Good-Bye...To A Prince Of A Man

I saw a post from a family member a day or so ago; that's when I found out. And even though it wasn't unexpected, it's still a shock when the news is confirmed. You can link to the Salt Lake Tribune article: HERE.

I first met Peter Freed when I was sixteen years old, but his influence affected my life for years. We moved to Farmington in 1970 and soon, we were going to Lagoon almost daily in the summer, every day, except Sunday, that is. My family bought a pool pass--it was around $35 for the whole family for the whole summer.

And we went every day, every year, for years.

When I was sixteen I was hired as a groundkeeper and we cleaned the park--a great job for a teenager because we had to clock-in at 4am. You save money when you have to go to bed around 9pm in the summer. It wasn't until I began working in the entertainment department that I really appreciated Peter.

Lagoon's an interesting place and when you work there off-and-on since 1982, you see trends, you see behind the scenes. Most patrons go to Lagoon for the rides. The games, and food are bonuses. But, for a chosen few, it was the park's entertainment that drew them, especially the locals. They would go to every "Music USA" performance, or Countryside, or to see the Lagoon All-Star Band. And from what I understand, Peter played a huge part in the creation of those shows. Because of his influence, entertainment is a central part of the park to this day.

Peter was a quiet man, a reserved person. He was not loud or bombastic. He watched the patrons from his little office window near the park's entrance, and he came to see as many shows as he could, always from the back, always allowing others the better seats, the better views. You could tell he loved the shows, loved watching people enjoy themselves.

I'm sure there are amazing stories of the man before he and his brothers took a risk on an amusement park in a small Utah town. And, I'm sure if I heard about them and the part he played in the military and in other business dealings, I'm sure I'd learn of the same quiet man, someone who seemed to always want others to Have Fun.

Peter was one of the good guys, and I'm glad I knew him.

That Time A Great Shot Just Drops In Your Lap...Or Camera

Exactly one week ago tonight, I found myself standing in the middle of an amusement park holding my dinner of German food in my hand and waiting for my daughter to finish up shutting down her show for the night.

A deep red light erupted from the stage and I saw it...a chance to snap a photograph.

And so I did.

I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. Of course, digital photography is so much better when it comes to knowing if you got the shot or not than it used to be when we used film. No wonder one-hour photo places were so popular. It's almost inconceivable to think there was no way of knowing how a picture turned out until you developed the film.

Now, all you have to do is change from the camera app to the photo app, if you're using your phone, which I did last week.

This was my daughter's show--the show I do had its last show canceled because they were closing the park earlier than planned. Since I no longer had a show, I thought I'd go pick up dinner then my daughter and I would go home. I saw the red light flood the stage, I took a few shots, then came home and posted the best shot as my Pic Of The Day.

What I didn't see was how the stage looks like a big mouth, the ship's wheel being swallowed in a sea of red. Two lights hanging overhead look like eyes. To me, the picture captures the magic I've found performing on stage. Be it singing, dancing, or acting, the stage can provide an experience that can change lives.

I don't know if the one picture will change any lives, but for that brief moment, when I stood alone in a semi-deserted amusement park, I got a great shot.