These days, it’s hard not to feel bewildered by the mind-boggling amount of nonsense that’s going on and the irrational mindsets being adhered to by so many people.
I see and hear so many absurd proclamations and declarations coming from all over the United States (and the rest of the world, for that matter) that I often have to fight off a strong feeling of disdain for the general state of humanity.
But I don’t perceive anywhere near as much foolishness emanating from Texas County, Missouri. The fact is, I believe I live in a place where most people haven’t gone off the deep end and bought into the lies being predominantly disbursed by all types of societal sources.
I got a great sense of confirmation of that belief late last week when my wife, Wendy, and I conducted a three-day garage sale.
Before going any further, I’d like to thank all the folks who came to the sale. And I really want to express a huge thank you for helping us part ways with such an incredible amount of stuff that during the 22 hours we were open for business.
Our goal wasn’t so much to make money as it was to say goodbye to the astonishing multitude of things that had somehow accumulated over the years, and the reality is that we achieved that goal with more success than we had imagined.
But back to the subject at hand.
As the surprising amount of people came and went from our property during the sale, Wendy and I had the pleasure of chatting with dozens upon dozens of them. From my point of view, most of that pleasure was derived from the obvious fact that so many of these folks – who were basically of all ages – had an obviously firm handle on reality and their brains functioned with a nice mix of recognition, discernment and common sense.
Over and over again, I spoke with people who shared their outlooks and opinions, and time and again I found myself in agreement. Many times when they left, it was as if we were saying “thanks” to a friend.
As the hours went on, my optimism built and my hope for mankind was replenished.
It’s worth noting that our dog Scotty (the Scottie) also had a great time. He loves people and got to greet and be petted by dozens of them who he had not previously met. It was great watching him operate; almost every time a vehicle came down the driveway, he would yelp and cry out in excitement. Then he would walk right up to whatever stranger had arrived, and most of the time cause smiles and receive the attention he was looking for.
When the sale was over on Saturday afternoon, Wendy and I were exhausted, but relieved and gratified. Scotty was also completely worn out from his constant interaction with visitors, and he plopped on the couch and rested for hours.
Anyway, while the amazing flow of goods leaving our property was so marvelous to behold, it was meeting and talking with the customers that was the event’s most memorable aspect.
I am among the millions of Americans who are compelled by the current attitudes and viewpoints of so many so-called “leaders” and their growing hoard of followers to wonder what utterly illogical and downright weird thing is going to happen next, or what major incident is going to take place that changes pretty much everything. I find it virtually impossible to avoid that kind of uncertainty, because right is so frequently being considered wrong and good is so constantly being treated as bad – and vice-versa.
But my heart was warmed to a significant extent last week when I was surrounded by so many men and women (and even children) who didn’t seem to be aligned with the overall madness that has overtaken so much of life in 2024 and were apparently as disappointed with the situation as me. It made me feel genuine appreciation to live in Texas County, especially because I know for sure that the same isn’t true in lots of other locations.
Thank God for this extraordinary place and the unusually wonderful people who call it home.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.
