Dorothy Gale was right

It’s been said by many a wise person that you can’t go home again.

While it’s physically possible to return to a place that you once called home, you will find that things have changed. After all, time doesn’t stand still; it continually moves forward, not backward.

The place where you once lived and cared for is now being occupied by someone else whose vision for the property may or may not be the same as yours. Activities you once participated in still happen without you. And friends go on with their lives.

Sure, you can visit. You can even participate in some of the same activities or gather with your buddies. But odds are it won’t feel the same. That sense of home is likely missing, transferred to the place where you have put down new roots.

I know this to be true because I recently visited a place that I called home for more than a decade. A place where I felt I belonged, participated in community events and had many friends. But this visit wasn’t the same. None of those feelings were there anymore. It felt strange.

That feeling of belonging and sense of security that home brings is why people fight so fiercely to protect it.

Boulder City residents feel that way about the community as a whole. You see that on a constant basis as they work to protect the way of life that makes the city such a treasured place to be.

Volunteers spend countless hours organizing community events, many of which are free to attend. Though these events gain plenty of attention by the sheer number of participants and the prominent locations they are held at, they really are just a small part of what people do to make Boulder City a place to call home.

There are many people who devote their knowledge and expertise to guide the city’s future by voluntarily serving on committees and commissions. They offer opinions and suggestions to improve our airport, golf courses, parks and historic properties. They delve into city code and charter issues and guide development through their work on the planning commission.

There are countless others who are not officially part of any commission or committee but still work tirelessly to keep the community clean or make sure our nonprofit organizations function smoothly and accomplish whatever task is at hand.

And there are others still who just care. They show up to offer their support for issues that will affect the city. They fight for what they believe is right.

For these people, home is where the heart is. Or, more appropriately, their heart is where home is.

This is what makes Boulder City home sweet home.

And just like Dorothy Gale said in “The Wizard of Oz,” there’s no place like home.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.