Sweet Morsels of Goodness, for the past week or so there has been nothing but trucks coming through LaFollette on their way to Caryville so they can get back onto I-75. I’ve been sitting out on the porch of the General Store and I’ve found it such a wonder. Yes, it is a pain in the backside for many of us who live, work, and have businesses here, but since there’s not much you can do about it, then you just might as well make the best of it!

There’s no telling just how long it will take for them to fix that troublesome spot on I-75, so we will just have to get along with the situation. I sit, watch, and count and I’m amazed by the number of trucks that are coming through. Trucks from all over the United States are coming through our town and just the number of human beings that are briefly going through here is an amazement unto itself.

The highest count that I’ve gotten so far, is 96 trucks in less than one hour. I wave to all of them and most of them wave back. Of course, I’m sure that all of those drivers would prefer not to have to take the detour, but they’re making the best of it and there’s no doubt about it that all those on the police forces around here are doing a fine job of keeping things moving.

I heard someone complaining as they said, “Well, if the police around here knew how to direct traffic, there wouldn’t be such slow traffic.” As far as I’m concerned, that person is a grumbler because they’re not stopping to think that more trucks come through here in an hour, than there are police. And the police, not only have to direct that traffic, but answer all the other calls that come in, regardless of the traffic!

These trucks are delivering groceries, medicine, and all sorts of things and when you see just what it takes to stock the shelves and such, it’s a wonder. These trucks are moving 24/7 and without them, we’d really have something to complain about, wouldn’t we?

And Ladies, some of those truck drivers are right healthy specimens, are they not? A few the other day, gave me the vapors! Another thing, some of those trucks are the prettiest things I’ve ever seen!

So, My Darlings, I know that it takes longer to get to Wally World and to get around, but just be thankful that it isn’t something worse, and trust me, it could be something worse. Take your time getting around, be careful, leave a bit earlier, don’t get angry, and hope that there are little or no accidents.

It’s just a matter of learning . . . unlearning . . . and . . . relearning.

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A few weeks ago, I was having a Senior Moment and I forget to put a title on my column and someone else did it for me. I wouldn’t have minded so much except for the fact that the title had nothing to do with what I had written! I wrote about the idea that when we are alone and no one is watching you: that is who we truly are.

Any of you, you have read my column over the years, know that I’m not one of these Climb-every-mountain-hung-a-tree-sitting-in-a-circle-Kum Ba Yah-singing-folks. That’s fine if that’s what you want to do. But, Darlings, it’s not for me!

I don’t ever strive to surround myself with beauty, instead of ugliness, because all that business is in the eye of the beholder, is it not! You know, some folks paint the walls of their homes with black paint and think it’s beautiful. I think it’s not beautiful. But, to each his or her own. I’m not about to tell anyone how to live their lives, what religion they should follow, whom they should marry, nor do I think that any President should use religion as a political ploy for votes.

Just recently, there was proclaimed a Day of Prayer in this country. And of course, those that don’t happen to believe in religion or God, for that matter, had a lot to say about such a proclamation. And whether you liked it or not, they had a right to express their opinions. Personally, one of the largest failures of government is to constantly attempt to legislate morality. It doesn’t work. Yes, we are a Republic, where the Majority rules, but on the next line, it mentions the fact that the Majority has an obligation to protect the rights of the Minority! This fact gets left out when Politicians use religion as a convenient way to get votes!

Those folks that are termed Atheist, Agnostics, have to stop being so bothered except in situations where the religious beliefs of others are forced upon them. But if you live in a town that wants to put up a cross to honor those who have died in combat, then you’ll just have to get over yourselves!

Have many times have you heard and seen: In God We Trust? Do you really know what that means or is it something you just say? Do you believe that it means, literally what is says? Politicians almost chant it and yet, this Nation has more Chemical Warfare stockpiles than any other nation, the Atomic and Neutron Bombs, and folks want to carry guns, and we buy millions of dollars worth of Life Insurance. And for that matter Home Insurance, Health Insurance, Car Insurance, and it goes on and on!

Religion has been used as a Political Weapon for centuries. Personally, I think religion should stay out of politics and politicians should stop using religion. But I know that’s not going to happen. As a politician or as a citizen, you can only bring you sense of morality and ethics to any situation. Are there more Atheists and Agnostics in prison than Christians? Are Atheists and Agnostics immoral people? Can you be a Christian and judge them?

Look at what religious fanatics are doing in the Middle East. There are many Muslims that don’t believe in what is happening, but because of the divisions in their religion, too many find themselves in the Minority. You had better believe that so many of these people honestly believe in what they are doing and that God has sent them on a mission to destroy Americans! They’ve got themselves twisted into believing that they’re God’s assassins and they will be rewarded for their efforts! How many Americans, do you know of, who have strapped bombs on themselves and been willing to blown themselves and others up?

I don’t think that anyone, who believes they will be rewarded for such efforts have ever asked themselves one question: If God wants someone dead or a nation to fail, will He not take care of it Himself? I think He does, but in His own time, not on our time schedule! Is that not the real understanding of In God We Trust?

I’m truly happy for anyone who finds answers and happiness in their beliefs and they walk that path to glory. But, not for one moment, will I accept from anyone, that because they have found the answer for themselves, that they have found the answer for me!

The greatest act of evil and immorality that anyone can do, is to put their personal agenda in the mouth of God Almighty and then stand behind God and spit their venom over His head!

It’s just a matter of learning . . . unlearning . . . and . . . relearning.

Darlings, I’ve just put away all my Easter things and this afternoon, I and a few of my friends managed to eat the last of the Chocolate Easter Eggs I made. It’s been a beautiful Spring so far and everything is so green because of all the rain.

Isn’t it such a puzzlement that with all the beauty surrounding us, there just seems to be no end to the ugliness that keeps happening? Yes, there’s ugly politics, ugly drugs, and folks turned ugly by their meanness.

I’m not so foolish that I don’t know that most of the ugliness in this world is created by folks that would turn a sweet and delicate homemade apple pie, into a burnt pile of mush because they can’t seem to help themselves. What really is my vexation, is the fact that people, who have every opportunity to do the right thing, will work so hard to do the wrong thing.

You know the folks I’m speaking about: the ones that have opportunity and trust handed to them and they just can’t be satisfied with all of that, they have to have more. They can’t be satisfied with a full pan of cornbread, they just have to try to get a pan of cornbread that belongs to someone else.

They will reach out to take more than they can use and you’ll not see a bit of shame on their faces. And when I think about these things, I’m reminded of something that holds a lot of water and that is: We are who we really are, when no one is watching.

The strangest thing I’ve noticed, is that these folks really believe they’re fooling everyone. Yes, it’s another fact that you can fool people for a long time or a short time. It all depends on how well you can lie about things. But time, has a way of making the truth known, doesn’t it?

You really can’t blame some of these clever deceivers for one fact: It’s that too many of us are too willing to believe what we see and hear, and not what we feel about someone. Is that because we’re always willing to believe that we can’t trust ourselves?

Just sitting out here on the front porch of the General Store I watch people go by and when they stop to talk, I really enjoying sharing with them. I see the hope in their eyes, I hear the honesty in their voices, I know I don’t have to hide who I am and they don’t have to hide who they are from me. That’s pure and simple living at its best.

I’ve come to believe that in most cases, we write the story of our own lives. Yes, there are some things we can’t control. But for the most part, except for some mental illness, I think most of us, know exactly what we are doing, most of the time. It must be a sad thing to spend your whole life being someone you’re not, except when you’re alone.

Folks will say to you, “Just keep faking it till you make it.” No, cause if you keep doing that, you will never make it! It’s not easy to walk in the truth of yourself, but if you do, you will, more than not, see the truth about others. When you trust yourself to do that, then you are living.

Who are you, when you’re alone and no one is watching?

It’s just a matter of learning . . . unlearning . . . and . . . relearning.

For months, even years, I can’t help but listen to what people are saying as they sit in the General Store enjoying the coffee and the sweet delectables I prepare. I’ve noticed that more and more, folks are not paying attention to what is really going on around them.

They seem far more interested in what is happening in areas to which they really are not connected. Some women will sit and gab about what some movie star was wearing on the Red Carpet. What the name of the designer was, whose dress they were wearing. Who cares?! Others will gab about what they heard that someone else’s child was caught doing and I don’t hear a word about their concern about how education in this country is falling behind the rest of the world.

Men are just as bad. They go on and on about sports. Most of them don’t even remember who won the last Super Bowl and they don’t seem to care about the mess that was uncovered about how bounties were being paid to some players on a team to only concentrate on hurting another player and the greater the hurt, the bigger the bounty. I wonder if any of them realize that all major sports have become corrupted with nothing but greed? It’s not about the Sport anymore. It’s just about how much can be made from television coverage, endorsements, and paying for those multimillion dollar contracts.

It’s a fact that most of these Sports Nuts, don’t realize that their children and grandchildren, have almost stopped collecting Baseball Cards

I wonder if any of these folks are aware of the fact that this county is borrowing up to 3.5 billion dollars a month just to keep going? And where is the money being borrowed from? A while back, folks were mentioning the fact that the mounting debt in this country could rob their children and grandchildren of a good future. I wonder if they even realize, that this debt, is going to rob them, as well as their children and grandchildren, of a good future if something isn’t done?

Folks talk about Entitlements. But when I hear what they’re talking about, they don’t even know what is or isn’t an entitlement. Do you know? Is it something that is due to you? Social Security is not an entitlement if you have worked for years and paid into the system. But, getting SSI when you’re only around twenty years old because some doctor is willing to verify that your back is not right, is an entitlement especially when this twenty year old, smokes, drives a car, and is making babies! Entitlements have become one thing: I’m alive, I’m entitled!

Because I’m not a perfect person, I’ve got a list of faults. One of them, is paying too much attention to what is going on around me. Just the other day, I gave a ride to an elderly couple, that for the most part, get by on their Social Security. Sometimes, they need a bit of help just before the check comes in. So they will come into the store and ask if I’ll take them to a food bank. The other week, I took them there and as I was waiting, I noticed a woman, who pulled up in a fairly new car, she was smoking and talking on her cell phone. When she got out of the car, she dropped her unfinished cigarette on the ground, kept talking on the phone, and I noticed that she was sporting a handbag, that was pretty pricey, I say around two hundred dollars. How did I know the price? I know, because a few of my friends have the same handbag.

As we left, I had to stop and get gas. When I went in to pay for the gas, this same woman walked in and I watched as she bought $40 dollars worth of TN Lottery Tickets. I took the elderly couple home and had to stop at the Food Lion and pick up a few things. And you guessed it, this same woman was in the store and she was buying this and that. She was ahead of me in the Check Out line and she used a Food Stamp Card to pay for her purchases. I wondered, what was she doing with five cases of soda and three cases of water? Seemed a bit too much for someone who needed to put food on the table, instead of a can of Mountain Dew with a water chaser. What do you think she was going to do with all that soda and water? Of course it wouldn’t possibly end up in someone’s vending machine, would it?

It seems to me that if you need to go to a food bank that you would be able to cut down on the smoking, the cell phone use, and buying lottery tickets, wouldn’t you? Yes, I’m being a tad judgmental, but how long do some people believe that the misuse of something that is not really due to them (entitlements) will last? Yes, Darlings, people don’t stop to think, do they?

It’s just a matter of learning . . . unlearning . . . and . . . relearning.

Tornado warnings one week and then the closing of I-75 for a few days the next . . . we’ve had a few busy weeks, haven’t we, Campbell County? Since the General Store is located right in the heart of Downtown LaFollette, I had a bird’s eye view of all the traffic the other day. I know that several of our local businesses, who deliver food orders, probably found their business down for those days. Thankfully, it seems to be over for the most part and instead of having hundreds into the thousands of big rigs rolling through our streets, it’s almost too calm.

I personally appreciated the professional way all this traffic was handled by the LaFollette Police Force. They did an excellent job. And so did members of the Fire and Street Departments along with an elected official or so, who worked right along with them. They kept those trucks rolling right along. A friend of mine, who works for TDOT told me that there was great communication among all of the mayors and police departments.

Many of the Cracker Barrel Gang managed to come to the store and share their adventures with me. Jellico Jane braved 25W several times and except for a few snags, she was trucking right along with the others and she drives a VW. She, Jacksboro Josh, LaFollette Lou and I, watched, drank coffee, and discussed some politics, or what resembles politics in these parts.

We all agreed that the Sales Tax increase was a lost cause before it was defeated at the Ballot Box. We also agreed that there was no way it wouldn’t be put on the ballot again and that there would be attempts to either raise Property Taxes or slap something more onto the infernal Wheel Tax.

Jacksboro Josh asked a question that set us all to thinking and it was: “Did you all see in the paper where they published the Delinquent Taxes and did you notice they were for 2009?”

“How much is owed?” asked LaFollette Lou.

“Didn’t say. And if that’s what is delinquent from 2009, what do you think is delinquent for 2010 and 2011?” He answered and asked.

All of us commenced to thinking and sipping our coffee and I believed instead of trying to answer his question, we’d rather be hopping a ride out of town, on one of those big rigs passing by. I broke the silence by commenting that it was growing clearer and clearer, that as a county, we’ve stepped into such a deep pile of equine droppings that it will take a whole lot more than a Change Order to get us out!

Jacksboro Josh blurted out, “Can you believe the finagling that goes on with these Change Orders? I’ve got a small business and when I bid a job, I go over it again and again and do my best to make sure that the price I’m quoting is as close as it can be. I give my customer the bid and I break my back making sure that it’s not going to cost any more than I’ve quoted. Sure, there’s been a few situations where I come upon a problem that was unexpected and even then, because of my experience, it’s never more than a few dollars over the original quote. These people getting these bids from our government in Jacksboro, quote a job, get the bid, and they turn over one shovel of dirt and have to stop and let everyone know, it’s going to cost more than expected. And what happens? Somebody writes a check for the overage, called a Change Order, when the contractor has only turned over one shovel of dirt! I might be a hundred dollars off the mark! Not these experts, they always seem to need thousands more! Then when they’ve turned over four more shovels of dirt, there’s another problem, and another Change Order!”

Again, silence and sips of coffee followed. I thought to myself that there’s coming a time, here in Campbell County Government, when they will not be able to take any more from the taxpayers and then we’ll have to suffer the consequences for not making sure that we stopped the wasting of so much ink and paper to write those Change Orders!

It’s just a matter of learning . . . unlearning . . . and . . . relearning.