It’s been great…on to new adventures around the lake

BY Dawn Rankins

Happy Friday Canyon Lake. I do hope this column finds you well. This looks to be my last article for the Friday Flyer as I embark on my new adventures, first being to take care of my health.

I will miss writing for The Friday Flyer, but more than that, I will miss you. I will miss being involved in seeing the many wonderful clubs around the lake and being invited to your events and functions. You have all made me feel welcome and at home and for that, I am eternally grateful.

As I embark on this new journey of gaining my health back and figuring out what’s next, I am met with mixed emotions, that are mixed with a little excitement. You see, when I moved to Canyon Lake just a little over a year ago, it was my dream to sit at each beach and write. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to write and I’m doing just that. As mentioned in a previous article, I have a book that I’ve written and all I have to do is finalize the little details and now I can do that with peace of mind.

This past weekend, I was invited to dinner with Doug and Anneda Schultz and a few other members of the community. We had dinner before the Frankie Ballard concert and once again, I was humbled by the people I met. Everyone was so welcoming and inviting and I appreciated you all. I met one couple who stands out to me, George and Joey Kupan. They’re fairly new to Canyon Lake. I believe they’ve been here just a year and one month. They expressed just how much this community means to them and how they love living here. Their passion for being a part of such an amazing community was and is contagious.

I also met this wonderful man, Marcell. He and his wife have lived in the lake for over 30 years and the changes that they’ve seen are remarkable. We talked a little about some of the big topics that are happening in the lake, none in detail, just that there are some heavy topics.

What I took from our conversation was simple: we are a community and it’s OK to have a different perspective on things as long as we don’t forget just how important this lake is to all of us. We can’t let differences of opinion divide us. It’s not worth it. We can learn from each other and we can grow stronger, as long as we do it together.

Marcell made me think about life as your reporter and how different stories have been shared with me. It’s something I will miss for sure, and I didn’t realize how much until so many of you had reached out to me to wish me luck and to ask “what can I do?”.

I want to express to you how much I appreciate you wanting to be there for me. Strangers have reached out wanting to just tell me I’d be missed. This community certainly does have each other‘s backs.

The sense of community is evident when one of our own is sick or, God forbid, is taken from us. It can be felt and it can be seen. This community comes together, united in supporting one another. This is what makes Canyon Lake so unique. This is what makes Canyon Lake the best place to live.

As I finish my final article, for now anyway, I am met with uncertainty as well as excitement and a little fear for what’s ahead. Starting a new adventure is rarely easy, but it’s worth it to see what’s on the other side. “The purpose of life, after all, is to live it. To taste experience to the utmost. To reach out eagerly and without fear for a newer and richer experience.” – Eleanor Roosevelt.

How true her words are. I’ll be living life, Canyon Lake style, just a little slower and with some rest in between. One thing I’m looking forward to is showing up at the different parks and beaches with laptop in hand to write my blog, my podcast and my new novel that I just recently started. I’ll take some afternoon rides on my golf cart and who knows, maybe I’ll see you out and about.

Thank you everyone for all the love and support you’ve shown me over the last year as your Friday Flyer reporter. Hugs.