Only in our America

For the past several years (many) I have taken my 1925 Model T Ford to Culbertson to drive in the annual 4th of July parade. Bummer. The 2020 version of their Independence Day parade was cancelled due to an abundance of caution for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

I just happened to run into an old friend in McCook that has a superb catering business in this area. Complaining (whining) about the lack of a parade this year Marlene brightened up to inform that why yes “they” were planning a mini-parade through the streets of Culbertson and to meet at the fairgrounds at 3:00 o’clock. Meanwhile she was providing a pay as you go luncheon at their ambulance barn. She’d reserve a piece of cherry pie (my favorite and ala mode no less) for me! Life doesn’t get any better food and friends celebrating the birth of our nation on a hot but pleasant day in western Nebraska.

So Grannie Annie and I took our Model T to the metropolis of Culbertson to search out lunch and enjoy a cruise through their streets. We pulled past the ambulance barn and viola two empty tables with umbrellas overhead and surrounded by chairs. No customers in evidence but down the street on the corner a whole mob of people sitting at picnic tables in the shade. I parked in the near by and went over to check if they knew anything about Marlene and her serving hours.

“Oh she closed at noon,” was the reply “but we have a lot of food and insist you join with us”. Hope the hostess also informed that she’d “be really mad if we didn’t stay and eat and she would have to throw a lot of good food away!

Well they weren’t all strangers as in the past Grannie Annie had worked with the hostess for several years and even our next door neighbors were there. A perfect couple of hours visiting with friends, old and new, and then off to the parade. Now where else in the world can one go to the wrong address and then be invited to stop by to be fed and enjoy visiting with the invited people that were already there?

Sure beats up being isolated or quarantined in one’s home which a good percentage of the US citizens were required to do. And yes Marlene’s catering service was in action just up the street where with a full tummy I finally checked through an unmarked door to enjoy a slice of cherry pie ala mode.

Oh the do gooders are in action appealing to conscience to change names of athletic teams. This time it is the Washington Redskins. Change it to what? Well they just know that using the name with Indian connotations is bad. Racists? It happened close to home some years ago when the name of Indians, again, was banished from our own McCook College. I always thought the name for our really good athletic teams honored our Native Americans as did the picture of the Indian Chief in full regalia that used to hang above the stage and honor the gym in days gone past.

Again Air Force travels caused our family to live in interesting places. We were stationed at Otis Air Force Base which was located on Cape Cod sticking out into the Atlantic Ocean as a part of the state of Massachusetts. Just on the east side of the firing range that was integral to the base in WWII was the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Reservation. Actually just a small village with a few farm plots scattered through the forest around it. The residents claimed to have enough Native American blood to receive the government handout which kept them from being very productive citizens. Not exactly a very comfortable life in my judgement but it was their choice. To my uneducated eye the majority of tribe members also looked very much like our modern Community College basketball team that plays in the really nice Pete and Delores Graff Activities Center. I wonder what the

Mashpees would call their athletic teams if they had one?

Grannie Annie and this old guy stayed in and watched President Trump’s rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota rather than take in the fireworks at our own fairgrounds. The plan was to go to the local festivities the night before but that of course was rained out and postponed. Actually I think it was the Good Lord’s plan to soak up the drought dried grass to prevent wild fires from fireworks on the 4th.

Having flown my Air Force tanker from Ellsworth AFB in the past carrying a load of passengers and making a pass over the faces at Mount Rushmore just as did Air Force One on Friday evening brought back good memories. Air traffic control is very cooperative in such circumstances almost as if they are proud to show off their national treasure. Then too we have taken our family to that amphitheater for their really good presentation so all was familiar. The whole TV presentation was a joyful watch though sadly it ran a little too long to catch the Christian Church’s really good show.

Yes we liked President Trump’s speech promising to put a stop to the current rampage that is tearing our country apart. It is past time in my opinion but a stop to the “demonstrating” rioting and burning is overdue.

You might have caught Kanye West’s announcement that he is running for president. Humm brings back memories of when Ross Perot ran for president. His campaign siphoned off enough votes that Bill Clinton won over George H. W. Bush. Kanye is a really popular African American man and would be sure to draw many many of the black votes that Joe Biden is counting on. Maybe we should encourage his candidacy.

That is the way I saw it.

Dick Trail