By Melyn Johnson, Main Street Guymon director
August is breathing down my neck. What happened to July? Did any accomplishments happen in July? We need to watch to make sure we’re always progressing. As Dan Quayle once said, “If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure.”
There are always opportunities being presented to us and we need to be aware so that we can take advantage of them. Yogi Berra said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!”
Speaking of choices, it often seems like we make things more difficult than we need to. When asked a question, “Are you angry?” the answer is a yes or a no, not a dissertation. That would be an answer to “Why are you angry?” We need to keep it simple. Our minds can fill up with all that unnecessary justifying and we might push out something really interesting like the fact that a jackrabbit that is less than a year old is called a leveret. See, now that is some information you might need for the next Scrabble Tournament at the Bru. Those v’s are great scorers.
Buddy Hackett had some insight on choices: “My mother’s menu consisted of two choices, take it or leave it.” There is very little room for confusion when you speak that plainly.
Last Saturday Carla (Brune) Stewart came to the Main Street Guymon office and we had a book discussion and book signing. She has published three books, one just recently. I’ve read the first one, which was set at the SherHan plant south of town, although it is given a different name. It’s a Christian fiction novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I got the other two books on Saturday and will be reading them soon. You should have been here for the afternoon event. Virginia Frantz made the best little cakes. Man, they were good.
Thursday night is the Networking evening when you can come and meet folks that give you ideas on things to do in town. These are things for your children and / or you. You can learn about the Shutterbugs amateur photography club, some of the activities the scrapbookers do, how to get involved in zumba, opportunities for children with special needs, sports teams and many other great things. Come by the Main Street Guymon office from 6:30 – 7:30 pm to learn. Maybe you’ve been wanting your child to start piano lessons and didn’t know who to call. This is where you can learn more about your community. You can also come and share what you have that people can take part in.
Speaking of sports activities, did you see where Kevin Durant of the OKC Thunder was high point in one of the Olympic basketball games? He’s such an exceptional basketball player and everything you hear about him seems that he’s an exceptional person, too. He won’t have any problem finding enough people for pall bearers at his funeral, is my guess.
Don’t you wonder sometimes about those real pissants that aren’t nice to anyone … how do they get six people to be pallbearers? Being asked and having to answer to that makes me think of the quote (by whom, I don’t remember) “Sorry, I can’t hangout. My uncle’s cousin’s sister-in-law’s best friend’s insurance agent’s roommate’s pet goldfish died. Maybe next time.”
Brings to mind another Yogi Berra quote, “Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.” Hmmmmm.
And the quote from Oscar Wilde also fits, “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”
Here’s somewhere you need to go … hit the Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. There is some really wonderful produce and baked goods being sold there. The Jaime Oakes family came out and sold their fresh squeezed lemonade last Saturday. It was delicious. Have to admit my body had a wonderful sugar and tart shock after several glasses.
We’re hosting another cake decorating, fondant class by Tya Mantooth on Aug. 18. That’s a real art and it’s fun to watch people learning how and practicing this art. That darn Yogi Berra had something to say that fits this, too. “You can observe a lot by just watching.” The class goes from 8 in the morning to noon.
Thursday night is a macramé class at Helms Garden Center at 124 N Quinn. You can weave a wonderful hanging plant holder or something and then enter it in the Texas County Fair. The fair begins on the Aug. 8and ends Aug. 11. Work with your kids to have something to enter the fair. It’s not all about winning, but sometimes it’s about participating and learning.
Well, heavens, here’s a quote that sort of goes along with that. Vince Lombardi said, “We didn’t lose the game; we just ran out of time.”
Recently I have had lots of calls and people giving me their ideas for classes and activities that we can have here in Guymon. I love getting the ideas, especially from people that will actually help make them happen. We have so many opportunities. But I do need to share a few more of Yogi’s words concerning the many phone calls I receive, “If you ask me anything I don’t know, I’m not going to answer.”
There’s some simple logic, isn’t it?
Have a wonderful week and I’ll see you on the bricks!
