Any of you who know me, understands the importance/value i place in knowing Sun City's history. It's that good, that significant. Understanding where we came from and how we got here (Sun City), is integral to appreciating how much work went into something as unique and as special as this community most of us love. All of which becomes a topic beyond Sun City, because in reality it starts with each of our own stories. It's captured in how we found it and the path we took to arrive in the middle of the desert, often away from family and friends. Leaving is seldom easy. For my wife and i it was because my parents lived here; which by the way is a story told thousands of times over. For others it was friends who came and when they had visitors, they too fell in love with a wholly different way of life. For some, they stumbled into it, unaware. It's exactly why i've always contended; history matters. Those of us who knew something about the community, tended to have a better grasp of what we were buying into. We knew there were 7 (now 8) rec centers, 8 golf courses, 2 lakes, 125 plus clubs and organizations too plentiful to mention here. We knew there were boundless opportunities to stay busy as well as become volunteers to fill our days. Time and poor choices eroded that mindset, as we decided just telling new home buyers to come and have fun. We bought into the argument those new residents (many who were and still are working) had no interest in becoming part of the fabric of the community. That those in charge would just handle it all. I get it and i understand, some argue it's simply the evolution of life. Those moving here didn't care and why even bother with education and communication on all Sun City had to offer. In time, they'd either find it, or they wouldn't. If they didn't, oh well, so what? The easy answer is to look back at 2023 and see the shortsightedness the previous 15 years brought us. 20 million dollars of deferred maintenance due, a technology structure 10-15 years behind the times, golf courses needing a boatload of work and the values Sun City had been built around, crumbling. I guess the good news was we were the cheapest, by far. The question always becomes: At what cost? We know it's high and until we catch-up with where we need to be, we'll all be paying more. We also know it won't be as simple as writing bigger checks every year, we know our future is embedded in how much of ourselves we are willing to invest in the rebuild. That's where my reminders of how blessed we are, kick in. Gratitude for what we have can best be found in our history of how we got here. And i don't mean that in the singular you, but each and everyone of us who have been pouring into Sun City since opening day. It's a journey traveled by well over 100,000 people; a good percentage of them gave more to insure we flourished than most of you know. The value and the values built into Sun City were always front and center. Some did nothing, but the largest majority buying here gave back something. Time, money, expertise (take your pick), those opportunities to add to the quality of life were always celebrated and promoted. We are on the cusp of perhaps returning to that way of life, a place where each of us mattered. A place where our stories mattered because they were the essence of our end results. And when i say, our end results, i am talking about the collective, not the individual. I'm old and yet every day i find myself growing in the appreciation for what i/we have. With every picture i post, every paragraph i write about Sun City, it's simply another opportunity to feel blessed. Hopefully as we crawl forward into 2024, you will become aware of our history and why the life we all have/enjoy is so unique. Blessed indeed.
