Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Tired Old Truck

     At one time it was a brand new pickup truck.  A retired man drove it off the lot and took it home to his small farm.  It was a prize, a reward for years of hard work, a trophy from the sweat and tears spent in the past.  This was a truck to be proud of.  It took many trips through the man's watermelon fields, or down the road to the local cafe everyday.  It even was nice enough to drive the man and his wife to church on Sundays. Yes, it was a good truck.  The grandchildren would ooh and ahh over the shiny chrome, and fight over a chance to go to the sale barn with Grandpa. The finish was shiny; the vinyl seats were smooth and clean.

     Fast forward several years. The man had a teenage grandson who greatly admired the truck. Even though it had already racked up many a mile, it had the ruggedness that a teen, who had just received his license, looked for in a first vehicle.  It was now a trophy for a young man. But, it was also a lesson learned.  The young man learned the value of a dollar and the rewards of paying off a debt early. It became a vehicle to haul the young man's mowing trailer and helped him establish a reputation of faithfulness and hard work.  It was also the truck that he and his future wife dated in.  Though old, it was a good and faithful truck. It now had a CD player, instead of the old 8 track. The young man also added cruise control.  He put many miles on it travelling cross country to visit his future bride.  Besides the many miles, the truck now held many memories.

     The tired old truck still has a future.  It has listened in on many discussions between that young man and his son as they dream about the future and one day fixing it up together.  The young man knows the thrill of having a good truck when you are first driving and he wants that for his son. 



     The old truck no longer shines.  The chrome has rusted. The steering wheel is now shiny with wear.  The vinyl seats are now cracked and dull.  The original owner has now retired to heaven.  But the memories still remain.


     Today, the tired old truck broke down.  Working in 105 degree weather would cause any old timer to collapse.  Fix it? Of course!  This is a valuable family heirloom.  Sorry, old friend, you're not ready for the truck graveyard, yet, we have plans for your future.............but you'll get that in a small town.


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Small Town News #1

I needed a laugh this week.  I found this among my files and thought I'd share. This is one of my favorite small town headlines ever............but you'll get that in a small town!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

A Tribute

     Actor Andy Griffith passed away today.  He was well known for his series "The Andy Griffith Show" which aired in the 1960's.  He was a small town boy who grew up in Mt. Airy, North Carolina.  His love of that town and its people helped to shape many of the episodes for the show. If fact, though there was an entire team of writers for the show, I have read that Andy had his hand in every episode, influencing the scenarios and adding that small town flair.
     His portrayal of a rural sheriff and the funny predicaments that accompany that job made us all love the homey feeling of the small town life and yearn to find a Mayberry of our own.
     Thank you, Andy, for reminding us that we need to look for the humor even in the difficult times of life.  Thank you for helping us smile at the joy of prize winning pickles and the antics of the local filling station attendant. Thanks for giving us an understanding of the simple law that rules in a rural area, that looks to build character more than serve the letter of the law, but you'll get that in a small town.