Editors Notebook: Look through a child's eyes

The Editor's son posing with one of his favorite murals done for this year's community canvas reveal.

I hadn't always been real fond of the idea of spending the majority of my life in Elmore County. Not because I disliked our home, but because there was just so much more to see and experience in this big world.

When I moved back to Mountain Home I honestly wasn't super thrilled. I was enjoying living right next to the stadium at Boise State University and experiencing all the activities the campus and the rest of the city had to offer. On most weekends we could take off walking in either direction on the Green Belt and find something fun to do in the form of things like free concerts and art exhibits. But moving here put us closer to our families and with a growing family of our own, that was a huge plus so we came home.

As I've became more involved in the community over the years I realized this is not the sleepy little town I pictured in my mind. This is a town and a county where different groups, officials and just concerned individuals are actively trying to make a difference. People want to see this town grow and flourish. I was amazed when I started at the paper and began following all of the different projects that are in the works for the young and old alike.

I know not every project will be everyone's cup of tea. Nothing is going to make everyone happy all of the time. I can't in my job, you can't in yours and the powers that be cannot always make all of us taxpayers happy all of the time.

There has been a lot of bickering lately over different projects, some old like the recreation facility and some new like the Downtown Plan and I know it can get disheartening. I know it does for me anyways. That's why sometimes we all need a reminder of just how lucky we are to call such a tight-knit community our home.

The tragic events involving MHAFB last weekend and our community's immediate outpouring of support had a "frog" in my throat all week. It was a difficult day when I had to put the Patriot together, but at the same time I was proud to say I was from here and that all of you are my friends and neighbors.

Then Saturday morning came and my son and I decided to spend the morning out and about around town. I wanted to hit the Farmers Market and take a walk down our alleys to see if I could find anyone working on the murals for community canvas and get a photo for the paper.

I must say sometimes it is just good to spend the day looking through the eyes of a child. My son is eight and to see the excitement in his eyes while he enjoyed a snow cone and checked out the animals, foods and crafts available at the market put me at ease after a long week.

Saturday was extremely windy so by the time we found people working on a mural we had already been up and down most of the newly painted alley ways and that little boy had the time of his life doing it.

When we found Brenda Raub I could hardly get a word in edgewise as he explained all of the pictures to her and told her why she should check out this one or that one and all about what Albert Einstein is famous for (his favorite mural for this year by the way.) He obviously had no idea who Brenda was and that was kind of funny, but yet again he made me stop and think about how amazing of a place this is. With a sparkle in his eye and with a super excited voice as he jogged along a few feet ahead of me he shouted back and asked, "Mommy aren't we lucky to live in a place like this where we even make our alleys beautiful. I don't think they do that in the big cities."

Why yes buddy, yes we are.