So here we are halfway through the year 2011. I’m not so sure I like 2011, because it is the year that forces of nature threw a mighty temper tantrum and a big chunk of my hometown disappeared. This disaster weighs heavy on many hearts. From posts from my Facebook friends it is clear that not only are folks who presently live in Joplin affected, but a lot of Joplin expats (those who have moved away) grieve also.
I remember many years ago, back in the day, when I was a young single reporter in Joplin. It was in the wee hours of the morning (about 2:00am if I recall) and I’m driving through the downtown area of 4th and Main, on down toward 2nd. When what did I see but someone come to the corner of the intersection and start hawking the latest edition of the Joplin Globe. What they were doing there, and just how many papers they thought they were going to sell remains a mystery to me this day. I saw him there more than once, and I saw him sell a paper or two to passers by. Perhaps he was just waiting on a particular customer to come by before going on to other routes? Who knows. But as I’m driving on by there on this particular night I saw a fire truck on its way back to the main station, there off Virginia Ave. at City Hall, and it struck me: this all just looked so “America!” I had recently been to Fred and Red’s (the joint just featured on “No Reservations” with Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel) and the thought occurred to me at that time, you know, when you’ve got counter top lunch spots like Fred and Red’s still to go to, when guys still hawk newspapers on the street corner, and who doesn’t love fire trucks? Well, I thought, the Republic is just fine. All is well with the world, and all is as it should be in these here United States of America. That was so long ago!
But now things are so very different. And maybe this is why we grieve so much. It’s not just buildings and property and landmarks that are gone (not to mention the human cost!), it’s a place called home that was supposed to be there now and forevermore. It was a foundation to our world, and even though we travel far and away still we know that we can come back to our foundation and see it as it’s always been, to drive its streets to walk the mall to stroll downtown to know and feel our own security, our own little world. We took this for granted.
But no more. It’s gone, and so is our security and so is the foundation to a big chunk of our world. Yes, Joplin will rebuild. But it’s our foundation, our home world, if you will, that we grieve.
So I guess it’s true after all. At the end of the day all we really have to cling to is God. Now, when we say “I have a home in Heaven,” I guess we’ll have to mean it!
Closed Circuit to Oak Manorites…
Big doings going on at the church. The A/C in the activities building has given up the ghost and it is going to cost some sheckles to get it going again. Your Chairman of the Board, your Deacon in charge of Buildings and Grounds and your Pastor had a meeting today to discuss these things, the long and short of that being we need to discuss this at the regularly scheduled monthly board meeting coming up Sunday. We have some thoughts on the matter, and are anxious to solicit yours.
The Dave Whitmire Prayer group meets Saturday at 6pm at the Whitmire home in Springdale. Great food, fellowship and industrial strength prayer are on the agenda. You are invited!
Carolyn is going to spend some time in Joplin this weekend. She sent a post out with ideas if you have a desire to go and help out. If you want in on any of that action contact her.
