Idaho Falls

It's been just over 30 years since I emigrated from the Midwest to Idaho. At the time it wasn't a conscious permanent relocation, it was meant to be more of a fun stop before heading onto other big- ger and supposedly better places. I really had no idea what Idaho had to offer. All I knew of course was that Idaho grew lots of potatoes. There was also, at that time, quite a bit of national attention being drawn to the bunny bashes that used to occur near Mud Lake, but in those pre-Internet days the amount of Idaho information available for general consumption was pretty sparse. Even in the age of Google, the amount of information available today about our fair state is pretty anemic; I guess Idaho is just one of those places that needs to be experi- enced in order to be appreciated. Soon after my arrival, I learned that there was something unique not just about Idaho, but also the people that called it home. I was working for Idaho State University and was at a training retreat with a bunch of students. An evening campfire had been lit and everyone was standing around gazing into the flames. All of a sudden I heard a lone voice sing, "And here we have Idaho." Then in a scene that seemed like a cowboy western-themed remake of The Sound of Music, all the other fresh-faced students joined right in on key, "Winning her way to fame..." The whole thing was enchanting, if not a little bit creepy. Where I came from no one had a clue what the tune for the state song was, let Outdoors by Gregg Losinski but I'll bet when it comes to students learn- ing their state song we are right on top. Many would consider this an example of how outmoded and archaic our educational system is here in Idaho, but I would offer up a different notion. If our young people retain the lyrics of our state song and incorporate them into their personal visions and goals, then I say we've accomplished something pretty darn significant. Sure it would be nice if they could read and write better, but pride in where you come from is worth a heck of a lot and is not something you see much elsewhere in this country. Sense of place has become a disposable notion for most people, but not for Idahoans. Every year I get to work at travel shows in Utah to promote tourism in Idaho. I have given up being amazed by the number of people who walk up and tell me that while they may live in Utah, their hearts are in Idaho where they grew up. I can honestly say I've never had a single former Californian say that their heart was still in California. And here we have Idaho Falls, an impor- tant part of that conglomerate we proudly call Idaho and every bit as worthy of being sung about. A place truly carved from nothing by the pioneers and a place where many great ideals have been realized and innumerable great ideas are waiting to be discovered. Gregg can be reached at gmlosinski@ live.com. alone the actual words. Yet here were all these atomic-era youths belting out this song that seemed like a relic from the gold rush days. That should have been my first clue that Idaho had clung onto many of the notions from simpler times. Here We Have Idaho Written by McKinley Helm & Albert J. Tompkins Composed by Sallie Hume-Douglas You've heard of the wonders our land does possess, It's beautiful valleys and hills, The majestic forests where nature abounds, We love every nook and rill. [Chorus] And here we have Idaho Winning her way to fame. Silver and gold in the sunlight blaze, And romance lies in her name. Singing, we're singing of you, Ah, proudly too, All our lives thru, we'll go Singing, singing of you, Singing of Idaho. There's truly one state in this great land of ours Where ideals can be realized. The pioneers made it so for you and me, A legacy we'll always prize. Lots of people bash Idaho when it comes to most aspects of our educational system. Sure, we're 49th for this and 50th for that, 86 IDAHO FALLS MAGAZINE MAY/JUNE 2014 And Here We Have Idaho

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