September 26, 2011
CHAMPION—September 26, 2011
Champions are adept at being where they are. It goes with the territory. Moreover, Champions are not subject to news black-outs as is the case in New York City where thousands of people have been voicing their discontent with the economy and world politics for ten days. During this time when 130 world leaders have been attending the United Nations’ General Assembly, these protesters vie for attention on the world stage, without much success, grumbling about greed and corruption within the governing bodies that make the decisions and determinations that affect the economy as a whole. They reject the idea that 90% of the wealth should be in the hands of 1% of the population. Meanwhile, over in Europe experiments in the big particle accelerator laboratory seem to be proving that some things (neutrinos?) really can travel faster than the speed of light! Get out! Probably most Champions cannot fathom how this will shake up the whole world of physics. Einstein’s insight in 1905 was that there was no fixed frame of reference for time and space and thus no absolute causality, no this-before-that, no preferential present moment. So with total transparency and lack of rancor Champions maintain the regular calm pace of life in their own very present and tranquil environs and wish Mr. Einstein’s followers the ease of passing that comes from enlightenment. You heard it first in Champion!
Champion friends and pioneers are getting ready to spend some time at the Edge of the World with their friends Dale and Betty Thomas as they host their wonderful Pioneer Descendants Gathering on the week end. There will be flint knapping, archery demonstrations, blacksmithing, soap making, molasses making, and apple butter. The horse drawn cycle mower is always a crowd pleaser and the wagon rides down along the Bryant are a chance to get lost in the mysterious past. Those buckskin people will be there as well as the Civil War reinactors and black-powder folks from Barren Forks. There will be lots of live music and great food to go along with Dale’s wheel-right demonstrations. Probably the Older Iron Club will have some interesting exhibitions and, hopefully, Bob Berry will have his beautiful Studebaker in the antique car show. This is just the sort of thing that Royce Henson and Joe would enjoy seeing. Maybe they will make it out again in their snazzy yellow Mustang. Their brother in law, Harold Phillips, has made a loan of a book to the Champion News–“The White River Chronicles of S. C. Turnbo, Man and Wildlife on the Ozarks Frontier.” Champion is in the middle of an area rich in pioneer history. There is still plenty to learn about the past. Check it out at www.championnews.us.
Neighbors at the Vanzant Community Center have been busy doing good. (They never weary in it.) A couple of weeks ago they held a benefit for Tracy Fleetwood who had lost her house in a fire. Saturday they put together a fund raiser for the maintenance of the Tetrick Cemetery. A little research shows this cemetery to be over a little south east of Drury in the area that is known as Buckhart. It was named for Henry Tetrick who came to Missouri in the late 1850’s when his father, George Smith Tetrick, moved the family to Douglas County. Henry served in the Civil War in the 46th Missouri Infantry. Somewhere along the line he married Sarah Jane Upshaw and so the Cemetery has the full support of the Upshaw clan. No doubt the General himself has been instrumental in the benefit as well as in the actual work in the cemetery. There were quite a number of visiting Upshaws and Upshaw descendants from as far away as Idaho and Alaska. One of them has just returned from a deployment in Iraq and one is expecting to go before long. Military service is noble and the Nation has a debt of love and gratitude to all its Veterans of the past and all those who wear its uniforms today—in the present moment. There were Veterans in the parade at the Norwood Farmer’s Day celebration and all reports were that it was a great day for it. Mrs. Eva Powell said that she ran into friends there that she had not seen in years and that they had a good visit. She particularly enjoyed the children’s parade.
The present moment is full of birthdays. Last week Louise Hutchison and Zoey Louise of Austin, TX shared a birthday. Bill Long who famously said, “It just doesn’t take as much to keep me busy as it used to,” had his the week before. Sue Upshaw celebrates this week and the end of the week finds Champion News reader, Becky Heston, also down in Texas, doing the birthday boogie together (just in different places) with the shy Champion tinker. Upshaw twins will complete their annual trip around the sun early in the coming week and Skyline Auxiliary President, Betty Dye, will start a new year on the 7th. Louise Hutchison had good news the other day that her 16th great-grandchild had been born. She said that she had received 53 e-mails on her birthday and a bunch of cards in the mail. Sad news Monday morning is that she has been taken ill again and Champions are all wishing the very best for her. Noble Barker passed away suddenly on Sunday and Saturday marked the end of this life of Elitta January. For those just being born, for those passing away (that is everyone) and those left behind, an appropriate message came through the Champion at getgoin.net mailbox: “May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.”
One Champion asked why it is that fall does not last as long as summer. Spring and summer each have about 92 days and fall and winter have about 88 days each all on account of the elliptical orbit of the Earth and time seems to speed up and slow down according to how close the planet is to the sun. Of course, that is not exactly true and better explanations are welcome. Climb the broad and elegant staircase leading to Henson’s Store situated permanently on the North Side of the Square in Downtown Champion and explain the passage of time or send those explanations by e-mail or by wonderful snail mail to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717. The Rt. 2 mail carrier is one of Champion’s favorite visitors. She is an avid gardener, a talented craftswoman, and reliably, a sweet friendly face. So, as the Beatles sang, “Write me a post card, drop me a line stating point of view. Indicate precisely what you mean to say. Yours sincerely…” Champion! Looking on the Bright Side!
