Try to remember — the good old days were just not that good

FROM MY FRONT PORCH

Sam Houston is the publisher of the Hood County News. He is also an actor, author, playwright, performer and entertainment producer/promoter.

This past week I received a letter from a reader, letting me know the HCN was too supportive of tourism and growth. The author explained the growth in Hood County had ruined “the utopia” that had been the Granbury they had moved to in the 70s. They went on to say the traffic, infrastructure issues, and the “personality” change of Granbury was all associated with growth and none of the change was for the better.

I understand the human desire to reflect with a kind eye as we look at the past.  I took what the reader said to heart and did a little research about the good old days in Hood County of 40 years ago. You remember those days? Back when the unemployment rate was 9%, inflation was at 9% and interest rates on money borrowed was 15%? Can you imagine trying to borrow money and make payments on a house or a car at that interest rate? Those good old days don’t sound so great to me.

I also talked to some local old timers who told me that back in the 80s the businesses on the square basically shut down during January and February because of the lack of activity. Do you remember what the ambulance and health care services were like in the 80s? How about city services? Do you recall life before the 911 system was put into place?

Hood County has grown and grown dynamically over the last 40 years. What has all this growth gotten us? For one, the average price of a house of a Hood County home from 1980 to 2020 has more than doubled. Meaning if you owned a house in 1980 and still have it, when you sell the “growth” will have made you a lot of money. The quality of life has improved as social services, city services, and cultural opportunities have improved and expanded.

The tax rate for our city and GISD are among the lowest of comparable cities in our region. The bond rating for both entities is good. Importantly, outsiders want to move here because in their eyes Granbury is a much better place to live, raise their family and work, than the place where they currently live. What does that tell us about the growth? Evidently a whole lot of folks find the “expanded and improved” Granbury to be a pretty good thing.

Yes, I understand there are those who wish Granbury had never grown and remained a small country town. But the reality is the world has changed and the time my reader longs for are as much history as when I had a 32-inch waist, dark hair, and could still stuff a basketball. All good memories, but in the past and not the current, and certainly not the future.

Regrettably, there are a few people in Granbury who are like a woman with a loaf a bread under one arm and a Virginia ham under the other, screaming they are starving to death because they do not have any mustard! They wish to criticize and find fault with our hometown, instead of seeing of how good we have it in our community. Is Granbury perfect?  Of course not, but I question if someone can name the place that is. Do we have issues we need to address? Certainly, we do, and our community is working to address them. Jump in your car and drive to some Texas cities that look just like they did 40 years ago. Those folks would kill to trade places with us. Our future is one of growth and prosperity.

Now that is something I can support.

Thought for the day: The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that brings progress.

Until next time…

sam@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 260