Opinion
OPINION: Proud to be from Lehi
I have always been proud to be from Lehi, but in the last couple of weeks, I have felt even more grateful to live here and to be part of this community.
About two weeks ago, I was at the intersection of Walgreens and Main Street, where I saw a young mother with a baby in a stroller and a toddler trying to cross the busy street with several bags of purchases in hand. I could see she was frightened and overwhelmed. At that moment, a young man, possibly 19 or 20 years old, in a black Ford truck pulled off to the side of the road, jumped out of his vehicle, ran to the woman, grabbed her bags, and helped her cross the street. The whole incident took about two minutes. I could see the look of relief on the woman’s face. The rescuer hopped back in his truck before I could get a good look at him. Whoever he is, he is a hero.
Several days later, I read in the Lehi Free Press about the excellent police work done by our local SVU officers. I know we have an outstanding police department, but this was a reminder of the hours of investigations they do daily to bring justice to criminals of all kinds. We are a safer community because of their efforts.
On Tuesday, my husband and I attended the annual Western barbecue at Wines Park. This has become a tradition we enjoy very much. We stood in line talking to a couple, and found that we shared some common interests. They live close to theproperty our family owns and commented on how they loved seeing the open fields. We approached the cashier to pay for our meals only to find the couple had already paid for ours. What a totally unexpected and appreciated surprise.
On Thursday, we went to the stock parade and enjoyed watching our grandchildren ride their horses down the street. We couldn’t help but notice the organization and care that went into planning the event. Then, we went to family night at the rodeo. I ordered tickets back in January and thought everything was under control, but I realized I had inadvertently deleted the email that allowed me to print the tickets. In desperation, I contacted our local rodeo officials, and within minutes, I had the confirmation email to print the tickets. Shane Southwick, you saved the day!
The rodeo has always been a big part of our family’s traditions, but for some reason, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the event on that particular night. Everything, from the opening prayer to the drone show and the aerial gymnastics of the motorcyclists, brought shouts of delight to the sold-out crowd. I looked around at the joy on my family’s faces and had to brush aside a tear. The hours of work, dedication, planning and love of Lehi were everywhere.
I want to thank everyone for the memorable moments of the last two weeks of my life. So yes, Lehi is still a wonderful place to live!
Donna Barnes
