Letter to the editor Appreciation for Guymon Pioneer Days

Editor’s note: This message was sent to the Guymon Chamber of Commerce by Bob Patton.

To the Guymon

Chamber,

I just wanted to let you know how much my wife and I enjoyed the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo Saturday night. It was [a] tremendous show by any standard, and we’ve been to a lot of rodeos.

We drove up from Edmond Saturday morning and spent most of the afternoon and evening enjoying the wonderful hospitality of the great people of Guymon. As retired folks who grew up in small towns in western Oklahoma, it’s always refreshing to be reminded of the America that still exists in the large parts of what people sometimes refer to as “the heartland.” We love the God and country patriotism that is so much a hallmark of rural America.

I’ve never been more proud of an Oklahoma town than I am of Guymon, Oklahoma. I know trying to get anything done in these difficult times is a full time job and requires bucking the popular “expert” opinion. It’s usually the expert opinion of folks who’ve never set foot in your neck of the woods and wouldn’t last a week if they ever did. I’ve always loved the Panhandle, even though the closest I ever came to living in it was Shattuck as a kid. I so admire the toughness and the grit of Panhandle people along with their always positive and friendly attitude, even in the face of adversity.

As I tell my city friends who are appalled by the ugly turn of events in 2020, keep fighting for truth, freedom and personal responsibility. There’s still a GREAT country out there, you just can’t see it from your urban enclave. It’s alive and well and is baring down in Texas County Oklahoma.

Congratulations to you and the entire community of Guymon. Give my best to your rodeo people and your volunteers who got it done.

Job well done. God bless.

Bob Patton