BCF 8-28-24

Opinion Bedford County Post August 28, 2024 7A Ag Notes Wash your mouth out I love movies. I always have. Going back as far as I remember I have enjoyed watching movies, especial- ly on the big screen. My father worked while he was in school at the Princess Theater which was renovated and re- named the Capri when I was a sixth grader. For all you trivia bu ff s out there the fi rst movie shown at the rocking-chair Capri was “The Sound of Music”. During his time at the Princess my father ran the concession stand and also the projector. It was hectic double duty. The most vivid memory I have of the old Princess The- ater is the night my father threw a young patron into the street for making a foul remark to my mother. My father had asked the young man and his friends to sit down and they didn’t like him asking. The movie was “The Sons of Katie Elder” and every time it is on televi- sion I think about that in- cident by my slow to anger father. By the way, my father made the young man call and apologize to my moth- er. He also gave the o ff end- er money to go back to the movies. My parents were strict in many ways, but were pretty lenient about what movies I watched. I remember going to the Loew’s Crescent in down- town Nashville to watch the newest James Bond movie. Down the street at the Tennessee Theater the latest Clint Eastwood fi lm was being screened. Back then movies were an event to be anticipated. One night, and I forget which movie it was, Clyde Jacobs, then owner of the Capri, told my parents, “Junior may learn some new words tonight.” Movies, like so many things, aren’t the same anymore. Seldom is there vast anticipation of a fi lm debut. Screenwriting has de- volved into how many F- words can be crammed into a script. The “Dead- pool & Wolverine” movie dropped the bomb more than 100 times according to various reviews. I don’t marvel at Marvel fi lms so I won’t be seeing it. Movie fans must not care because it is the highest grossing R- rated fi lm to this date. Once dropping one F- bomb earned a movie an automatic R rating. I now wonder when I watch a fi lm how much shorter it would be if this throw-away piece of profanity was left out. I also try to fi gure out how gritty classic fi lms like “The Wild Bunch”, could be made without one F- bomb to be heard. It’s a lazy word. I ad- mit to being a fan of most Quentin Tarantino mov- ies and he goes overboard with the F-word. Ironi- cally, because it is used so much now in our society at every level, it has long ago lost its shock value. Occasionally, I still go to movies, but not as often as I once did. With rare ex- ceptions I usually walk out of a screen disappointed. Where is a new and sparkling screenplay? I’m waiting patiently. I met Anthony in the notoriously dangerous Desire Housing Projects in New Orleans shortly after his 17 th birthday. He had never been outside of the city of New Orleans before I met him. He had gotten involved in drug abuse when he was in elemen- tary school, and started selling drugs shortly af- ter that. Anthony had a son that was almost two years old at that time. He didn’t see his son very often, but, he liked to brag about his boy. I came to New Or- leans that week to pick up Anthony and take him back with me to Memphis. I was the executive director of Teen Chal- lenge of Memphis at that time, which is a Chris- tian organization with the purpose of intro- ducing drug and alcohol addicts to the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We provided these men, not only with a place to live, but also a training program to help them overcome their ad- dictions and learn to live a new life in Christ. My friend, Greg, the director of Teen Chal- lenge in New Orleans, had known Anthony and his mother for years. Greg called me one day to tell me about this young man that needed to get out of NewOrleans and start a new life. Anthony had been in and out of trouble for most of his young life. He was not only a drug abuser and dealer, but he had been involved in the gang life for years. His mother came to see Greg one day, and begged him to help her son. She was afraid he would die on the streets of their city. Anthony’s life had been threatened on many occasions and he I made the trip south with one of my sta ff members to meet this young man that so des- perately needed a fresh start. Our ministry in Memphiswas ayear-long residential program, and we provided men with an opportunity to start a new life following the teachings Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures. Anthony had agreed to come back toMemphis with us, and he carried all of his belonging in one small trash bag that he laid on the backseat of my vehicle. As we drove out of the city of New Orleans, Anthony was excited, and in awe. He had never been on the causeway before, and as we neared Lake Pontchartrain he was amazed at that large body of water, thinking it was the ocean. We headed north on I-55 and left Louisiana behind and crossed into Mississippi. This young New Orleans native had never seen open country before, and for the fi rst time in his life he saw real cows grazing in the fi elds on either side of the roadway. Anthony was thrilled at the sight and hollered to us, “Hey! Look at all those pork chops!” We laughed and explained to him where pork chops came from. When we made it back to the center in Memphis, we helped Anthony get settled into his dorm room and to get started on his journey of a new way of living. It took Anthony a while to get adjusted to sleeping on clean sheets and on a comfortable mattress. He wasn’t used to eating three healthy meals a day. Back home he would go days without eating anything. Anthony tried to stay alert during our chapel services and discipleship classes, but he would drift o ff thinking about life back in New Orleans. He hadn’t been with us for more than a month when he came to my o ffi ce one morning and said he needed to go home. My sta ff and I tried to encourage him to stick it out and really give it a try. But, he was deter- mined that he needed to get back home and see his “baby mama” and his son. We prayed with him and counseled him, all to no avail. He boarded a bus that afternoon head- ed south to Louisiana. I called my friend, Greg, and informed him that Anthony was headed back home, determined to get back to his life in New Orleans. Greg thanked me for our help and told me that he would let me know how things went for our young friend. It wasn’t two weeks later that I received a phone call from Greg. He had some sad news to tell me about Anthony. The night before, this young man, who was still just a boy, had been shot and killed in a drug deal gone wrong in the Desire Projects. My sta ff and I were heart broken. We knew we had tried our best to help our young friend. I often fi nd myself thinking about Anthony and others like him who couldn’t resist the lure of the streets. I continue to pray for those who are bound and addicted. And I share the hope that I have in my heart with whoever will listen. Christ can set us all free from our sins, whatever they may be. We just need to cry out to Him, and ask for His forgiveness. And then turn from that sinful life and live for Jesus. Doug Dezotell is a re- tired Methodist pastor, and he is a columnist for the Bedford County Post. Doug can be con- tacted at dougmdezo- tell@gmail.com or at 931-607-5191. By Danny Tyree Tyrades! M y bachelor Uncle Vernon refused to make out a last will and testament. Twenty-one years ago, he passed away unexpectedly. That left his beloved (but decrepit) English Shepherd dog Fred in a pickle. Luckily, my mother volunteered to adopt Fred and care for him in his fi nal years. Thingshaven’t always worked out that smooth- ly for pets. According to the Wall Street Journal, it has taken automated prompts by businesses such as Trust & Will (the online estate-planning service) to remind clue- less pet owners that they may predecease their “fur babies.” (Yes, historically, people have neglect- ed questions about the fate of “the cutest widdle buddy in the whole world, yes, him is” in favor of “Which relative has the proper home security system to safeguard my well- used, halfway-complete collection of imitation Beanie Babies?”) Complex, micro- managed pet trust funds have long been an op- tion for the rich and famous; but more and more people are turn- ing to less expensive “pet directives” in their will. They name a guardian, cross their fi ngers and hope this caretaker will faithfully administer the money that is set aside. Some pet owners na- ively assume that their friends are chomping at the bit to inherit an “orphaned” pet. And, of course, when you “as- sume,” you “make an ass of you and me.” (“Ass? I just remembered: I need to leave that donkey to some poor suck..er, some devoted friend.”) Seriously, most visi- tors are merely being po- lite when they gush that they wish THEY had a deaf, arthritic, fl atulent parrot that composes extra verses of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Even the fi nest heirs are more willing to pro- vide a new home for stocks, bonds or jewelry. As Marilyn Monroe sang in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend/ And they don’t scoot their butts on the good carpet, either.” A high-maintenance menagerie is the op- posite of a lottery jack- pot. The jackpot at- tracts long-lost relatives, crawling from the wood- work. Umpteen rodents, primates and reptiles, on the other hand, would compel your conjoined TWIN to fl ee for parts unknown. How do you deter- mine which friend/rela- tive would be most likely to continue spoiling your pet instead of dropping it o ff in the woods or at a kill shelter? Maybe you could pick a guardian at random and then fake your own death. Granted, when you suddenly reappear and shout, “Aha!!,” the guardian might drop dead of a heart attack, leaving you to discover that YOU were named guardian of his martial- arts-trained tarantula assortment. And, of course, your critters themselves should get a say in where they wind up. (“Pack- ing me o ff to cousin Milo’s basement? ‘For- ever home,’ my rear end! Get my lawyer on the phone.”) Speaking of animals, let’s address the ele- phant in the room. With many folks liv- ing paycheck to paycheck (and facing the possib- lity of ruinous hospital or nursing home bills), it’s not always easy to set aside adequate money to pay for years of food, toys and veterinary care. That’s especially if you have a “thing” for long-lived species. (“You’ll love Jimmy Gi- ant Tortoise, nephew! Someday you can be- queath him to your great-grandchildren!”) Yes, pets give so much and ask so little; but sometimes what they ask is, “God, instead of letting Mr. Faking It With the Tennis Ball suf- fer a slow decline, mer- cifully conk him with a meteor, immediately af- ter he collects his Power- ball winnings.” ©2024Danny Tyree. Danny is a resident of Marshall County, a graduate of MTSU’s journalism program, a nationally syndicated columnist and author of three books available through Amazon. By John Teague UT/TSU Extension FARMERS MARKET T here was good qual- ity produce available last week. For okra fans, there were several con- tainers with fresh okra pods. Growers reported that it was fi nally com- ing in with good volume. Some folks don’t like, but I love it! Fried, pick- led, it’s all good for me! Lots of good tomatoes, nice squash, peppers of all kinds, cucumbers and some melons. There is a good supply of honey, jams and jellies, canned foods, and baked goods. The market will be open during the horse show. The cash parking signs are for the show, our parking is free. The market is Thursday af- ternoon, locally grown, at the pavilion next to the big blue water tow- er at the Celebration Grounds. The market opens at 2:30 pm, with no early sales. DROUGHT The dry conditions are taking their toll again. Actually, we nev- er did recover even af- ter some showers a few weeks ago. We are ranked as ab- normally dry, but with little chance of precipi- tation I expect us to go from D0 to D1 shortly (moderate drought, which is where we were several weeks ago. We actually got to D2, de- fi ned as severe drought. Folks, this is a ff ect- ing all of our crops, our livestock industry, and our water supply. It’s not good. Some places actu- ally have a no-burn ban. That’s not a bad idea, so even though we don’t have one, be very care- ful if you have to burn something. THE HORSE SHOW Some folks want to know what is the big deal about the horse show. There are several things here that I will point out. It’s history. For 86 years and beyond, the Tennessee Walking Horse has been a boost to the local economy. Farmers raised them and sold them, while using their dams and sires as work animals. They are considered to be one of the best mounts for pleasure riding, and they were used on the farms to work animals and do farm work as well as in the breeding pen. The local communities held fairs and livestock shows as part of a community celebration or festival, and they usually had a fundraising purpose, mostly for the schools in the area. Horses were part of the showcase of the area livestock. I’ve got several pictures from a hundred years ago in our fi les that feature prize winners, including horses. Many of those families are still around, and the legacy that started back then is still in the minds of many. The National Cele- bration is one of the premier equine events, and when you walk around the facility, you see so many people focused on fundraising the same as a hundred years ago. The civic clubs present there all have focused programs to help the community. The schools have projects that get support from the horse industry. The kids in the industry get scholarships. There are folks that earn at least part of their living from the horse show. The community certainly bene fi ts from the monies that show attendees spend on being here and/or participating. The breeding operations here and other locations, trainers in the industry who live here and elsewhere but who come here to compete, the owners who all have a big stake in the industry, and the community members who don’t even own a horse, all have a lot in common, and that is a livelihood. It’s more that important, it’s a living. I came here in 1969 to my fi rst show. I’ve missed two since, and we were having babies both times. I’ve been a student along the way of the industry. I’ve learned a lot and there’s a lot I don’t know, but I do know this: the horse industry and the show does mean a lot to this community. I’m proud to be a resident here, and I’m thankful of its contribution to our community here. I’ve been in the stands every night, and I plan to be there from now on as well. Folks from away, thanks for coming. Folks from here, be proud of our history and let’s support it. By Mark McGee MY TAKE Lure of the Streets By Doug Dezotell Musings and Memories Did you remember your pets in your will?