Speak Out 11/4/13

Heart Warming

In these times of government shut downs constant fighting over whose ideas are right and whose ideas are wrong it is really nice to see a community coming together for a really good cause.

I experienced something wonderful on Saturday. My husband and I were invited to a community get together. Nestled in a little valley outside Poplar Bluff, Mo. where we lived for 28 years before my husband and I moved about six years ago. A local family has been having a fall festival for about the last four years.

This family wanted to have a fall celebration that they could invite the neighbors to so they could get to know them better and have a good time. This year they decided to combine it with a fund raiser for a neighbor who had been injured in a motorcycle wreck.

What I experienced was amazing. The setting was a beautiful farm with the gathering down by a little creek that my husband grew up fishing in. There were beautiful tree with fall leaves slowly drifting down around a large group of neighbors and friends. Children running and playing some playing in a bounce house while others were playing with hula hoops and one little girl was playing chase with on the friendly dogs that were running among the children. Teenagers were visiting and giving those a ride down to the creek if their cars could not be driven to the parking area in the lower field.

Everyone was friendly and accommodating enjoying a visit with a friend or neighbors which they had not seen in quite awhile. Fried fish and the fixings were provide to those who attended. Plenty of entertainment a place to sit by a small fire to keep you warm and even a good old hay ride.

It was amazing as I watched and visited for quite awhile. I can only imagine the amount of time and work that went into setting up this gathering. There were tables, chairs, food, drinks, entertainment, parking, tents, games for the children, not to mention mowing the area and all the extras that go into such an event.

What was not there was also wonderful. No signs of advertising, no politics, or any arguing or fighting among the guests. Just a nice calm get together. Everyone stopping by to say hi how are doing good to see ya.

Children of all ages having a good time with no one worrying about them getting hurt or parents worrying about what they were getting into just good clean fun.

I felt blessed to be able to experience this since this type of event is so rare. I want to thank the family that shared their farm and friendship with the community. For the opportunity to be able to step back in time and just enjoy oneself for a change. I also want to thank all the family and friends that attended and the opportunity to watch young and old alike to just enjoy life.

Skateboarders stay out of street

Why do people always walk in the street where there are sidewalks? Friday afternoon there's a boy on a skateboard with plugs in his ears with no regards for traffic on Highland by the school. He could have easily been killed like the guy earlier in the week.

Say no to exporting American oil

Many in America just simply, when they fill their gas tank, have to suffer the pain simply because our nation doesn't have an energy policy encompassing all our fossil fuels. That means gasoline, crude oil, the production of crude oil, natural gas and yes, even the green energy initiative of wind, solar and renewables. No we are starting to see that many of the national consortium oil companies that are set up and harbored within our borders are now thinking of exporting our abundance of natural gas to Asia. Why should we be selling our abundance just so they can profit even more on the backs of the Americans? It is time for all Americans to simply say, "Not one more drop of oil, not one more cubic liter of compressed natural gas, not one more lump of coal leaves our borders" and it's time to tell the environmentalists that, yes, we can and should build a new refinery in North Dakota negating the need for that Excel Pipeline, but then, again, when you're fighting the Sierra Club they own the Democratic Party, so you can we'll never, never have an energy policy that works for we, the people, only the special interests pad their pocketbooks with their re-election campaign funds.