It is one of the most meaningful celebrations for Moffat County High School during the fall semester, and it’s so great how much the school district and community support the festivities. Community events are definitely on the rise in our county, and reasons to celebrate our way of life and geographic location are well worth the reminder that a smaller, more tightly knit town has more positives than negatives.

Sure, we who have been here for a while can get used to each other and take for granted the things that have attracted people to our little oasis since a world-wide pandemic opened people’s eyes to the possibilities of a smaller community. We can get used to our locals and the very attributes that make our way of life such a huge benefit for our children.

But, something about a small town rearing helps young people when they go out into the world and have to prove themselves. Something about people asking, “Where is Craig?” instills a kind of, “I’ll show you” attitude. Paired with a little chip on the shoulder helps in proving yourself to a world that might not know where you are from, but will understand who you are because of your work ethic and attitude.

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I’ve spoken with countless graduates over the last 20 years who have made their way in the world and are people who should be celebrated. Not because they are famous or some kind of celebrity but simply because they walk up, remind me who they are, sometimes apologize for the kind of student they were, and then tell me about what they are doing and how growing up in a small town really helped them understand what’s important.

Obviously, we wish this was the norm with all of our young people, but it is safe to say that the true measure of a school system is what graduates are doing five or 10 years after they leave the protection of our community.

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It’s easy to wallow in self-deprecation about the things we don’t have, or the resources we lack, but in the interest of context and practicality, we are a community that does a pretty good job of sending our children off to make a difference in the world in which they find themselves.

We have plenty of graduates who have chosen to stay in our community and help nurture what has sustained us throughout the tough times and help support the structures we have in place as a community that believes in the importance of raising children with an attitude of gratitude but also a little chip on the shoulder to help them make good in the world and then proudly proclaim, “Ya, I grew up in a little town called Craig.”

Welcome to Homecoming 2022 and even if you can’t make it to Craig this week, know that there are people like myself who are appreciative of you carrying the Northwest Colorado tradition into the world and making it a better place. Celebrate your hometown! It’s a great place to live.