Modesto's Signature Sign — Water Wealth Contentment Health

I recently received an invitation from an old high school friend from Modesto (my home town) to join a new Facebook group … “You Know You Grew Up in Modesto, When ?????” I logged in to Facebook and a visited the group last Saturday when its membership stood at around 200. I’ve had a great time visiting daily to read members stories and memories and even posting some of my favorite tales from growing up in the 60s and 70s in “Mo-Town”, at the time a sleepy Central Valley community surrounded by agriculture, and known for Gallo Winery, Foster Farms chicken (plant in Livingston, but I went to Fred C. Beyer high school with the two Foster daughters), and the inspiration for George Lucas’ American Graffiti (cruisin!). I have kept watching the membership of the Group go up and up and up … today it stands at over 3,400. Modesto has had it’s problems in recent years. It was recently rated the fourth most miserable places to live in the US … Stockton, located 30 miles north ranked Number one, and Merced, 40 miles south, and Sacramento, 70 miles north, were ranked in the Top 5 (four Central Valley communities, what the heck!). I forget who rounded out the the Top 5, maybe Yuma. What really has struck me about this Group is the love, respect and sheer joy people (residents and refugees like me) have in remembering the Golden Years of growing up in Modesto … mostly people talk about their experiences in the 1960s and 1970s … my time there. I have been accused of having an Elephant’s Memory, but these people are truly trotting out some wonderful gems … people, places, things and experiences that haven’t rattled around in my head for years. It’s been great to connect with people who share a common history. I am hopeful that a precious place that people have loved for all these years can turn it around and become one of the Top 5 most wonderful places to live — just like it used to be!