inside.  Have you ever felt the dawn of a cherished memory as it sends a growing warmth to create a glow throughout your whole being?  That’s what I was feeling!

I remembered all of the good people in our town.  Our hometown!  The friend who cuts my hair, Chris DeHerrera.  The friend who grooms my dog, “Harry Pupper,” Cherie Crapo.  The ones who have fed me.  Can you say Hometown Pizza in Stansbury Park?  Those names were just the beginning of my mental list.  There are others.  Lots of others.  And, they’ve all really been impacted by the current government-forced shutdown.

We’ve all been impacted. Some more than others!  Who in the world ever coined the falsehood phrase, “It isn’t personal, it’s just business?” This crisis is very personal to you and me.  And, for our friends, such as Chris DeHerrera, owner of Stay Classic Barber Shop, it is as if an unexpected overnight snow and ice storm has literally frozen his business.  You and I are seeing a growing, thickening economic ice consume our hometown. It is creating a deepening, unparalleled despair.

When winter’s cold freezes our water into solid ice we use a warming tool.  I have one and it keeps troughed water in liquid form for my cows so they can drink, be hydrated and healthy.  This small trough heater removes enough of winter’s chill to ensure their survival and hope.  I don’t know if cows dream in color. Heck, I don’t even know if they dream!  But, if they do dream, I’m confident that they dream in the color green as they look forward to, and long for, the day when pasture grass grows lush under their feet and tastes sweet on their tongue again.

This thought is what changed the snowy scene outside my window, one morning this week, into the warmth and hope of spring inside my heart.  I knew I had tools I could employ.  Tools to be used in our hometown for the benefit of our friends, the very ones who have help us fulfilled our individual dreams.  The ones that make us more attractive by cutting our hair and trimming our nails.  The ones who lavish loving care upon our cherished animal companions.  The ones who cook and serve us delicious and wonderful food for dinner, lunch, breakfast and celebration.

I wanted to celebrate as a result of this thought, so I used the first tool in my hand; my phone.  I called Chris and thanked him for what he’s done for me over the years.  I asked him for his Paypal address, the second tool.

“For now,” I said. “I can still pay you what I normally would!”

No.  He can’t cut my hair for the foreseeable future.  And, it is the least I can do for such a great friend.  He was my first call.  Others followed!

What will follow if you and I, those of us still able to do so, use these same two, simple tools to contact and trickle economic life-blood to our friends who have given us so much?  It will be as if the spring rains of April have arrived to fulfill all our dreams. The dream of the arrival of the lush, growing green grass of spring.

It has snowed unexpectedly overnight!  The promise of an economic spring appears to be no more.  The government-forced economic shutdown has left the likeness of four inches of fresh Utah Powder covering our local economy!  A mere “three days” ago the local economy was growing and vibrant.  Let’s join together and use our individual tools and relationships to cause it to thrive again!  Let’s grow it so much, so fast that we will all get loved, fed and healthy together!

Let’s create a Hometown of Promise!