Small Town, U.S.A.

suggested by Life in Eureka Springs


"If you could change one thing about the town you live in, what would it be?"

This prompt is easy, although I will apologize ahead of time if you find me standing precariously on a soapbox, balanced on one toe while stretching to see everyone between me and the horizon.  I want to make sure no ears miss my message.


Welcome to Macon County, Tennessee, estimated population 22,000 people. 




Home to friendly people, lots of livestock, farmland as far as the eye can see, and a lifestyle that is focused on family, friends, and hard-work, but this town is dying.


This county was once home to numerous companies who manufactured such things as clothing, automobile parts, and furniture.  Now, the ghosts of forgotten factories sit in the industrial park while the people who call Macon County home drive to places like Gallatin, Portland, or Lebanon for work.  More and more people are packing up each year to move closer to their jobs because they just can’t afford the gas or the time on the road.  Why?  Why has this county gotten to the point that the majority of it’s residents have to drive somewhere else for work?   So many have given up on finding work that is within an acceptable distance and they’ve turned to welfare to provide for their families.  Parents should not be put in the position of thinking welfare is an acceptable option.  County leaders – fix it!


We need industry in this county, and not just of the manufacturing variety.  Sure, we have Fleetwood and Nestle Waters and Walmart, but how often do you hear of them hiring anyone – at least anyone who doesn’t already know someone who works there?


Bring in new shopping options – clothes, video games, home decor.  Build a small shopping open-air shopping/dining center with stores like Claire’s, Kirkland’s, Old Navy, and Taco Bell.  The new shopping options will provide jobs.  The act of shopping will feed tax dollars into our economy.  With the other small towns around us, like Hartsville, Celina, Scottsville, and Holland, there’s no reason this area can’t carry a few larger stores successfully.  City leaders – take a few steps toward reviving this town before it’s too late to revive anything.  Just my two cents.


Until next time . . .

Spring is almost here!

Inspiration for this blog post comes from 

 

 

 

 

Prompt: 5.) Share some photos and stories as well as what you love about spring.
(inspired by Amanda from Welcome To My Life).

New growth on the trees . . .

Daffodils and tigerlilies . . .

Baby bunnies . . .

Happy fun days . . .

Flip-flops . . .

Playing in puddles – PLOP!!

 

Until next time,

Random Thoughts, part 7,429,321

I have a lot of random thoughts – too many of which get posted to Facebook and probably not enough of which get blogged about.  I really should discipline myself into occasionally taking a random thought and turning it into a well-developed blog post.  Occasionally means once every year or so, right? ;)

I find a lot of my problem is I just can’t seem to find the inspiration to sit down and write.  I’m really struggling with what to blog about or how to find reasons to blog more often.  I’ve recently started following a blog. . .

. . . that hosts a writer’s workshop, meant to offer inspiration in the form of a weekly post with five blog prompts.  I think I’ll try to tackle one of this week’s ideas later tonight or tomorrow. 

So this whole one-sided conversation begs the question, “Where do you get your inspiration?”   Do your blog ideas come to you in a dream, from something overheard, from a site like Mindbump?  If all of the above, which do you find to be your most fruitful source of inspiration? 

Until next time . . .