Mayoral Debates-What I Took Away

Ialways look forward to election cycles. Of course, sometimes my candidate loses. However, no matter what the result, I am always excited for change. This month we will elect a new mayor for our community and that will bring a new vision. Local elections in my opinion are more important than national events. The president isn’t going to make recommendations for our community or decide what is best for Gallup. That is why I attended the mayoral debates, to see what those running for the position had to offer.

Each candidate gave their pitch for what they felt needed to be changed and how they would go about implementing that change. Each of us should make the effort to vote and learn about our fellow Gallupians who have decided to run for office. This article isn’t about who I am going to vote for; it is about what one candidate had to say during the debate that made me think about my growing up in Gallup. Mayoral candidate Louie Bonaguidi made the comment that Gallup was a great place to grow up.

All of us have our own opinion of Gallup and trust me I have heard a wide range of opinions during my lifetime. However, I do think that I am allowed an opinion on Bonaguidi’s comment since I also grew up here. Many times I have played a scenario in my mind where I wasn’t living in Gallup, but instead had grown up in a different place and had a career doing something different. Of course, in a make-up fantasy world setting, it seems like it would have been pretty good somewhere else. The reality is, after thinking hard about growing up here and now being part of this community as an adult, I find myself agreeing with Bonaguidi’s statement.

I have very fond memories of growing up in Indian Hills. It seemed like every day my buddies and I would fill our time after school with a number of fun activities. We had the hogbacks to explore and explore we did. When we weren’t playing in the hogbacks, we would be building jumps for our BMX bikes. If the weather didn’t allow for an outside adventure, we would head to the school gym where Mr. Barnard would offer after school recreation. Plus, I still remember all of my elementary school teachers who played a part in molding me for my future.

It isn’t only my elementary years that I hold dear, but all of my schooling through graduation. Having the opportunity to stay in one place for all of my school years let me build friendships that are still part of my life today. These are the friends that I still see today and ones that you feel that comfort and ease with, good friends. Many of us played sports together and those are memories we are all very proud of. Once I was ready to leave Gallup for college, I had an adequate grounding to feel comfortable with academics and knew how to build meaningful relationships. I didn’t think about coming back to Gallup for a career but that is what has happened.

Now I am married and have children that are repeating the same experiences I had. My wife also grew up here and we are both comfortable with our decision to make our life here. All three of our kids appear to really like it here. Every time we go on a vacation, they are eager to return home and catch up with their friends. I don’t know if they will also make a career here in Gallup, but if they do, I imagine they will also find our community full of opportunity.

So, now that we have a new mayor coming to office, I am confident that whoever it is, their vision is one that will make Gallup even better. Remember, get out and vote and make the most of your time here in Gallup. Whether that is for a lifetime or just a stopover.

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