This week the whole planet will celebrate the summer solstice – the first day of summer and the longest hours of daylight. It and the winter solstice divide the year in half and remind us that, no matter what, change is constant. The ancient tradition is to make it a day of reflection on what we are grateful for. So, in that vein, we’d like to take note of some things we’re sincerely thankful for about living in the what we believe to be the best town in the world: Park City.
Things have changed, but our hearts have not.
Long before Park City became a world-renowned destination, we were a tight-knit community. Unlike many resort towns, we were not originally designed to attract and accommodate tourists. Our mining past and rocky start as a ski area drew in an eclectic, independent citizenry that has always been fiercely dedicated to making PC an accepting, open-minded, and progressive place to call home. Our predecessors worked hard to make this an ideal town for raising a family as well as grow old. Today, we all benefit from the handful of founders who knew what a special spot on the globe this is. Park City may have grown a great deal, but Parkites have never lost the small-town friendliness and relaxed ambiance. We are so grateful for that!
Everyone is welcome.
In this time when partisanship seems to be dividing everything from businesses to nations, Park City is a place where tolerance means far more than just putting up with differences. We don’t just put up with our differences; we encourage and embrace them. While many of us are socially concerned and politically active, we demonstrate that all voices need to be heard before good decisions can be made. Here, no group is shut out of the community conversations. We thank goodness that we don’t all agree on everything! How boring would that be?
We are informed.
Park City is so lucky to have a local newspaper (Park Record) and radio station (KPCW) that focus on keeping us informed on local issues and events. Their award-winning news reporting is exemplary of what good journalism should be. So many newspapers no longer cover city council meetings, neighborhood concerns, or school board decisions. Most of us would never know what’s going on in P.C. if it weren’t for these two news sources. Small news outlets such as these are a dying breed, so let’s all be sure to donate generously and often to keep them alive and healthy!
We keep things interesting.
Park City has more choices for activities, events, clubs, and charitable projects than many major cities. No matter what your interests are, there is a group of like-minded people eager to meet you. There is a long list of nonprofit organizations that could use your helping hand, and no end to the variety of outdoor activities waiting for you to try them. As we grow older, we’re grateful that we’ve been able to seamlessly transition from ski racing, to jogging, to pickle ball!
There are so many things about Park City that we at Chin-MacQuoid-Fleming-Harris are grateful for that it would be impossible to list them all. We didn’t even touch on the natural beauty of thriving economy. We hope you will join us this week in reflecting on how fortunate we are to call this mountain town our home.
