I lost a dear friend and good buddy this week. Scott Willis was one of the finest men I have had the privilege of knowing. Scott's pure goodness will be missed far beyond our loss of his tremendous talents. Scott is one of God's lessons to us that money, houses, cars and material possessions are not what is important, it is the person within. Scott gave so much of himself and his talents to so many that he will be in the minds and hearts of all of us for years to come. There is a hole in this community that can not be filled.
Thank you for all the beauty and laughter you brought to me and all you knew. What an addition to God's choir. Rest, we know where you are and will see you soon.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT WAL-MART
I've been reading on the hometown newsy web site Harold Bearden runs about the discrimination Haleyville is suffering because they are not on a four lane. Apparently Wal-Mart will not turn their little under stocked store that has been in Haleyville for years into a Super Center, one that has all the bells and whistles. This is not right and Wal-Mart should be held accountable. A person from Haleyville should be able to buy everything from grits to wife beater shirts (with a picture of Coach Byrant leaning against a goal post) in Haleyville as easy as those living in Hartselle. Now this is a matter that even the strongest 'Tea Party' members would agree needs some government intervention.
Do those that just happen to live in a town with a four lane deserve the American Dream any more that those live in the Dime or Pebble communities around Haleyville. If Sam Walton were alive he would be throwing a fit over these injustices. Sam never took anybody for granted. It mattered not to ole Sam how many roads ran into and out of a town. He slapped that beautiful blue and white 'WAL-MART' sign where every good red blooded American and some Mexicans could get to it quick.
I think it is the 'Yankees' that have taken control of this company since old Sam and Bud died. I have always heard those boys of Sam and Bud had so much money they didn't give a damn about the business and the 'Yankees' just took over after Sam went to that Super Center in the sky. 'Yankees' will do that if you don't watch'em.
That's what's happening in this country today. You turn something over to a bunch of 'Yankees' and within a few years we're doing things the way they do it in Michigan or Ohio. I don't have an answer, if anyone out there does please let me know.
Do those that just happen to live in a town with a four lane deserve the American Dream any more that those live in the Dime or Pebble communities around Haleyville. If Sam Walton were alive he would be throwing a fit over these injustices. Sam never took anybody for granted. It mattered not to ole Sam how many roads ran into and out of a town. He slapped that beautiful blue and white 'WAL-MART' sign where every good red blooded American and some Mexicans could get to it quick.
I think it is the 'Yankees' that have taken control of this company since old Sam and Bud died. I have always heard those boys of Sam and Bud had so much money they didn't give a damn about the business and the 'Yankees' just took over after Sam went to that Super Center in the sky. 'Yankees' will do that if you don't watch'em.
That's what's happening in this country today. You turn something over to a bunch of 'Yankees' and within a few years we're doing things the way they do it in Michigan or Ohio. I don't have an answer, if anyone out there does please let me know.
Friday, August 27, 2010
EVER BEEN CALLED STUPID AND IT WAS TRUE?
A couple of weeks ago, during the hottest of the hot times we have experienced this summer, I learned that a person, me in this instance, can be rightfully called stupid in the most innocent of ways. No rudeness, or bad intent, just truthful innocence.
A friend had ask me to ride with him to a city not far from Decatur to look for some grave sites. The reason for going he explained was that his wife had some relatives buried in this particular cemetery and she intended to spruce up the graves before Decoration Day(an annual Sunday in the South when relatives will refresh the grave sites of love ones by making sure the grass is cut or sand smoothed out and fresh plastic flowers are placed on the burial sites). I did not have anybody buried there or did not even know of anyone that intended to be placed at rest in this particular ‘garden’.
We arrived at the huge plot designated as the final resting place for what look like thousands of dearly departed in the heat of the day. There was a tiny office near the only entrance to the place where we stop to ask directions to the plots of my buddy’s distance and long departed in-laws. We both went in and were greeted by a woman just finishing a bucket of KFC hot wings which had obviously been chased by a huge bottle of Sun-Drop. She was a little overweight and had finger nails that had the logo "A" for the University of Alabama in glitter on both index fingers. My friend ask about where Uncle Morton McNutt's family might be buried and without consulting anything the chicken lady quickly informed him they were in the Garden of the Cross, which was the center most plot. “We ain’t got maps for each grave site but I know they are up there because my husband’s third cousin by marriage was buried up there last month and I remember seeing that name, go see if that’s who you’re looking for and if it ain’t come back and I will get out the maps.”
Armed with this wealth of information we returned to our car and started looking for the large Cross she had told us to find. Sure enough in the center of the property on what looked like the highest point we saw the Cross and proceeded to the area surrounding the only clue we had. We parked as close to the Cross as possible but quickly saw the ‘Garden of the Cross’ held what looked like a couple of hundred markers for all those fortunate enough to get what must have been a coveted place.
We had been in the area, separated by only a few grave sites for 15 or 20 minutes and it was miserably hot. As we walked the length of the ‘Garden’ and back, searching each headstone for any McNutt we could find, an old pickup pulled in behind my buddy’s car and stopped. Inside was a driver and two passengers. The driver, sporting a 2 or 3 day old beard and obviously chewing tobacco hollered across all those resting in what had been peace to my buddy and I. “Ya’ll got somebody burd (southern one syllable word for ‘buried’) out there?” Being the closest to him I replied, “no, we are from out of town and we are looking for some of the graves of my friends wife”. “That’s what I come for to" the driver replied, "my old lady found out I was coming to town today and she told me to find an uncle of hers”, the driver informed us. “Ya’ll seen any Willard’s out there”, the grave searcher in the pickup ask? “They’d a-been burd up here since back in the 80’s”, the driver continued to holler. “I haven’t seen anything I remember”, my buddy responded, “but we haven’t covered much ground yet”. “You might a knowed em”, the driver just kept talking. “He was old ‘Mutt’ Willard that run that bait store out on 20 close to the dam, sold a little beer too before the county went wet”, the driver just kept talking without ever getting out of the truck. "I think there's four or five of 'em burd out here". This time we both answered, “We don’t live around here, sorry”, it came out pretty close to the same at the same time.
“Why don’t you get out and look around, surely they will be in here somewhere”, my buddy asks. “Not me the driver responded, I’m gonna just tell the old lady I looked and couldn’t find ‘em, she ain’t gonna know the difference and really don’t care. Anyway I ain’t stupid enough to walk around a hot cemetery in 100 degree weather looking for somebody I don't give a ---- about anyway. See you boys later”. With that the pickup pulled out, passed our car and drove off through the entrance and back on the highway.
Suddenly it hit me, I was stupid enough to stand out in the 100+ degree weather and look for the graves of people I never knew. It must have hit my buddy about the same time because he looked at me and said, “this is pretty stupid, let’s get out of here and I think I’ll tell my ‘old lady’ we couldn’t find her folks either, maybe well come back around Thanksgiving”.
We never found my buddy’s folks or saw where the Willards were burd, but we were smart enough to get back in some air conditioning.
A friend had ask me to ride with him to a city not far from Decatur to look for some grave sites. The reason for going he explained was that his wife had some relatives buried in this particular cemetery and she intended to spruce up the graves before Decoration Day(an annual Sunday in the South when relatives will refresh the grave sites of love ones by making sure the grass is cut or sand smoothed out and fresh plastic flowers are placed on the burial sites). I did not have anybody buried there or did not even know of anyone that intended to be placed at rest in this particular ‘garden’.
We arrived at the huge plot designated as the final resting place for what look like thousands of dearly departed in the heat of the day. There was a tiny office near the only entrance to the place where we stop to ask directions to the plots of my buddy’s distance and long departed in-laws. We both went in and were greeted by a woman just finishing a bucket of KFC hot wings which had obviously been chased by a huge bottle of Sun-Drop. She was a little overweight and had finger nails that had the logo "A" for the University of Alabama in glitter on both index fingers. My friend ask about where Uncle Morton McNutt's family might be buried and without consulting anything the chicken lady quickly informed him they were in the Garden of the Cross, which was the center most plot. “We ain’t got maps for each grave site but I know they are up there because my husband’s third cousin by marriage was buried up there last month and I remember seeing that name, go see if that’s who you’re looking for and if it ain’t come back and I will get out the maps.”
Armed with this wealth of information we returned to our car and started looking for the large Cross she had told us to find. Sure enough in the center of the property on what looked like the highest point we saw the Cross and proceeded to the area surrounding the only clue we had. We parked as close to the Cross as possible but quickly saw the ‘Garden of the Cross’ held what looked like a couple of hundred markers for all those fortunate enough to get what must have been a coveted place.
We had been in the area, separated by only a few grave sites for 15 or 20 minutes and it was miserably hot. As we walked the length of the ‘Garden’ and back, searching each headstone for any McNutt we could find, an old pickup pulled in behind my buddy’s car and stopped. Inside was a driver and two passengers. The driver, sporting a 2 or 3 day old beard and obviously chewing tobacco hollered across all those resting in what had been peace to my buddy and I. “Ya’ll got somebody burd (southern one syllable word for ‘buried’) out there?” Being the closest to him I replied, “no, we are from out of town and we are looking for some of the graves of my friends wife”. “That’s what I come for to" the driver replied, "my old lady found out I was coming to town today and she told me to find an uncle of hers”, the driver informed us. “Ya’ll seen any Willard’s out there”, the grave searcher in the pickup ask? “They’d a-been burd up here since back in the 80’s”, the driver continued to holler. “I haven’t seen anything I remember”, my buddy responded, “but we haven’t covered much ground yet”. “You might a knowed em”, the driver just kept talking. “He was old ‘Mutt’ Willard that run that bait store out on 20 close to the dam, sold a little beer too before the county went wet”, the driver just kept talking without ever getting out of the truck. "I think there's four or five of 'em burd out here". This time we both answered, “We don’t live around here, sorry”, it came out pretty close to the same at the same time.
“Why don’t you get out and look around, surely they will be in here somewhere”, my buddy asks. “Not me the driver responded, I’m gonna just tell the old lady I looked and couldn’t find ‘em, she ain’t gonna know the difference and really don’t care. Anyway I ain’t stupid enough to walk around a hot cemetery in 100 degree weather looking for somebody I don't give a ---- about anyway. See you boys later”. With that the pickup pulled out, passed our car and drove off through the entrance and back on the highway.
Suddenly it hit me, I was stupid enough to stand out in the 100+ degree weather and look for the graves of people I never knew. It must have hit my buddy about the same time because he looked at me and said, “this is pretty stupid, let’s get out of here and I think I’ll tell my ‘old lady’ we couldn’t find her folks either, maybe well come back around Thanksgiving”.
We never found my buddy’s folks or saw where the Willards were burd, but we were smart enough to get back in some air conditioning.
Monday, August 9, 2010
I ADMIT TO BEING 'VISION' CHALLENGED
Hardly a day goes by I don't read or hear something about someone with great 'vision'. The President is supposed to have a great 'vision' for our country. The Republicans are supposed to have a better 'vision' and Warren Buffet just has more 'vision' than Dr.Carter has Liver Pills. I think all of us think we have 'vision' to some extent and many do I'm sure. Those of us who are 'vision' impaired are always asking ourselves how someone knew to put a coat of chocolate around a glob of peanut butter or come up with exactly eleven (11) herbs and spices to coat chicken in before you fried it. We don't like to admit it but other people just have 'vision' and you can't learn it in school.
I have decided I do not have 'vision' after thinking about many of the conclusions I have come to in the past and looking at opinions I have formed over these last 64 years.
First I remember vividly thinking the automobile industry had peaked when the 1957 Chevrolet was introduced. Yea, I figured they would tinker with it a little but never would a car be manufactured that would ever change the basic style. That day, probably in October back in 1956, at Ray Motor Company in Haleyville, was in my opinion at the time the epitome of automobile design efforts, never to be surpassed.
There are many other evidences I should have picked up on over the years that would have confirmed my 'vision' challenged state. Some time in the early 70's Wally Weeks who sold for IBM at the time convinced me that the 'SelectMatic' typewriter would probably be as far as word processing would ever go. In a time of onion skin copies and unforgiving typing, this miracle machine would allow one to back up one letter and remove the mistyped single letter. Was this not as far as typewriting could ever go, Wally convinced me and I bought, knowing I would never need to buy word processing equipment again.
I'm the guy who thought the double bar face mask on a football helmet was the last innovation in facemask, I firmly believed you could never make Coke and Pepsi light, television signals bounced off satellites giving rise to 500 channels, (people couldn't watch the 3 they had at the same time anyway), or telephones that did not utilize land lines.
I'm still working because when computers really took off I never saw that the machines themselves were nowhere near as valuable as the programs running them. I never thought a gazillion applications could be marketed for use by a world starved for the next new gizmo app giving you a score from a game being played on the opposite side of the world or a recipe for cooking ribs in your backyard.
I have long reconciled myself to the fact this world is made up of all kinds of people. Some are givers, some are takers, some are basically good and some without God are basically bad, some are athletes some are bookworms. Some are 'visionary' and I'm not.
I have decided I do not have 'vision' after thinking about many of the conclusions I have come to in the past and looking at opinions I have formed over these last 64 years.
First I remember vividly thinking the automobile industry had peaked when the 1957 Chevrolet was introduced. Yea, I figured they would tinker with it a little but never would a car be manufactured that would ever change the basic style. That day, probably in October back in 1956, at Ray Motor Company in Haleyville, was in my opinion at the time the epitome of automobile design efforts, never to be surpassed.
There are many other evidences I should have picked up on over the years that would have confirmed my 'vision' challenged state. Some time in the early 70's Wally Weeks who sold for IBM at the time convinced me that the 'SelectMatic' typewriter would probably be as far as word processing would ever go. In a time of onion skin copies and unforgiving typing, this miracle machine would allow one to back up one letter and remove the mistyped single letter. Was this not as far as typewriting could ever go, Wally convinced me and I bought, knowing I would never need to buy word processing equipment again.
I'm the guy who thought the double bar face mask on a football helmet was the last innovation in facemask, I firmly believed you could never make Coke and Pepsi light, television signals bounced off satellites giving rise to 500 channels, (people couldn't watch the 3 they had at the same time anyway), or telephones that did not utilize land lines.
I'm still working because when computers really took off I never saw that the machines themselves were nowhere near as valuable as the programs running them. I never thought a gazillion applications could be marketed for use by a world starved for the next new gizmo app giving you a score from a game being played on the opposite side of the world or a recipe for cooking ribs in your backyard.
I have long reconciled myself to the fact this world is made up of all kinds of people. Some are givers, some are takers, some are basically good and some without God are basically bad, some are athletes some are bookworms. Some are 'visionary' and I'm not.
Monday, August 2, 2010
On this Day in 1776
Members of the Continental Congress began adding their signatures to the Declaration of Independence. Many believed the painting showing everyone lining up on July 3rd or 4th was an accurate portrayal of the events surrounding the signing by the Congress but such was not the case. After these guys read what Jefferson, Adams and Franklin had written or directed to be written it took a full month to start getting them back together to sign the actual document.
When this bunch saw what the leaders had done it scared the hell out of them. Reports are they lit out of Philly as soon as the first draft was read and it took Washington's army to drag them back. Who in their right mine would send such an inflammatory writing to the King of the most powerful nation in the world, telling him this bunch of radical field hands were taking his summer vacation retreat and turning it into a sovereign nation. Washington found many of these Congressmen in caves and others hightailing it to Canada. It took months to get everyone in to sign.
I guess we should not get too upset when our current Congress finds every way possible to avoid addressing the real issues of the day. Congress has a long record of CTA (Covering their A$$).
When this bunch saw what the leaders had done it scared the hell out of them. Reports are they lit out of Philly as soon as the first draft was read and it took Washington's army to drag them back. Who in their right mine would send such an inflammatory writing to the King of the most powerful nation in the world, telling him this bunch of radical field hands were taking his summer vacation retreat and turning it into a sovereign nation. Washington found many of these Congressmen in caves and others hightailing it to Canada. It took months to get everyone in to sign.
I guess we should not get too upset when our current Congress finds every way possible to avoid addressing the real issues of the day. Congress has a long record of CTA (Covering their A$$).
Saturday, July 31, 2010
God would play great in Vegas
On this day in 2010 God extended his time defying evidence of power and awesomeness by once again transforming the world from pitch darkness to sunshine bright. He fed and nurtured billions and billions of people with food and love, sometimes using the hands, hearts, and resources of his children from one bountiful place serving in places where food and love are in short supply. All the time he remembered the name, address, social # and e-mail address of those many consider to be the least worthy of all. What an awesome God.
There is a difference between our awesome God and the great illusionist in Vegas. Our God does it without smoke, mirrors and illusions. This stuff is real.
There is a difference between our awesome God and the great illusionist in Vegas. Our God does it without smoke, mirrors and illusions. This stuff is real.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
How did I miss 'Proverbs'
My Tuesday morning Bible Study group recently started a study of the Book of Proverbs, which is still tucked right behind Psalms in the Old Testament. John Coon being a former teacher and a true student of religion and spirituality found our study guide and introduce us again to this fantastic work we find still located between Psalms and Ecclesiastes. The rest of us will take a Chapter each and leaning heavily on John and Mike Free try to get something out of the book.
I am a little tired of the ‘On this day’ stuff and I am finding this Proverb’s stuff really interesting. I think I want to talk about this new interest for awhile and leave the ‘battle of Brushy Creek’ and ‘how the Yankees cheated us in the great war’ stuff alone for a while.
That great spiritualist and wild game hunter Roger Ferrell led us in Chapter 1 and really did a good job. This stuff so far is so simple I can’t figure out why a dummy like me has not used it more for a resource during my life. The writer, Soloman primarily, starts it off by saying “the proverbs set out are to teach people wisdom and discipline and to help them understand wise sayings”. It seems like for 64 years this little nugget just went over my head. Now Mrs. Gladys Young and Mrs. C.C. Burdette taught me the proverbs and my family discussed them from time to time when one would apply to my raising but to actually study them and make them a part of my character and soul it just did not seem to take. I know I was a better person because I had heard them and knew where they came from but to absorb them and make them a part of my very fiber I don’t think I made the grade.
The first few verses of Chapter 1 very simply tell why these were put together. The book is not designed to convey a lot of religious or spiritual content. Solomon and the other writers are not looking to give the listeners and readers religious doctrine but simply everyday wisdom. Chapter 1:3 tells us that ‘Through these proverbs, people will receive instruction in discipline, good conduct, and doing what is right, just, and fair”. Duh, I have needed a lesson in right, just and fair many times over the years and the instructions were right there.
Now here is a truth, written for me in, I really have needed numerous times, 1:4 says “These proverbs will make the simpleminded clever”. If you look in the dictionary under ‘simpleminded’ I think you will find my picture, so why haven’t I been in this book daily. 1:4 finishes by assuring us the proverbs will “give knowledge and purpose to young people” (and old alike).
The writer sums up this introduction with simple instruction, which I somehow missed for so long. 1:5-6 says “let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. And let those who understand receive guidance by exploring the depth of meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles.” I guess it is time for me to start understanding these gems and receiving this guidance.
*All quotes are from the ‘Life Application Study Bible’, New Living Translation.
I am a little tired of the ‘On this day’ stuff and I am finding this Proverb’s stuff really interesting. I think I want to talk about this new interest for awhile and leave the ‘battle of Brushy Creek’ and ‘how the Yankees cheated us in the great war’ stuff alone for a while.
That great spiritualist and wild game hunter Roger Ferrell led us in Chapter 1 and really did a good job. This stuff so far is so simple I can’t figure out why a dummy like me has not used it more for a resource during my life. The writer, Soloman primarily, starts it off by saying “the proverbs set out are to teach people wisdom and discipline and to help them understand wise sayings”. It seems like for 64 years this little nugget just went over my head. Now Mrs. Gladys Young and Mrs. C.C. Burdette taught me the proverbs and my family discussed them from time to time when one would apply to my raising but to actually study them and make them a part of my character and soul it just did not seem to take. I know I was a better person because I had heard them and knew where they came from but to absorb them and make them a part of my very fiber I don’t think I made the grade.
The first few verses of Chapter 1 very simply tell why these were put together. The book is not designed to convey a lot of religious or spiritual content. Solomon and the other writers are not looking to give the listeners and readers religious doctrine but simply everyday wisdom. Chapter 1:3 tells us that ‘Through these proverbs, people will receive instruction in discipline, good conduct, and doing what is right, just, and fair”. Duh, I have needed a lesson in right, just and fair many times over the years and the instructions were right there.
Now here is a truth, written for me in, I really have needed numerous times, 1:4 says “These proverbs will make the simpleminded clever”. If you look in the dictionary under ‘simpleminded’ I think you will find my picture, so why haven’t I been in this book daily. 1:4 finishes by assuring us the proverbs will “give knowledge and purpose to young people” (and old alike).
The writer sums up this introduction with simple instruction, which I somehow missed for so long. 1:5-6 says “let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. And let those who understand receive guidance by exploring the depth of meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles.” I guess it is time for me to start understanding these gems and receiving this guidance.
*All quotes are from the ‘Life Application Study Bible’, New Living Translation.
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