People Come, Stay in Fayetteville

— Editor’s note: The Times recently invited local residents to submit columns for consideration as the newspaper seeks one or two local columnists to run regularly. This is one of the submissions. Others can be sent to [email protected].

In Fayetteville, the possibilities are endless. Or at least it seems that way to most of us.

Many of us have been a lot of places and seen a lot of things, but we have a smile on our face when we jump in a car or hop on an airplane to come home to Fayetteville. It’s always good to get back. You know you are living in the right place when you feel that way about your hometown.

Like a lot of you reading this, I’ve lived in Fayetteville my whole life. When I navigate my way around the streets of Fayetteville, my mind often drifts back to the days when I was a kid roaming these same streets. Even in the midst of all we’ve grown to be, I can still see the small town where I was raised and I can still conjure up what it felt like to grow up here all those years ago. It’s easy to remember what a cool town this was way back then and it’s a source of pride to ponder all we’ve become in the years since. After all these years, it’s still a unique and cool place. And it’s still a place where people know when you are born and care when you die.

Compared to when I grew up here, we now have a lot more traffic, a lot more buildings and a lot more people. We have more of everything. Yet, somehow we have managed to age gracefully and evolve with purpose. Growing up, I sensed living here was a good deal, even though back then I would have never been able to put into words why it was. The thing is, I’m not sure I can find the right words now. It’s just a feeling you get when you live here.

Today’s Fayetteville is a place full of energy and opportunity. The town has character and it’s filled with characters. It has a rhythm and spirit to it that grows on you, and it grows quickly. It doesn’t take long for Fayetteville to capture your heart. If you don’t believe me, just ask the thousands of people who have moved here to live since I was a youngster. Most of them have stayed because they realized in short order this is a nice place to make a living and a life for yourself and your family.

It’s not that we are perfect; we are far from it. It’s not that we have no problems because we have some. What city doesn’t? Most of us will admit we don’t always get it right and we recognize the way we do things in Fayetteville is sometimes a source of amusement or chagrin to some who don’t live here and often to those of us who do. We tend to chew on things and talk up a storm before we make a decision. Sometimes we have a meeting just so we can schedule the next meeting. Darn near everyone has an opinion, whether informed or not, and most aren’t afraid to share their opinion. And it doesn’t take much time for newcomers to town to join the crowd. That’s because once they settle in Fayetteville they feel invested in something good, just like those of us who have been here for years. When the dust settles and we make a decision about something important to our future and our quality of life, we usually get it right. If we do mess it up, we eventually figure it out and fix it. Folks here may not agree on how to get there but we all agree we want Fayetteville to be the best it can be.

I’ve seen a lot of people come to Fayetteville but I haven’t seen many of them go. Most of them are still here. Among those who chose to leave or had to leave, many of them have found a way to come back to Fayetteville. What we have here gets in your blood. Just ask some of my friends who left in their 20s but landed back in Fayetteville in their 30s, 40s or 50s.

When I was a child, my father used to tell us we were lucky to live in Fayetteville. I didn’t really grasp for sure what he was saying back then but in the years since I’ve come to understand exactly what he meant. My father also used to say that everyone has to live somewhere so it might as well be a place you want to be. He was right. I want to be here in Fayetteville and I want to be here in Northwest Arkansas. I’m lucky to live here. We all are.

Woody Bassett is a lifelong Fayetteville resident and a local attorney.

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