Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

I took a few days off last week to get a few projects done at home and rejuvenate myself for the final push of many activities to cover before school starts in the middle of August.

During that time off I also let my mind wander and it wandered to many places and topics, topics of things I know but things I don’t understand and probably will never understand. Here are some of those things.

•I know people in every small town in Wyoming (OK at least every small town I’ve lived in) say ‘there’s nothing for kids to do here, but I don’t understand why they say that. We have a library filled with books that can take any child of any age on a different adventure every day. We have a movie theater that has evening and matinee showings. We have a swimming pool with outdoor splash pad and indoor slide. We have a community center with basketball courts. We have multiple parks with tennis courts, basketball courts and playground equipment. We have a skate park. We have a biking/walking path. We have a community garden. There are multiple places and organizations that willingly accept volunteer help. The museum and community center offer a variety of summer camps. The library offered a summer reading program with reading and crafts. Churches offered vacation Bible schools. There are multiple events throughout the summer including next week’s Washakie County Fair (how about getting involved in 4-H, it’s not just for rural youth). There is Nowoodstock coming up in Ten Sleep and the Wyoming BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival. Earlier we had CultureFest with vendors, live music and a petting zoo. There will be the Battle of the Bands.

I realize it’s been a few years since I was a kid so I’m curious what it is that we don’t have that kids need?

•I know left wing liberals think the sky is falling and the United States is in dire straits under President Donald Trump. I don’t understand if the country is that bad why so many immigrants are striving to come here legally and illegally. Maybe it is because the sky is not falling and the United States is still a great country to live, living in the land of the free.

•I know people still fall victim to the many different scams out there but I do not understand how. Banks, newspapers, radio and other medium announce regularly “If it sounds to good to be true, it is”; “Never give out personal information to someone you don’t know”; “always verify who is calling.”

•I know there are people on Facebook who claim that sharing a post has magical powers but I don’t understand why. My God and the Bible I read does not tell me I have to share posts to tell others I love Jesus. I hope people can see that by my actions and words. Yes, I may consider you a friend but I shouldn’t have to “follow instructions” to prove that. Again I hope my actions toward you, not my actions on Facebook, prove that.

And, now sharing that post doesn’t mean you’ll win free airline tickets, concert tickets or that any celebrity will send you money. It just means that you blindly do whatever a Facebook post tells you to do.

We need a world of independent thinkers and along those lines …

•Finally, I know there are people who have and will cast their votes in this upcoming election without really knowing what the candidates stand for, and I don’t understand why. There is ample opportunity to be an informed voter. The Northern Wyoming Daily News will be profiling state, county and local candidates throughout the month of August and there will be a candidate forum on Aug. 19.

Be informed when you vote, but most of all … vote.