Life with The Swell Guy!

For My Girl on 10.31

I think you had to grow up in Deni's house to get this post. I picture her and her dad riding down the road in the truck howling out the chorus. This one's for you, Girl.

Classic RV 4 Sale in Greenwood

This beaut is for sale on the Route 72 Bypass in Greenwood. It is perfect for hauling legendary news teams or if you happen to have a hobby that requires mobile transportation. You know you want it.

Bill Murray walking in slow motion.

David Walton Smith writes - This is not a trailer for a real film. Bill Murray was kind enough to grant us our wish of walking down the hallway in slow motion - simple. This is better than autograph. Thank you, Bill Murray.

Life can be great when you are willing to slow down a little for other people. Take a moment for your wife, your kids, your friends, your co-workers, the waiter, or someone you do not know. Happy Monday. Why don't we make this a great week?

God Loves Uganda

Loving our neighbors to death.

Here is some NPR coverage if you are interested. I'd love to see this film something soon.

Waiting

All good things come to those who wait. - English Proverb

Why do we wait? When do we wait? How do we wait?

I have a friend who knows she is in the process of dying. Life has been lived well, but now the end will come at some unknown time and date, but it is on the move at a rapid pace. Recent conversations have included the doctor's mention of bucket list activities, but I notice she is paying a lot more attention to love, laughter, and caring about the people who are close to her.

Another is waiting to die. Giving up or giving in or giving out or not giving a rip or giving a rip, but not doing anything about it. There is a wait, but it is a different, most misrable one.

Waiting for a better job. Waiting for "The One". Waiting for tomorrow. Waiting to have children. Waiting until the kids are grown. Waiting for a break. Waiting for the right moment. Waiting for Jesus to come. Waiting for heaven. Waiting for salvation. Plenty of waiting. And waiting.

We tend to talk about waiting as some passive activity. Expecially when we are churning out platitudes like "All good things come to those who wait" or we say "Patience is a virtue". We act like we have spoken the works of the bible prophets, but that stuff is not even in scripture. The testaments do say much about waiting, but it's a mixed bag of quotes unless studied in context.

So we people of faith fall into this grove of thinking of the wait as something motionless. The more I reflect on this I've come to believe that waiting is important, but productive waiting involves movement. What are we doing while we wait? Living, loving, breathing, praying, thinking, reading, laughing, working, doing life, making the bed, hoping....what are we doing?

May our times of waiting be filled with joy and peace. May those times be illumiated with laughter and love for those who surround us. May the quiet times be treasured and void of any impatience or anxiety. And at the end of the wait, at the very end, may we be able to look back and exclaim while we were waiting it was truely great ride. What a ride, indeed. Enjoy the wait.

Losing The Pig

I've had this ominous feeling since last month when it was announced that our local Piggly Wiggly has been sold to BiLo as part of a multi-store sale. It just does not feel right. I know BiLo is saying they will keep the staff, but there is just something that seems more local about the Piggly Wiggly way of doing business.

Folks refer to it as "Our Piggly Wiggly" or simply shorten it up to "The Pig". When have you heard of another grocery store mentioned in terms of pride and ownership? Like never. Our Piggly Wiggly is a little more upscale than most, likely since it serves "The Lake Crowd". There are multiple things that make it a bit more than just another grocery store.

The staff is great. James the manager will attempt to inventory new products if you make a special request and explain why it should be in the store. He is game to see if it pleases the locals. Perry in produce is always happy and asking if he can assist in any way. He always asks Denine if we have company in town since she once mentioned she was picking up extra stuff since we had a houseful of folks at the lake house for a visit.

The gals behind the deli counter call me "Honey" and the butcher shop crew has more than once set aside a select cut of meat that I requested for the weekend. By the way, since "The Lake Crowd" likes to BBQ on weekends there are also lots of steaks, briskets, pork butts, and other big cuts available when the weekends roll around. We have even come to know the checkout staff and Denine kept updated with one young clerk all the way through her pregnancy.

The Pig is a community gathering spot. On summer Saturdays there is a large BBQ cooker outside churning out ribs and chicken. Folks swing through to pick up last minute provisions for the weekend. Sometimes the Coke, Dukes mayo, and buns are right up front on pallets for a quick grab & go.  Yes, you heard me right...pallets of Dukes, official mayo of The South and great cooks everywhere.

Even if you grab & go you are likely to run in to a neighbor, church folks, work folks, or a friend you have not seen in a while. Quick stops can turn in to great conversations that take a few extra well spent minutes.

Can these things happen at a BiLo? I guess so, but will it feel as cool? Do you look smart rocking a BiLo t-shirt? I think not. Everyone should own a Piggle Wiggly t-shirt and wear it especially proudly when when leaving The South, as much as any of us dislike the prospect of driving Up North. Even a Piggly Wiggly Koozie or bumper sticker has a hip factor that can bring a knowing smile to the most casual observer.

I give The Pig and the staff a lot of credit for speaking to a way of life...to cultivating community...to being considered extra local. Perhaps nothing will change, but I believe a few months down the road we will all begin to say things are just not the same anymore.

If I were BiLo or Commander of The South I would change all the BiLo stores that are embedded an any community to a Piggly Wiggly. Think about it...World Piggly Wiggly for all! THAT would be saying something.

The other night I dreamed that I climbed a water tower and painted "Save The Pig" in red paint. It was a swell dream. There is no water tower close to our Piggly Wiggly. You might want to pick up a Piggly Wiggly t-shirt before it is too late.

Snake Handlin'

So I have watched some of the episodes of Snake Salvation on National Geographic Channel. Denine decided not to watch after one episode, but it is one of those train wrecks I have found strangely interesting. I'll save you all of the "I'm not with them" and "I don't think this is quite what Jesus meant when he said some of those things" comments. Oh no, I won't go there today.

What amazes me is not one time has some unsuspecting soul walked into one of the churches featured and left running screaming "Snake! Snake!! SNAKE!!!". Then again, I guess all of your own family members would already have an ideal of what is going on during the service.

On a side note, several years ago we caught a segment on a news magazine program about the reporter/writer of a book called "Salvation on Sand Mountain" which is about snake handling in Appalachia. It is a compelling read and it is interesting that the reporter found himself drawn into what he was investigating. I still am mystified about how movements can start based on one obscure scripture or theology, but I would recommend this as a good read if you are interested.

This sad lowly state of affairs.

Hello friends

I've more or less been neglecting my little blog while I have been busy with life, work & traveling about. However, I've put my best people on it and we are constructing a few new posts that hopefully will follow soon. Thanks for sticking around.

The Swell Guy