Does anyone remeber the old slide shows where the neighbor down the road would cook up popcorn and invite you over to watch his endless slide show about his vacation to the coast? Me either... ...but I recall a certain Veggie Tales spoof on the theme, so I thought it was worth a shot.
Except I am going to do it without pictures.
Popcorn?
Lights?
OK...
This summer we took one of the three weeks of summer and went to Branson... I did not go with high expectations, it was just another place in another state far away, only it doesn't feel so far away when you can get there in less than a day's flight. Whew! (I ran out of breath!)
We packed the kids and the kids' things and crammed one pair of extra socks and two pairs of underwear in the remaining baggage. (slight exxageration, but you get the picture)
Missouri was not on my list of places to go. It just never ocurred to me. My lovely wife's family, it turns out originates from here. That was the start of my falling for that neck of the woods.
We were primarily in Branson, but ventured out to Blue Eye and other surrounding towns. We got to hear stories of growing up in the Ozarks, of swimming holes and of rougher times. I admire in a jealous way those who had that time of history and that place in the world to dwell.
Hills and hollers of the sort that you might picture in "Where the Red Fern Grows" make viewing a vast expanse something of a rarity. The bluffs and the creeks and the trees made a rare impression on me - I had long given up the idea that anywhere else would impress me after growing up in our own mountains and evergreens before seeing the countryside in Missouri. The hollows could swallow you up and the world really could forget you left so much as a boot print.
Which brings me back to what started my reminiscence in the first place. While we were there, we were treated to an area attraction, "The Shepherd of the Hills" show. The show is based upon the book of the same title, and which I read start to finish mostly last night. Since I missed a goodly part of the show (we did have the kids), the book filled quite a bit in for me.
The basic idea is that a city-slicker moves out to the Ozarks, the very place where the show and the exhibits are now. It unravels life in simpler yet difficult times, and how a man searching for relief from his former life starts anew only to find that his life preceded him.
The lessons that he learns and the life that he loves is summed up in this paragraph, which is also in the show.
"He who hears and sees too much is cursed for a dreamer, a fanatic, or a fool, by the mad mob, who, having eyes, see not, ears and hear not, and refuse to understand.
"We build temples and churches, but will not worship in them; we hire spiritual advisors, but refuse to heed them; we buy Bibles, but will not read them; believing in God, we do not fear Him; acknowledging Christ, we neither follow nor obey Him. Only when we can no longer strive in the battle for earthly honors or material wealth, do we turn to the unseen but more enduring things of life; and, with ears deafened by the din of selfish war and cruel violence, and eyes blinded by the glare of passing pomp and folly, we strive to hear and see the things we have so long refused to consider."
So, that's my slide show.
God bless you tonight... May He meet you where you are, and may you have the eyes to see and the ears to listen. From His creation to his Holy Word, He is calling us to Himself...
The Autumn is here, the Summer faded from green to gold. Your life might be today in the verdant Spring, but I am tonight reminded of how fast it goes... I pray that you give your ear and your embrace to One who loves and cares for you.
6 comments:
OK... now I want to read the book!
It really was a good show to see. It probably would have helped us with children to read the book FIRST!
Don't know about all the rest of ya'll, but when we are old and grey and travel south for the winter.... we will be headed to the hills and hollers of the Ozarks!
You are welcome to join us!
Ryan, I thoroughly enjoyed reading that blog...very cool stuff. You should be writing a book yourself.
I wrote a huge comment this morning and didn't leave it because I thought it was dumb...
I said "I think you should write a book".
You know what they say about great minds...? Or maybe that is irrelevant if you are twins.
Beautiful post, Ryan!
Very inspirational.
It's funny how personal experiences define how you feel about a certain place. Our trip to Missouri, for instance, included eating dinner at Denny's at 2:00(?)in the morning after our trip down and never actaully recieving food, sleeping in a hot, stuffy, wet attic with MANY other people (worried about rats and snakes crawling all over you while you slept), taking a shower and never actually getting dry afterwords, all the locals singing "Achy Breaky Heart" at Pizza hut, 20 people getting the stomach flu while sharing one bathroom, strawberry milk made with fresh, WARM cow's milk (this had to be my most yucky thing!!!)and going to Silver Dollar City, but having to spend the entire day sitting on a bench because your cousin made you....among other things.
I don't care if I never make it back. (:
Our family is originally from Missouri. We have relatives who still frequent the Ozarks in the summer, but I've never been myself. It sounds nice, though.
Although the midwest has a beauty of it's own, I am with Terah on the unbelievable amount of humidity--, and bugs!
I may have to find a copy of that book. The quote seems familiar somehow, as though I have read similar sentiments somewhere before...
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