June 6, 2023

By Ranger James

After glancing at the title of this note, you may be wondering what donuts have to do with building a park. For one, they are a delicious treat for morning meetings, but there is a deeper connection. If you bear with me, I will clarify that connection.

Building a new state park is a colossal undertaking. The number of stakeholders and moving parts can be daunting at times, and one could easily find themselves discouraged.

However, the folks involved with this project see the importance of what they are doing. Each of them recognizes that when we are finished, we will have created something that the people of Texas will enjoy for generations. Realizing the value of the task at hand can turn obstacles into opportunities.

Having to carve roads into rock is the opportunity to provide access to the previously inaccessible. Building a pavilion on a remote ridgeline is the opportunity to provide breathtaking experiences for countless future visitors.

The same philosophy can apply to park visitors. Enduring the trek up Enchanted Rock is the opportunity to reach new heights. Completing the Lighthouse Trail at Palo Duro Canyon is the opportunity to reflect upon your own abilities.

In this way, building a park is no different than the many challenges (opportunities) that we each face every day. Whether you are summitting a mountain or taking out the trash, the value of the experience lies in how you look at it. Which brings me to the donut!

There was a quote known as the “Optimist’s Creed” printed on Mayflower Donut boxes, that a good friend of mine paraphrased: “When travelling through life, whatever your goal, keep your eye on the donut, and not the hole!”