Social Media- The new word of mouth

Here we are, more connected than any other society. Or so it seems anyway. Back in the day a business had one thing to hinge its reputation on. Word of mouth. You knew every customer in some way or another. They were all "linked-in" by relationships. You new customers were already informed on your skills and your prices. Newspaper and perhaps flyers were used to get the word out.  If you were lucky, you had a picture of your business in that newspaper, or perhaps a special ad in the local High School Yearbook. Now Terms like "Social Marketing",  "Social Media" are just about the only way to make it in the new world. Billions of dollars are spent each year to marketing firms, to use the latest and greatest software and media to get potential customers attention. They say you have less than 3 seconds to get that point across. the new AI includes Chat Bots, Search Engine Marketing, Social media optimization, Pre Roll Ads. And you thought the Term "Hash-Tag" was confusing!

Taking a class may or may not help, It depends on how deep your pockets are. Are you ready to dive into this world? I hope you can hold you breath for a long time, because that dive will be deep. You can get sos wrapped up into the class, that you may not even want to get into it at all. It can be a chore just to create and manage the sites individually. It's not like you have a lot of free time. (You do have a business to run), and running the social media world can be a job in itself. Many folks make a living managing you sites. The problem is... What are they putting out there? Is it working? What are the metrics? How do I measure that against my growth? 

Advertising was straightforward back when. You had a budget for a few ads, you took out those ads, and compared it to your growth and profits. You could tell what and when you got the most bang for your buck. Now.. Balance that with analytics, global response how many hits you site gets, return orders, Are the Chat-Bots working? is the Pre-ad video getting responses? Are you targeting the right demographics for your area? Now it might take as much money to advertise as it does to build your building. 

I doubt if I have any of the answers, I am just too new to this plethora of information flow. I do know, I am off the mindset now, that if I do not get on this train, not only will it leave without me, Someone is going to push me out onto the tracks, and I will be struck by the next train coming. 

So what do you do? Well I am going to dive in. I think the best approach for me is to create the accounts, (I already had a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked-In account.
Figuring out how to best link them together at times seems to be the key for me. And since My business is Digital Media, and Aerial Media, I darn well better be able to tell my story. If I can't tell mine, who is going to want me to tell theirs? (No pressure huh?)  

I have no idea if my plan will work. It appears I will have many late or sleepless nights looking up Targeted ad responses versus my IGTV video on instagram. Getting responses and feedback just starting out seems like an impossible task. No one knows I am out there, and I do not know even if they want or need my services. Are my ideas getting across to the right people the right way? How does my work stack up to others? 

..... Wait I think there is a social app for that.... 😣. Oh and yes I have been told emojis can be the best way to get you ideas and feelings out there! God help me! 🙏

The Mystery May Be Solved!

In 1872 artist John Gast painted a popular scene of people moving west that captured the view of Americans at the time. Little did he know that this painting would also shape the way we think to this very day. 

The destiny of man is dictated by his passion

His path may not be straight

But if he follows his heart

It will always be true. 

When I first started planning my Journey along US Route 83 many people had asked me, What is so special about that Road, Why don't you take US Route 66? These are fair questions and my answers were always the same. 

1. US 83 was one of the 1st roads to be commissioned to run from Mexico to Canada. It is still in use for it's original design to this day

2. This road is pretty much intact as it was form it's original design back in 1915. Even in places where it uses the interstate, The US 83 signs are there. 

3. US 83 is one of the LAST de-commisioned roads from that era and 66 is pretty much gone- it is Interstate now that either passes close to a town or passes by the town with no exits. Even when you get off of the Interstate, it become Business 40. 

4. In many sections, if you are driving Route 66, you really are driving on what USED to be 66 for the most part. Of course there are sections still intact, but 83 is still intact passing THROUGH the towns and countrysides as it did years ago. 

     These answers I have come from some- not a lot of research I am not a historian, I just wanted to experience the Road, the towns and the people along the way. It seems simple enough and yet........

     One of the towns that seems to have captured my heart is Shamrock Texas. US Route 83 intersects with US Route 66 and on the corner of that intersection sits two iconic buildings. The "U Drop In" and the Western Motel. Both have my heart and my imagination and have become a very important part of my Journey. 

     As time has gone on, I have been able to visit Shamrock and the U Drop In many times. I also stay at the Western Motel every time. That puts me in a very unique position, as I get to see from a distance the traffic flow plus I get to talk to all sorts of people at all hours of the night as they take pictures of the Iconic building. When I say all hours of the night I mean it. There are people 24 hours a day 7 day a week from all over the world visit Shamrock. If the U Drop In is closed most people park at the Western Motel to get the best wide shot of the whole building. As they are taking the pics, I walk up with my camera in hand, (Yes, I set them up) and strike up a conversation asking about where they are form, and where they are going. Over 99% will say they are driving Route 66. Then I hit them. 

Why are you Driving US Route 66? 

Now here are the most popular answers. 

Well my daughter (or son)  LOVES the Disney movie "Cars" and Disney used this building. So we decided to make the trip here. 

I am only passing through and heading west to see family- or they are on their way back from a visit. 

     My personal favorite answer is-  "It has always been on my bucket list" when I get this answer I ask them "Why is it in your bucket list?" No one can really answer the question with any sense of logic. Most reply "I do not know". I believe them because the tone in their voice has a sound of confusion and they seem to go into a thoughtful conversation about what they have seen, not what they are going to see. 

     Now this really makes no sense to me at all. We are a country of planners, and really very few people will embark on a trip nowadays without some sense of direction, yet a overwhelming majority of folks traveling US Route 66 have no real reason to pick that road, they all talk about the movies, the songs and all of that. But I have yet to meet anyone who has built a Yellow Submarine and traveled the ocean from that Beatles Song. SO what gives? 

     While on this trip I decided to take a drive to the west outside of Shamrock along a section of the  REAL 66, it is there, it sits along I 40. I stopped at an abandoned RV park that is known to have had a few movie stars stay there from time to time. I sat on an old picnic table, watching the incredible amount of traffic traveling I 40. As I sat there I remembered when I also took I 40 many years ago to move to Arizona in search of a better life. Of course at 20 years old, you have to have at least one life to be able to start a new one. Yet I moved from Durand Michigan to Scottsdale with my girlfriend and her family. I later married that young lady, and both the the marriage and the move were dismal failures! But here I was some 35 years later staring at I 40, smiling about the memories of that adventure and that time in my life. Remembering the excitement of travel, and the dreams of success in the "wild west" in the deserts of Arizona.

     It was in the middle of that time is when it hit me. This is not about the road at all. It is about the romance of the road and their travel. It is their " Manifest Destiny" 
     
     We are a word of conquerers. Here in our country we Settled from East to West. We left England and headed WEST! when we got here and things got crowded we headed... WEST! The mystery and promise of greatness were to our WEST. The great Oklahoma Land Rush in 1893, the Louisiana Purchase, the Gold rush were all to our west. It has become ingrained in us from our earliest days in school. Our very basic history classes showing the very picture above. It was our destiny to head west and settle in the "New World". Our world, even our own Government ensured that Manifest Destiny was fulfilled. 

     Route 66 was the paved destiny of travel for folks as our country grew. It allowed easy access to the west and cities along the way sprung up, to support the travelers needs as they went to seek their fame and fortune. US Route 83 is no different, it was built to support the travel North and South. In their heyday , both roads were marvels. They served a purpose of commerce, and ease of travel. Folks were going to California to make a new life and US Route 66 with it's numerous towns made it a natural migration route for all to follow. I do not remember reading anywhere of some one packing their car and heading north to Westhope North Dakota to seek their fame and fortune. The only constant North to South movement in our country is the migration of the birds, our growing season and the "human snowbirds". 

     This is where it gets interesting to me. As time went on, I 40 was built and the very towns that prospered along that way pretty much started to go downhill unless they had a secondary source of income, like oil, farming and so forth. Towns like Shamrock, had oil, farming and other resources to keep them alive. They romance of travel to a town and to stay the night are pretty much gone. Interstates allow us to cover so much ground in a day that little communities like Shamrock become nothing more than a billboard to pass the boredom of the trip. 

     US 83 has not really changed overall. It passes through what I like to call "Land locked towns" They have no interstate to pull from US 83 is the road that connects towns and families and friends. It creates a whole new type of dynamic. There is a true common ground with them all. From farming to commerce they are interconnected in way that makes life, family and friends the most important part. Towns are spaced far enough apart for some privacy and they can still get into the car and visit that special someone when they want to. News travels fast along that road, and a cry for help is met with a fury of people and whatever they need to make it right again. It has been that way since the first settlers got there and it still that way today. 

   Where many towns along the Old Route 66 path dream of the past and try to preserve history the folks along US route 83 live everyday like the dream and preserve family and friends. 

     I will take US 83 and the incredible history scenery and people anytime. 

I wonder what would have happened to me If I had moved to Westhope North Dakota in 1980? What would have happened to the towns along US Route 83 if Dennis Hopper had turned those motorcycles in Easy Rider and went North to Thedford Nebraska, fell in love and started a ranch? One can only imagine. 

The "U Drop in" and the Western Motel. Two Historic Buildings
in Shamrock Texas. 

   

Taking Time to measure the 1st Journey along US Route 83

    

A Journey not a trip

A road to nowhere yet

It was everywhere I needed to be.

Towns forgotten homes abandoned,

Open spaces often ignored

In my mind to be always recalled.

Rivers canyons farmlands and wildlife

Surviving , Thriving, Enduring

In harmony with their world and each other

Is the past, is it the future ?

Is it even possible? 

It is life. it is now. And it is perfect. 

      It has taken some time for me to finally sit down and write a few words about My initial journey along US Route 83. I really should be surprised by this, because nothing from my original plans, other than the route itself remained intact. From my 1st visit to Paint Rock Texas, I knew that this was going to be special. Leaving Cora's Ranch and seeing the Indian Pictographs , I was changed. There was a magic there that is nearly impossible to describe yet, when I talk to friends and strangers they hear the tone of my voice and the excitement in my eyes. As time has gone on the excitement has not wained but has grown. The second part of my Journey had taken me to Shamrock Texas for the Saint Patrick's weekend Festival and the magic only continued. From visiting the U Drop In museum and meeting Larry Clonts, but also the people in the town I began to realize that this experience was going to be amazing. 

     So many people ask me, “So how was you trip?” I try my best to explain that is was not a trip but a journey. A trip moves you from point A to point B. A journey moves your heart and soul to places you should have been all along. Trips take up your time. Journeys take up spaces in you mind, and leave you with memories. Many of those same people who ask me that question do so with a tone that implies that they expected this event to be nothing special, and that I would somehow voice my disappointment . There are some folks that even wanted this to be nothing more than “drive” . I am more than happy to let them know that they are the ones who were wrong, and that “their” world is out of touch with what’s important. I have always believed that humanity is our grace and that it is out there to be enjoyed. The self centered egotistical world is the “odd man” out. What I was looking for did exist, and it was not some sort of “Bigfoot”. I was able to see 1st hand the world most can only dream about. Humanity is alive and well and I have the pictures and the memories to prove it! 

     Just like my Journey along US Route 83 my plan to journey the event on my blog has changed. Each day led to another discovery of something new or an internal discovery about myself. From the initial drive out, to the return home it seemed as if every location not only had a story to tell but it also had a lesson to teach. Conversations with folks took on a depth that I did not expect. Tom a friend that I met along the way asked the best question of all. He and His wife Twyla had graciously offered up their ranch house to me during my stay in Thedford. On the morning of my departure, Tom and I shared 2 things that morning. Coffee and conversation and trust me they go very well together. Tom asked me this “Did this trip meet you expectations?” It was an easy and fast answer. My reply was “No”. It exceeded every dream, every plan in every way.” I went on to say “I really have no idea just how to measure what has happened.” That was when it became a Journey. I was changed. Some will say for the better. Doesn’t matter to me. I had found more than I was looking for. I found friends, I had found my “Bigfoot” I found what I read about, and could only wonder about. The wonder is gone-It is wonderful. 

     I plan on making many more Journeys along US Route 83. Not only to see more of the wonderful and beautiful places, but to revisit the friends I made along the way. I miss them already. I missed them the moment I drove away. I cannot plan what I will do when I get there, but I will plan on the dates and my calendar is quickly filling up! 

   This post does not do any of the Journey justice. I hope it wets your appetite to hear about some of the individual moments and there are plenty. So bear with me as I try to put into words during the next few weeks and months just how special US Route 83 really is. The only promise I can make is this. MY words will never do justice to the people, places and experiences. I will do my best though. 

When do words turn to Weapons

I by NO means have exclusive rights to the 1st amendment. In fact, I have to wonder that when we as bloggers, either fairly new or well seasoned have a responsibility to be as fair and reasonable as the amendment some people are willing to hide behind. We are all allowed an opinion, it is when we cross the line from fact to opinion we lessen the value of the very right about. That line can be very wide and curvy. Do we owe to the others who read what we write to be right, morally and ethically? 
     

     A few days ago, I saw a tweet celebrating a ruling based on the 1st amendment . It was interesting that the "blogger" stated that "they were free to write anything they wanted no matter what it was" It kind of stuck in my crawl a little because it sounded like they were on a vengeful spree, and was about the release the "hounds of Truth" to the public. It appeared they were bent on making a public example of someone or something and use that amendment to hide behind. I would not be too excited over this "landmark case" On the website 1st amendment.org Link to cases , The game of wins vs. losses seems to be pretty split. From bloggers getting sued and losing, from bloggers getting fired and winning, it is a dicy game to play. 

     I am sure we have all seen blogs for various subjects. From wineries to restaurants , the Blogs seem to rule the service and various other facets in the world today. Think back to any "specialized blog" and try to remember all of the good things they say about a store an event or person. Then think about the one blog that literally blasted a company, person or business out of the water. Odds are the negative blogs will always stand out the most. 

     Maybe I was raised too long ago. I was taught If I did not have anything to say, not to say anything at all. Now I will admit to have tested that theory a few times, and like the website above, the verdicts and outcomes were varied, and some battles were fought to ensure a "victory". Reputations were needlessly damaged, and unnecessary wounds were healed. And shameful apologies were said. But I am sure scars remain for all involved. 

     I usually pass over and ignore "bad reviews" when I see them in Blogs, but I do remember helping out an owner of a winery once when someone literally blasted their business. The whole blog was hateful and personal from the 1st paragraph to the last word. She had even stated in her 1st lines, that she was no professional wine expert, but was "compelled" to tell the truth. She went on to talk about the mediocre wines, terrible service and the beating went on and on. It was not her blog, so I contacted the "editor and explained some serious flaws" Of course his response was "She has a right to say what she wants"

   Does she really? Was her post an opinion or based on facts? well like the Abbot and Costello comedy the answer is 1st amendment. It goes like this:

Abbott: Who writes a blog. You read the blog don't like it and blame Who.
Costello: Then Who gets it?
Abbott: Naturally.
Costello: Naturally.
Abbott: Now you've got it.
Costello: I blame Naturally.
Abbott: You don't! You blame Who!
Costello: Naturally.
Abbott: Well, that's it—say it that way.
Costello: That's what I said.
Abbott: You did not.
Costello: I said I blame  Naturally.
Abbott: You don't! blame Who!
Costello: Naturally.
Abbot: 1st amendment! 

     When we attack a person place or thing in a blog, because we are "compelled", are we really helping anyone? Or are we showing our unforgiving nature and using the words to get even and show them they are messing with the wrong person? Now are words become a weapon.  And in case you were wondering that is the 2nd Amendment. 

     So how do I get around this issue? Well I have a plan. I just finished a blog on a winery. It is personal. I love and care about the owners dearly, and my writing is well....... If you have read this far into this you already know. I have sent them a copy for their review to make sure I have not omitted anything that would possibly injure the business. Seems fair to me. I want people to know how great they are. I have my opinions in there and they are clearly marked. BUT.... What if we had a "spat, would that give me the green light to publicly slam and shame them?  Of course not. So I have decided that when ever I post a blog about an private business for my "I would Like to Revisit Please" blog, I am going to send a draft to the management or owners. I feel if I have done it for one person, I should do that for all. If I do not get a response, then I will post it. That sounds easy enough but what about if I do not like the place? What if I can not find a reasonable resolution to a poor experience?

     I have that answer also. How many of you out there have had someone come to your home, and surprise you and the house is trashed? or you are in a bad mood? Are we that demanding for perfection on this planet that no place on this planet can have a bad day? Wouldn't you want a second chance? My answer is simple. I am going to hold off, and try and make a second visit. If it is bad as the 1st. Then I will feel compelled to....... NOT WRITE ABOUT IT AT ALL!!!! Just that simple. My silence is my protest. And that does not need an amendment or an apology. 

     


     

What's with the Tortoise? The Circle of life?

The Tortoise-an ancient symbol 

of long life and and good health

as well as mother earth.

The Circle of life.

Some tribes called it the sacred circle

It is the circle of unity

It is these two things in life 

That seem so simple yet so complex

Tortoise Pictograph from Paint Rock Texas(Enhanced)

      Benjamin Franklin said there were only two things certain in life: Death and Taxes. Ben wrote in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, 1789. I think if I could have visited with Ben, I would have asked about life and enjoying every moment and experiencing new and wondrous  things! Of course this is a man who flew kites in storms, travel to England like we travel to Wal Mart.

     We here so many times "Life is short. Live it to the fullest!" Yet when we try to go that route we are sometimes met with skepticism and criticism . We get asked about our other responsibilities like home, job family like those have no weight or value to us anymore. It can be done with some sacrifices. My lawn is the best manicured in the neighborhood. And yes, I am sure there some faucets and a bathroom that need my attention.  They will be there when I get back, and odds are I will be off looking for something else to experience before they all get done. I am almost positive that I will not be laying in my deathbed saying to myself, "God, if I had just mowed the lawn one more time, and fixed that faucet, my life and Legacy would be complete!" This video is so perfect. It has always been one of my favorite commercials, and truly shows the grace of life. Funny as this is.....

     So here we are- living the full life. Or are we? Is work the main reason for existence? It shouldn't be. It should be about having fun. I blame this mindset on my childhood. Yes I was an only child. Most of my your days were spent at my uncle's farm. I was left to my own imagination, where toys were stationary tractors and barns filled with adventure. I learned about my families life from stories and tales from relatives. I would walk the fields, and woods looking for signs of ancient cities and ruins from the past. Of course there weren't any, but you can be sure I always returned with some item I was sure belonged to some indian tribe, or outlaw that had hidden in the woods many years ago. 

     But like all children, I grew older and as time went on, I never really lost the desire to explore, and learn about an area. I was lucky because as an MP dog handler in the Army, I was able to go just about anywhere I wanted to at anytime. (I had a gun and a dog. Who was going to argue with that?) Even when I was working at the Pentagon, I would eventually wind up in the basement, walking the area, marveling at the wood grains, in the concrete. I found the historical section, and it was explained that the Pentagon had been built using rough lumber. So the wood grains were from the forms they used. I would walk and crawl the tunnels, to find ANYTHING that I could find. Of course that lead to many meeting with very large rats, and various other critters, but in my mind that was the price I was willing to pay, for this moment of exploration. 

     I have been blessed with some awesome times, an extremely "patient" wife. Exploring, and living this way does come with a "few" problems. I have had my share of a few Hospital visits, injuries and other challenges that have required her assistance from time to time. She has weathered the storm, figuring it is better to visit me in the emergency room than to forward my mail to the mental ward. She knows I would go insane if I could not live this way, and she has endured. 

     But she knows my internal clock is running at a pace that is not normal. I have never really been at peace with the circle of life. I have alway been running wide open, attacking everything with a passion and near frantic pace. For some it is disconcerting or even frightening. At times I will run a passion or event until it dies right in front of me. This drive became even worse when my dad passed away last year. We had never really gotten along very well. NO we never got along at all. He always questioned this way of life, exploring old towns, visiting cemeteries, riding my motorcycle across ranch properties to find an old house. It was labeled  stupid to him. It became a chip on my shoulder and that chip I carried was there for all to see. I refused to relent to anything. I would go out in any type of weather to find that "one place" that would bring me peace. The one location that give me the answers I was never going to find from my father. It had to be out there somewhere, and no matter what I was going to find it. 

     I did. It was me. Peace comes from understanding yourself. accepting the fact that as time goes so goes us. The circle of life got a whole lot smaller when my dad passed away. Before my mom passed away in 2007, her and I had a long talk on the phone. She had come to some sort of understanding of why I was so willing to run like a "wild man" through life. She finally understood that though I was totally willing to take risks to experience something, I did not have a death wish. Spending 22 years in the Army had taught me not to fear death. Yet I was controlled by my one and biggest fear. The fear of not living. I was able to make it to Michigan from Texas hours before she died. When she saw me, In my motorcycle gear, helmet in hand, her strained smile, and her softening eyes told me she knew that the time was close. When she died the next day. I stood there looking at the woman who had tolerated so much insanity with my childhood. The one who had defended my life's choices. Her circle was gone, and the tortoise had won once again. 

Looking to the gods, and walking up the hill. 

     It took a trip to Paint Rock Texas for me to come to grips with who and what I am. Spending time walking a cliff of 1500 pictographs from over two thousand years ago did it start to come to light. I wasn't looking for anything other than some cool pictures, and to meet a few people, write about for my book about US Hwy. 83. It was when I was watching one pictograph interacting with the sun that I became overcome with emotion. It is a pictograph depicting death, and the travel to to the gods. I stood there and watched the sun pass through and was amazed at the simple complexity of it all. I had heard Cora talk about the tortoise pictograph and she showed me several pictures of it in action. The sun piercing the center of the tortoise signifying life and the start of a new season. I can't tell what happened that day. I wouldn't even want to try and explain it. It changed me. What I thought was just an emotional exciting day became more. The panic of time running out on me has disappeared. Like an alcoholic, I have my moments, but my mind settles, and I move forward. I sleep like I have never slept. I no longer feel like the circle of life is a noose around my neck, but a handle to hang onto the moments I experience. There is a depth of my visits with people and a different appreciation for the surroundings I am in. The Tortoise is going to win. But I am going to enjoy view until the race is over. 

  

Cora showing the tortoise in all of its splendor

     So there you have it. Some personal rants, and why the tortoise and the circle of life are so prominent in my writing. They give peace and understanding about life, and why I am the way I am. It really isn't all that complex after all is it? 

     So go and enjoy life. At the very least I plan on replacing a faucet in my bathroom very soon. 

History-When it does repeat itself- It can be magic

"When will it start mommy?"

"Soon dear."

"Do you see them waaaay down there?"

"Yes dear."

"Were you REALLY Miss Shamrock?"

"I was."

You're still pretty mommy!"

"Thank you."

"Here they come! Here they come!"

"I see."

"Mommy! Miss Shamrock just waved at us!!!!!" She's Pretty Just like you!

"Wave back to your sister."

The tortoise of time pauses and smiles. His Journey continues . 

     History- What a wonderful word. It can signify the end of an era "The fight is over! He is history!" I can mark the start of an era "You are witnessing History in the making!" It can even mark the end of love " I am through! We are history!" It is when we here the term "History repeats itself", THAT is when we want to know why? How? 

     History has repeated itself 70 times in Shamrock Texas.  Every St. Patrick's Day weekend since 1946 the town polishes the Blarney Stone, paints the town green and celebrates in a way the is refreshing and will bring a smile to your face. 

     This is city pride at it's best. Folks start to line up downtown almost as early as the participants. That is more than likely because their husband, wife son or daughter is in the parade. So yes, the local towns people are the stars. Firetrucks from other local towns, as well as Police cars lead the parade, as it has since the beginning. With sirens cutting through the crisp morning air the parade begins. Children and adults run to the edge of the street to not only get the best view possible, but to ready themselves for the history making event. Children riding on the firetrucks toss candy in a seemingly wanton manner, until they see someone they know, then the candy is strategically lobbed in their direction. The only exception to the candy being tossed is when someone's mother or grandmother is spotted. Then the truck stops and allows them to approach, and candy is politely handed to them. A kiss on the cheek will be exchanged with a "see you at dinner tonight." Other local businesses also compete for the approval of the crowds, by driving cars laden with more candy, or some other item tossed into the crowd. 

Respect is always given to everyone in Shamrock. 

     History continues as the parade moves on. Candy that has been tossed is quickly gathered, and will come to a halt as the color guard passes by. Everyone stops and hats are removed, children stand in silence as the flags of the United States and the US Navy pass by. Children are reminded of the sacrifices people have suffered for our country, and the importance of civic duty. Friends wave and give a hearty "Thank You" as the VFW float as it passes by. Even entertaining participants are an opportunity for learning. As the Shriners rode by, I heard a parent explain to her son, "The Shriners help raise money for children that are very sick" They come to the parades to thank us for our help." 

     No parade is with beauty and Shamrock continues to honor the past with their own "Shamrock Queen" or Miss Irish Rose. Her court is honored and met with approving applause as she passes by. I am sure the proudest was her Grandmother who made sure everyone knew that the beautiful young lady at the front was HER Granddaughter. 

     The parade seems to be over much too quickly and the crowds begins to dissipate. It is now lunch and the carnival is only here for one more night. The rides are crowded and the local restaurants are packed. Yet no one seems to mind because there is plenty to talk about while waiting in line. Comparisons are made to other years' parades and plans are already being made for next year. The conversations will drift back to the good old days, and "remember when?" will start more sentences then there was candy being tossed today. 

     This is an event best experienced in person. There might be bigger parades. There might be longer parades. Heck this is NO Macy's day parade by any stretch of the Imagination . Shamrock's is better. Thank God history does repeat itself. 

For more information about next years' parade and schedule of events follow them on Facebook at this link   Shamrock Texas St. Patrick's events

For information about the the great city of Shamrock, it's attractions and museums visit the city website. City of Shamrock Texas web site.

Visit my link here for for a You Tube video from their past event in 2016. Shamrock Parade and events video.

Ghost Towns and the Circle of Life

I stand in silence

The noise of my imagination in conflict with my eyes

The cruelty of the present, always victorious,

Mocking the past like an abandoned lover.

Hollowed buildings stand aphonic

Like imprisoned sentries on duty, steadfast

The only movement, their shadows

Casting distorted angles on the streets

Time does not stand still

Its unapologetic arrogance taunts me.

If time is the tortoise, then I am the hare

I will be passed too. 

Preface - Neither Wellington or Paducah are listed as ghost towns- Let’s make sure it stays that way with our support by visiting, and enjoying their charming and wonderful people. Take the time to make a day trip to these locations along US 83, and visit their shops, their museums, and visit with the local folks along the way. Their stories will entertain you, and leave you with a sense of family. At the bottom of this blog, are links to their city website and links from Texas Escapes. So get out there and participate in one of their festivals, or events, and enjoy the history and the contributions they have made to our state. 

Ghost Towns. The term conjures up visions of dusty streets and romantic notions of a by-gone era. It transports you back to a happier time when life was simple and we find ourselves longing for the past. But nothing could be farther from the truth.


     While driving to Shamrock Texas this past weekend to experience the St Patrick’s Day festival, I stopped at several towns along the US 83 route. Town like Eden, Paint Rock, Ballinger, Childress, Anson, Wellington and Paducah to name a few. In between these towns the terrain varies from level pastures and grazing land to hardscrabble sparse scrub brush and 83 follows these cues. From seeming straight sections to undulating curves and hills US 83 passes next to and over several rivers. It’s on these sections between towns, I allowed my mind to contemplate the town I had just left, and wonder about what was waiting for me ahead.

One thing that seemed to jump out to me was- As the terrain goes so do the people. On the flat open sections, you see farmhouses dotting the landscape. Water towers are easily seen in the distance assuring you a town is nearby. Cattle, mostly Black Angus eagerly graze on the fresh spring shoots unaware of their impending fate. You see tractors of all sizes, pulling various types of implements designed to torture the earth to get her ready for the spring planting. But as the terrain toughens, so do the people. Homes are farther apart, the economy goes industrial, like Oil, and farms are smaller. Towns become farther apart. Even the cattle change, from the soft rounded physique of the Angus, brown muscular longhorns rule this rocky area. The sparse vegetation is only shared with sheep and an occasional goat herd.




     The towns along US 83 are usually fairly small, yet each seem to have been able to have sustained themselves in one way or another. The farming towns will probably have at least one feed store, and across the street will be a gas station-minimart. Perhaps there will be a diner and even a high school that is proudly displaying the football or baseball championship with a date before you were born. The workforce in these towns is truly a dichotomy of the past, and a fore bearer of thing to come. You most likely will see two generations working at the diner and the mini mart. The first group are the local teenagers eagerly planning their next day off to spend their money on what they deem necessary. At the other end of the spectrum, you find the second group, 60 or older. They are eager for their next day off also, but they plan on spending the day resting. They have one thing in common, and one enemy. Time and age are their weakness. One group too young to leave the town, and the other too old to leave. Whenever I am in a diner like this, I find it surreal to see the patrons walk in. They are the regulars, the cash flow of the community. They cover the rest of the age group. They sit down and are served by people that could be their children or their parents. So it poses a couple of questions. Are the younger servers going to grow up and become the major cash flow in the community? What about the current cash flow patrons? Are they going to be the next set of elder servers? The odds are the answer to both of those questions is no. So the circle of life is broken. And the gap between the break widens every day.


     The speed and size along the circle in which these towns travel varies. When a town hits the gap and begins the downhill path also varies. Much like our own lives, their eventual death cannot be predicted. Some of these towns seem to be in a perpetual hospice environment. No one seems to be willing to let go, and everyone around begins to suffer. Because just like a family member, residents are hoping for a miracle. That the city will wake up one morning, and be cured, and life will return to its former self. But the towns life support has been turned off. The unplanned has happened.  Either the loss of a railroad or Interstate in a neighboring county or even weather. Perhaps it was the poor planning of former leaders, bad politics or greed. It never just one thing. It will be a toxic “witches brew” of events and the start of decline will be silent and generally unseen. You can sometimes see what is happening by taking a look at two towns. Paducah and Wellington Texas.


      Wellington and Paducah are far from dead, but the struggles for economy are present.  The

stores in both squares are sparse. Looking into the windows, you sometimes see scaffolding and paint can, offering promises of possible revival. Some buildings are boarded up, with no windows to look into. People in both towns, have a sense of pride, and a strong desire for preservation. That takes money, and people who are willing to take a chance, and inject needed dollars into the towns’ square. For now, most of these towns only hope are to continue their annual festivals, and do their best to keep their museums, and shops open for the public to come see and enjoy. But for some towns, it is getting increasingly harder to manage these events, and maintain the museums. People who remember the past, and curate these places are growing old, and as they retire, the stories, and the memories fade with each passing of the sun. The displays become fragile and show aging as well. What was a historical item 5 years ago becomes todays financial burden, and most be either sold at an auction or thrown away. Sometimes these small towns have tough decisions to make, and

paying bills sometimes trump the painting of a building or the repair of an old monument no one seems to care about any longer.

       
     Towns do not die from the inside out. They die from the outside in. You have to travel beyond the town’s city limits to understand what has happened. Take a look along the side of the road leaving any town, and look along the horizon. In the cases of some of these towns, you will see the remains of farm houses, barns and lonely windmills standing testament to the past. Those farms were the cash flow, the children were the workforce, who became the cash flow. And the circle continued for quite some time. But the draw to these towns became the lure to leave. The trains and the highways that brought commerce, also stole the future workforce. They went forth to claim their future in another manner with promises of a better life elsewhere. So as the workforce aged, the circle became smaller, and as the youth left on the trains and highways, the gap began to widen. As the elder workforce was no longer able to work, and age attacked the cash flow, the towns began to suffer, the youth engaged in their own life, some never returning. The houses that sustained a city and lifestyle became ignored, and with age succumbed to the tortoise of time. And just as time chases us and our hair begins to gray, homes with once silver steel roofs turn dark with rust. It seems ironic that the colors are reversed.






      In most of the towns the building are the only reminder, a footnote in the history books. A sort of sideshow to the past if you will.  Their condition varies from near pristine condition to nothing more than a shell with bare beam exposed. Nothing seems to move except for an occasional cat seeking refuge in a nearby gap in a building. Perhaps another car may pass by as it makes it was from town to 83 for the lonely trip home. Most movements come from a flag waving in the breeze and the shadows of the buildings casting sharp angles contrasting against the red brick streets.


US 83 is like a timeline but do not be fooled. The road is anything but straight. We often use a timeline to measure the past present and future. But it is the circle of life that commands us. What is becomes what was. That is true for everyone and everything around us. My advice is simple. Make you circle big, walk slow, and keep the gap small.

May the tortoise of time take many breaks along his journey- And let’s hope he takes the scenic route. Perhaps US 83


For more information visit Texas Escape’s website
Paducah     http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasPanhandleTowns/PaducahTexas.htm
Wellington    http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasPanhandleTowns/WellingtonTexas.htm

City websites showing more history and events for the year
Paducah     http://www.paducahtx.com/index.html
Wellington     http://wellingtontx.com/