inside city hall, 3-4-09

Welcome to the third world. Our quiet, neat little village has taken a giant step backward onto a world without order. In spite of tremendous efforts by Keeping Munday Beautiful and our police department, Munday has turned into a trash heap.
As the changing of the guards was taking place a thief, or more, broke into Osborne’s store. A few nights later vandals laid waste to several vehicles outside the high school gym. During Christmas a street gang kept ripping down Christmas lights. Someone knocked down a light pole at city hall. The light was replaced at a cost of $200, no one knows the total cost at school. We haven’t even mentioned the damage to The Belfry Restaurant at Weinert. This is the most trouble we’ve had around here since Bubba shot the juke box.
This is one kind of blight, but there’s more. Just look around the city, it won’t take long I promise. One will see cans, bottles, paper wrappers, and items of clothing strewn around the town. Some of it is near or around dumpsters, also one will see mattresses, charcoal grills, and pieces of wooden furniture. In one dumpster someone discovered unbagged ears, tags, and animal hides. Naturally this mess attracted flies and other flesh-eating varments. Not a healthy environment for the neighborhood.
Old houses and other buildings are falling down. They have been with us so long that we hardly even notice them anymore. Sure other towns have them, but this is Munday. We are going to be different.
Law-abiding citizens don’t go around breaking into stores, destroying property and stealing from their neighbors. They know what they can’t fit inside dumpsters needs to be disposed of in another way. The question is, who is doing all this stuff? If it isn’t the law-abiding citizens of Munday, just who is it? And when we find out who it is, what are we going to do about it? Can we extradite them? To where? Just a passing thought.
We buried a loyal friend of Munday last week. We will miss Durwood Thigpen at the Chamber of Commerce office, the Lion’s Club, the city hall, the golf course, First Baptist Church, and a lot of other places. I don’t normally do this in this column, but this week I want to dedicate this space to his memory. Durwood made a lasting impression on me as a freshman at MHS. He taught me how to heave the shot put, not throw it. Unless you have been there you would not understand how big a deal that was for me. As impressive as he was in person, there are many moments spent in his presence that will be remembered as well. If he liked you he would tease you. Unmercifully. There was a sweet price to pay to be in his company of friends. Believe me, none of us have enough friends like Durwood. Durwood, you’ve left us with a big hole in our hearts that we just can’t replace. We know you are in a better place, however, that doesn’t fill that place in our hearts. But we are happy for you. You can play golf every day now with Jesus and not get tired. Enjoy it friend, we’ll see you later.
Think with me about a community garden, or community gardens. It can grow flowers, vegetables or community. It can be one community plot, or many individual plots. It can also be a series of plots dedicated to growing produce for market.
During the great depression of 1929 there were Depression Relief Gardens; in the ‘80s were the Freedom Gardens. I propose to call ours the “Bailout Gardens” of the Obama era. Let’s be prepared, just in case the worst comes about. In case the economy doesn’t bounce back, let’s be in control of our very own food supply.
When you see me ask me what I’m talking about. Otherwise I’ll subject you to more “boring” articles. But the idea is not borning at all. In fact I think it’s exciting about getting organized and growing our own, right here in Munday City. A Farmer’s Market is close behind. Watch this space.
Allow me to close with this suggestion, and or, plea. Pray for rain!It’s the most we can do.