Anything good

I’m often reminded of the passage (John 1:46) where Nathaniel asks the rhetorical question “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Well we all know the answer! 2000+ years of hindsight affirms that yes, Jesus grew up in Nazareth and his Christian followers now comprise one-third of the world’s 7.5 billion population. We Christians consider that as very good!

Now the question is “Can anything good come out of Southwest Nebraska” the moderate cities and villages that we call home.

Your old columnist would venture to have to unabashedly say yes. Some one thousand of us recently sat in audience of the beautifully restored Fox Theatre to watch SWNCTA’s presentation of Mama Mia. Oh, the excitement and energy of the players on the stage. The wonderful background and stage props, good music, just right costumes all fit together perfectly. The cast’s energy made even those of us in the audience physically tired. Such great fun.

I am no polished professional critic of movies or stage plays but will pick out an individual whose performance in Mama Mia portends a great future in theatre. I choose Lindi Johnson, a local college senior, who played a lead character, Sophie. Pretty, energetic, good voice, just a great actor but she also created the choreography for the whole cast. To me, her accomplishments point to a successful career in theatre and we will be hearing from her on a national basis.

Does such a great production as we had in Mama Mia come easy? Well, the cast here has worked on it four nights a week since January. Then too Charles Coleman volunteered to direct it and a score of “helpers” created the stage props, ran the lights, created the costumes, did the makeup and the hundred other background jobs that made the whole production work. Whenever people work together personalities sometimes mismatch and flare-up but all have to be overcome to make it a smooth running success. Yes, we saw something very good come out of Southwest Nebraska.

Want another look at what has sprung from our small town America community of McCook? Drive down Norris Avenue past Governor’s row. Count them; Ralph G. Brooks, Frank B. Morrison, and Ben Nelson, three of the Nebraska governors had McCook roots and the street is named after one of the USofA’s most notable Senators George Norris. Actually a fourth governor Dave Heineman attended East Ward School for a couple of years. So a word to the youth of today. No aspiration is too high—all things are possible. Pursue your dream and never believe that your goal in life is impossible just because you came from rural Nebraska. All things are possible!

Now to the other side of the coin and that is the current ugly national political scene dominating the TV airways. The Mueller report, the Mueller, the Mueller report. The Democrat leadership demanding to see the full report when they know full well that for national security concerns parts of the report must be redacted. No collusion with the Russians on President Trump’s political campaign---not acceptable. All too many don’t like duly elected President Donald Trump and search for any excuse to impeach him.

It was President Barack Obama, darling of the Democrats, who stated “Elections Have Consequences, And I won”.

Oh so appropriate in today’s world of national politics. The election is over and Donald Trump won. Just because certain politicians in high places can’t believe that “Nothing good could come out of the business world in New York City” doesn’t mean that Donald Trump wasn’t the election winner and their preferred Hilary Clinton will never be president.

It is time to assuage their hurt feelings and press on for the good of the country. Kudos by the way to all the delegates that we in Nebraska sent to Washington for staying on the right side of the political mess we witness daily in Congress.

That is the way I saw it.

Dick Trail