Stirring up memories of Green River

Whether it be a lifelong resident, someone who commutes to work here on a daily basis, or someone who lived here for a few years, everyone has not only their first memories of Green River, but the things they cherish about the small Wyoming town.

In the past few issues of the Star, we have had two special sections that really stirred these memories for me and I’m sure many other of our readers.

The first special highlighted things we love about Green River, and a historical edition in today’s issue took a detailed look at the past.

I was born and raised in Rock Springs, but in a lot of ways Green River was like an adopted home town.

Spending time with my uncle, aunt, and cousins was a holiday and summer ritual.

Playing behind their house on Hillside Drive was a treasure for a little kid.

It had everything a kid could ask for. There was dirt, sand puppies and other weird bugs, more dirt, rocks to flip over, snakes, even more dirt, and plenty of places to ride bikes and explore.

For a kid this was a little slice of Heaven and I couldn’t wait for the chance to get outside and explore.

I’m pretty sure when my uncle was at the trona mine and my aunt was working at the bank, they thought we were all well behaved in their absence, but we weren’t.

Putting me and my cousin together was a disaster and we couldn’t behave. Even when my older cousin was supposed to be watching us, we would disappear. On one occasion, we thought it would be fun to see what it was like to break windows. I think to this day my aunt still wants to whip me with a belt, wooden spoon, mace, or other pain causing instrument for that epic failure.

This time gave me a love for Green River. We’d spend time down by the river and would walk all over town. No place was to far.

As I grew older, Green River became a bad word. When I got into school and started playing sports, Green River teams were the enemy. It’s kind of silly now, but when you’re in junior high, small town rivalries start to build and really don’t go away.

I got to the age where I really didn’t go outside and play much anymore and wasn’t visiting Green River often.

While I didn’t forget all the wonderful times and the great things that make Green River beautiful, it just wasn’t a priority.

After college, I got a job at the Star and on a daily basis I was reminded what’s so great about Green River.

There is something so special about driving into town as the sun sets or rises. To see the way the sun reflects off the rock formations is beautiful.

Driving near Jackson School and looking down at the river during the summer is one of the most beautiful views in Southwest Wyoming.

The residents here are friendly and it’s a hidden gem of Wyoming.

I’m sure in my next few column I’ll get back to moaning and groaning about selfies, people driving, unruly pets, or some other sort of catastrophe, it’s just nice to look at the window at Mansface and enjoy Green River for a little bit.

 

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