A Change of Heart

I love St. Johns!

But it didn't begin that way.

Ted and I met at BYU, and, a short time later, he wanted to take me home to meet his parents. What delightful people. What a very nice visit.

On the way back to school, I said to Ted, "nice little town, but don't ever take me there to live." Well, we have lived here 53 years of our 58 married years, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

What a great town in which to raise your children. What a great place to love your relatives, friends, and neighbors.

Years ago, before SRP came in and saved our town that was too small and about to die, we could stop our vehicles in the middle of Main Street and have a conversation, for however long we wanted, and it wouldn't disrupt traffic at all. Those were the days!

And the friends and neighbors, they were like second parents. One of our children was across the street playing with friends and cut his hand quite badly. We weren't home at the moment, so the neighbors took him to the doctor who took care of him, stitches and all.

At one time, we needed to go to Phoenix and our older children said, "Mom, Dad, we are old enough to take care do ourselves. You can trust us." Well, we got a call in the wee hours from one of them saying, "We were out very late, got caught, and thought we had better call you and tell you about it before the neighbors do." Isn't that a great true story? I am telling you, this is a wonderful town.

Neighbors will pat you on the back at the slightest little good you do and actually let you help them when you can see help is needed. I can't even tell you how very many people in the big city have told us that they DON'T EVEN KNOW THEIR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS.

What a huge attitude change this writer has had from "Don't ever take me there to live" to "I wouldn't trade it for any other place in the whole USA."

I love St. Johns.

~Julie Raban
November 2013