In the land of the beehive, there once was a real-life unicorn. He was born Richard Simon Leafty. But he chose to be known as Unicorn. And once you met him, there was no denying that a unicorn was exactly what he was.
Mr. Unicorn worked as a crossing guard at Bonneville Elementary, turning the poles and signs at the corner of 2000 East and Princeton Ave into a wonderland each holiday. He hung flowers all over for Mother’s Day. For Easter, he adorned the sign post with a massive bunny and donned long pointy ears. On many occasions, he enlisted the help of neighbors (and their ladders, plural) to bring his vision to life.
Mr. Unicorn would drive up and down the Wasatch Front for weeks looking for decorations and props at thrift stores. As his crossing guard partner, Mr. Unicorn often brought me a jacket to wear, a treat, or some other trinket he’d come across in his travels. Every kid that crossed the street left with a toy, a piece of candy and a smile. Mr. Unicorn’s signature greeting—“You made it!”—rang out through the neighborhood each morning…