Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Famous in a Small Town

Call me nostalgic, but I like to think that the serenity of small town life still exists in today’s globalized society. Towns like Mayberry, USA are what built the foundation of America. I don’t know if every town had their own Barney Fife or not, but it was much nicer when our local officials knew its city’s residents on a personal basis. Everyone even spoke to each other by name in passing. Each town had their own local hardware store and a restaurant where residents gathered to gossip, drink coffee, and fill their lungs with cigarette smoke.

Even though I like to think that these towns still exist, I have come to the realization that this idea is more fantasy than reality. On our recent trip to Eureka Springs, we decided to take the scenic route, which added about an hour and a half to our travel time. Although the Ozarks are beautiful in the Fall as Autumn decorated the leaves in an assortment of different colors, the remaining scenery consisted of dilapidated houses with yards full of garbage and broken down automobiles that had been in the yards so long that the trees growing through them had already bore fruit.

The scene continued for the next 75-100 miles until we made it to Eureka Springs. I wondered silently what the residents of these towns do for a living. The most obvious answer was manufacturing methamphetamine. Industry and agriculture had long since left these towns leaving its residents in poverty with few options unless they relocated. Eureka Springs is the exception because it celebrates its history and has been able to capitalize on tourism.

As I read the brochures about Eureka Springs and its neighboring cities while I ate my parfait at our bed and breakfast, I was amazed to learn of the bountiful population that once existed in the areas many decades ago. At one point, Eureka Springs boasted a population of nearly 20,000 inhabitants. Now, only about 2,000 people live in the city.

However, this is only one reminder of how globalization has decimated the small towns that we love so much. In 2005, we moved to Bradford, TN. Bradford has always been known as for its small town vibe, yet it has a history of industry much like most other West TN towns. We quickly settled in to our home and were enamored with the scenic view in our back yard and the friendliness of our neighbors and other Bradford citizens. Things would soon change quickly as a tornado robbed me of the scenic view from my back yard six months later, but that’s another story.

As we settled in, I began to notice the abandoned hardware and motor parts stores that have been replaced by Wal-Mart and Auto Zone in neighboring Milan. I was amazed, however, to find that the town still has one factory still in operation. Half of the building contains windows broken out from vandals, while the other half houses a handful of workers that probably struggle to feed their families on wages paid to them from their employers who sell the product made to other companies for greater profit. Actually, I have no idea what is made there, but it’s a broken-down building in a secluded corner of the city. I was amazed to learn that it was even in operation. I do not know how much the few employees are paid there, but it could be a sweatshop for all I know. The point is that opportunities are few and far between. Once a pillar of West Tennessee, the city’s number 1 exported product is now methamphetamine.

The decay does not stop at Bradford. If you travel north to towns like Greenfied, Martin, and Union City, you will see more of the same. All of these towns were once industrial towns. People simply went to work, came home, went to the local café to gossip, drink coffee, and smoke cigarettes, and actually shopped at small businesses within their community.

If you travel south, you will enter Milan, which is not much different. Milanites, as Bob Parkins used to call citizens of Milan, would probably take exception to that statement. Milan prides itself on its football team, its school system, industry, and its local businesses. The truth is that Milan has been decaying for the last 5-10 years. Like every other small town, it has lost a majority of its industry. Milan once housed several small businesses including the legendary Bob’s Grill and Pappy’s. Bob’s Grill was the quintessential small town restaurant where people could gossip, drink coffee, and fill their lungs with smoke.

Today, Milan has essentially disappeared into the depths of Medina’s expanding reach. Where small businesses once existed within the heart of the city, new businesses have moved south near the new Wal-Mart Super Center. Inside the town of Milan, the Bulldogs still play within the shell of the town. When the games are over and the lights go out, Milan is just another town rapidly expanding its industry of methamphetamine as the city decays around it.

A sign of the harsh reality is the fact that the mayor of Milan is pushing for Sunday sales of alcoholic beverages. This is the final nail in the coffin of the morals and values that helped build the town. One thing that I forgot to mention about small town life is Sunday fellowship and the abundance of churches one has to choose from. In reality, the town desperately needs the money from taxes on sales of alcohol. I guess that’s one way to bring prosperity back, sell the meth manufacturers beer so they can make even worse decisions in their dealings. I guess if a meth dealer murdered a client during a deal gone bad, he could always blame Chris Crider, mayor of Milan. He might not have been as hostile and shot the client if he hadn’t drank the Michelob, which had been illegal to purchase on Sunday previously.

I still hope that small town culture and values exist somewhere in America. Globalization and expansion of companies like Wal-Mart has severely altered life as we know it. Although many of us can adapt, others do not realize that the Industrial Age has passed. I remember working in a plant that was to close soon. As I looked to the future optimistically, I remember seeing many scared faces that didn’t know what to do. Is it really any wonder that methamphetamine manufacturing is growing at an alarming rate? Some people simply don’t know what else to do as opportunities in their surroundings are few.

Yes, I do believe that everyone is responsible for themselves and there are numerous opportunities available if one only looks and realizes their own potential, but what about the towns that are decaying from within? Shouldn’t we invest somehow back into these towns? Instead, we are counting on businesses outside of these cities, while the inner city decays (see Milan). Isn’t there another answer besides taxes from alcohol sales? How much are we really paying with ideas like that? Let’s see: A guy misses his appointment at the unemployment office Monday morning because he had a hangover from the case of beer he bought the night before. Instead of him possibly gaining employment, we as tax payers will continue to compensate him. Did I mention that the guy spent his entire unemployment check on the case of beer? Now, we’ll pay for his EBT card with our taxes so he can buy some groceries for his children. Good idea, Mr. Crider.

I digress. It’s ironic that like Billy Crystal in City Slickers, a person has to take a vacation to experience what was once everyday life for most people. Nevertheless, I will continue to believe that small town culture still exists somewhere, even it is only on TV Land in shows like Leave it to Beaver, Ozzie and Harriett, or even the Munsters.


Famous in a small town? We desperately have to do a better job educating youth and instilling the values that America was built on. Click here