Globe, Thomas, and Planning

Last weekend my family and I took a trip out to Globe, Arizona. We went for an event called a "Day Out With Thomas" (which I didn't hyperlink to because you most likely don't care about it) where they have a life-sized Thomas the tank engine pull you (and hopefully your kids, because if you're at this without kids it might be time to re-evaluate where your life is headed) around and lots of other kid friendly activities.
(Here's a picture I grabbed off google, so no that background is not Globe. Just wanted to remind you who Thomas is. He has a TV show, and has been voiced by Ringo Starr, George Carlin, and Alec Baldwin (ftw). Notice his huge, wide open eyes... possibly staring into your very soul. Anyways, kids love him; he's a big blue goldmine. Also, sorry the image is so enormous it wouldn't re-size easily so I guess bask in gigantic Thomas or read quickly to get away.)

As we drove out toward Globe I had no idea what to expect. We headed east on the 60, and I'd never been past the Val Vista (or there about) exit headed east on that freeway. The drive got surprisingly pretty and really got me thinking about cities and proper planning. Miami and then Globe were clearly mining towns. It was amazing to see the mountains with huge areas literally just cut away. These towns also looked as if they had clearly seen better days. I couldn't help but wonder if 50+ years ago if they had more of a future focus if these towns might have been in better shape.

I'm not claiming to have all the answers, and I am certainly not a planner. So really my point with all this is that it really struck me how important decisions we make now will be for the future. I am finishing a masters degree to help me work in local government, and decided to work in local government to be able to positively impact people and communities. The trip to Globe was a visual reminder of how drastic this impact can really be, and how important it is to thoughtfully and strategically make the best decision available... So that was my deep thought from the weekend.