Saturday May 28, 2022

 Now it's time to say goodbye...

Saturday mornings are always a little emotional.  We say goodbye to each other and our friends from Tutwiler.  We hope to see them next year.  

Some of our team are not from the Evanston area, so we may not see them for a little while.  Some are veterans who have moved out of state and make it down just for this trip.  Of course, others are people we are going to see the next day in church.

Natalie shot this picture because she says I shoot them all and never appear in any.  I maintain that it is more proof for why I stay on my side of the camera.

           

           This is the sign that Dino posted along with his pictures that have played such an important 

part in this week.  It explains their importance more eloquently than anybody else can.

Our group has varied in number from year to year.  A couple of times we have brought the maximum 24 people down and accomplished a remarkable amount. I was along for one of those trips, and we made huge progress on two different houses and replaced the roof on the Bargain Barn in temperatures that would melt Satan's pitchfork.  A few years back, we followed a large group with one of eleven people, and declared ourselves "Small but Mighty!"

The past two years, we have brought down groups of eight.  Considering that we had to skip 2020 entirely due to Covid, getting down here at all last year was an accomplishment, and the fact that so many of our group have been down here so many times means that we tend to punch above our weight.  Still, progress is slow, and sometimes backwards down here.  But the relationships we have built with the community and among ourselves are ever more significant.

BOOMLAND!

As it always is when we return, it is Memorial Day weekend, as evinced by the plentiful cops on the highways.  Fortunately, none of us have fallen prey to them.  We stopped for gas in Tunica and saw one on the residents cooking barbecue and preparing for the oncoming rush.

We stopped for gas again at Boomtown in Charleston, MO.  I have written about the place in the past.  It is a place that defines overstatement, and demonstrates not the least bit of subtlety. In that regard, nothing was different this year.

Among my favorite areas of the store, the hot sauce selection is large and varied, and  shows no more subtlety than their labels promise of the contents.  The usual ones, refering to deadly animals and insects or paying tribute to various diabolical attributes are still there, but this year there seems to be a  greater emphasis on vulgar descriptions of anatomy and bodily functions.  

Smart Ass, Dumb Ass, Lazy Ass, Pain in the Ass, Ass Blaster, Ass Kicker, and four different varieties of Whoop Ass, along with graphic images illustrating Blow Out, Back Fire, and Diarreah.  (Exactly how that name appears appetizing to anyone eludes me.)

Of course, the main attraction of this place is the fireworks.  Boomland's selection is huge.  Again, the names are the most interesting part.  No Angry Mother-in-Law or Psycho Ex-Girlfriend this year, but there is Godzilla Thrilla and Evil,Wicked, Mean & Nasty, which would make a great name for a law firm.  There is a huge range of prices as well.  I was tempted to invest a few dollars in a toy truck that rolls along the ground shooting sparks and taking it over to Welles Park where my neighbors will be shooting off fireworks all day on the 4th of July.  Then there are the ones at the other end of the spectrum.

This little package goes for $250.  Andy found one for $500 that would have taken up the whole back of his van.  In addition to the fact that we would have had to abanon all our luggage, a rear-end collision would result in pieces of us landing back in Mississippi.

Then there is this package.  At first glance, I was honestly confused about whether it was a box of fireworks or beer.  But the two should probably not be mixed.  

But there are aspects of Boomland that are darker.  This is ruby red territory.  The political views of the majority of the customers is obvious.

 

In addition to those proclaiming allegiance to the former resident of the White House, there are plenty of caps and other articles with the charming phrase adopted by conservatives and far too many Republicans, "Let's Go Brandon." After our last visit, I remarked that there was an unusual showing of bipartisanship in the hot sauce section, as one could purchase bottles of either "Screw the Republicans" or "Screw the Democrats," with labels showing the respective party symbols in positions you can imagine.  Presumably, it is the same stuff in different bottles.  This year, "Screw the Democrats is in short supply.  It seems to be selling well.  Meanwhile, they have added a new flavor "Let's Go Brandon."

Much has been written about rural and less educted voters who believe with some justification that the supporters of the other political party look down on them. The division between the two sides though extends to a totally different view of reality.   For me, the reason for that is illustrated in other caps sold at Boomland.

Among all the Jesus caps are the ones like this.  

The store also has a wide collection of cheap statutes, many religious in nature.  It is somewhat reassuring to see that they sell statues of angels of various races.  But it is pretty clear what most of the patrons think of God.  He is definitely caucasian, has chosen the USA as his favorite country, and loves guns as articles of worship.  

On Tuesday, I will face a class of third-graders and try to explain to them why we have to have a lockdown drill.  I will have to deal with the fact that while we were down here in Mississippi, someone was murdering children just like them in Texas.  Many politicians, particularly those funded by the NRA, have a ready explanation for the massacre in Texas and those like it.  It is all a result in the change of religious values!  Oddly enough, I agree with them.  We are a nation of idolaters,  We worship an idol that fires bullets and value nothing more than our right to possess as many guns and as much ammunition as possible without restriction.  I can tell my students that children just like them gave their lives to protect the right of someone who thinks Jesus is a tall white guy dressed in red, white and blue and toting an AR-15 to have one of his own and that he should be allowed to do whatever he wants with it, including carrying it into a bar or a church.  I will not mention but will contemplate that we are willing to sacrifice as many children to our idol as it demands, and those demands will never be met.