Jonesboro, AR (or real america)

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I turned 29 yesterday. Not a real big milestone but I figure I now have 1 year to do everything I wanted to before I turn 30. First thing that I need to do is make a list of things I need to do.

So I'm in Jonesboro, AR not a very exciting place to celebrate one's birth, but I guess it's a good place to think about life and what it's all about. I've started talking to strangers more. Something I highly encourage. I used to be scared because I figured no one wants to talk to me but after trying it out you figure people just like to talk to anybody, all I really have to do is start the conversation then sit back and listen (occasionally nodding or prodding to continue the discussion). You learn a lot about people pretty quickly, and it's funny what people will tell a stranger, but would never tell their best friend. (Look for the "You never told me that", slap on the arm.)

Anyway, so yesterday at dinner there was this couple who were celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary. We were at a fairly nice restaurant in downtown, but it wasn't a fancy place or anything. They had their 14 year old daughter with them. She wants to be a chef and was taking pointers back in the kitchen. (Nice family friendly place).

This one was easy, since July 12th shares a special meaning to all of us, so while the waitress was bringing over a creme brulee with a single candle behind my back, I decided to congratulate them on their spectacular achievement. They were delighted to engage in conversation and immediately asked how old I was, when informed, they thought I was 18, a kid brother to someone on my team. (I'm used to that at this point and just use it as jumping pad into further conversation instead of a launch pad out.)

Anyway. the main topic of our conversation was on the funny alcohol policy that seems to hinder the city. See Jonesboro is considered damp so you can't buy a six pack to take home to enjoy with friends but thanks to a loop whole you can get plastered at one of 25 "members-only" clubs and then drive home with one hand over your eye sucking on pennies.

The loop whole was discovered just a few years ago and (despite the aggressive pleas of southern baptists through out the town) it's been exploited so now it's just a joke and basically any establishment that wants to sell liquor can and does. While some try to segregate the sinners from the saints, at this point the only true dry restaurants are the McDonald's and the Chick-fila (rummer has it Micky Dees would try just to prove a point).

So the good people of Jonesboro seem to be ready to embrace the 1930s and get rid of the semi-prohibiting law that keeps people from enjoying a relaxing evening with a glass of wine (Trust me it's not stopping, college parties. Kids are perfectly fine driving 10 miles out of town to pick up a pony keg of PBR).

But what keeps this frivolous law on record? My new found friends tell me it's the church. Whether you realize it or not the church in small town USA still has a lot of political power. What better way to get a locked-in guaranteed voting force than say a benediction prayer in front of your local congregation? And it'd be political ostracism to openly admit that you are for something that is seemingly at the heart of your one-issue voting public. But if this is true, isn't the church missing something? I mean the most overused argument that "even Jesus drank" is over used for a reason, He turned water to wine for His sake! I'm pretty sure he wouldn't care, which is exactly my point.

Why do we get hung up on these little petty things when there are so many big things that we need to work on? I think it's because we can control the little things, and we like things we can control. So my first act in the next 364 days is to stop doing little things, let's do big things. Let's stop going to the mall, let's go to the moon (or maybe Mars).

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Comments

[Carl]

Mason, I agree controling the little things gets in the way of the important things we should be involved with. Dad