Harold Crumpley: Say what you will, but Modesto is home
Our last cross-country road trip as a family happened in 1959 when I was still a teenager. The second night out, as we descended from the mountains into Albuquerque, N.M., at dusk, the beauty of the city impressed my dad. He wanted to gas-up for the next day before we found a motel for the night. We pulled into a station and a kid, no older than me, came out to service our car. My dad, as he would do, got out and engaged the young man in conversation. Dad asked: “What do people here do for a living?”
The boy thought for a few seconds, then responded: “Oh, I don’t know, I guess we kinda live off each other.” I’ve thought about that remark over the years, as I’ve seen Modesto grow from 10,000 people, as it was when we moved here in 1942, to 205,000 today. We say there is nothing to do in Modesto – no work and no play. My students told me, year after year, that they couldn’t wait to graduate “and get out of this town.” Many have, but many more have come to stay.
What are the positive attributes of Modesto? Basically, it’s home.
Harold Crumpley, Modesto
This story was originally published March 9, 2015 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Harold Crumpley: Say what you will, but Modesto is home."