Alibi Ike
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...lose your community. This was reprinted in a tourism newsletter:
By Melyn Johnson
Just recently in conversation someone told me that they purchased their insurance
online. Ouch. That really hurt. Biting my tongue is what hurt. The inclination for me
to pull out the soap box, climb atop the box, and deliver a personal opinion was
strong. But I maintained self-control. Until now.
Online? Really? The very thought gives me heartburn.
Saturday my grandson (and many other people’s children and grandchildren)
played two games on the Kid’s Inc. league. Not a single one of those teams had an
online business on the shirts.
The day before, the Ag Appreciation Day was held, an education opportunity for
our farmers and ranchers (including a free meal). There were several local insurance
agencies that had paid the money for booths and were present. None of them were
online agencies.
On Saturday at the Women in Ag conference, there was Phil and Dianna Brown
in attendance. No online companies that I saw.
Let’s let the imagination run to that tree branch falling on your roof and causing
damage to your house and car. It’s easy to just call up Phil and Dianna (or Warner
and Roger McKinnon or Ken Lane). Good luck on calling that online group. And
don’t whine to me when you find out how it’s working for you.
Whew. I think the soap box can be put up now on that subject.
Wait, though. Before putting it up let me address shopping in your hometown.
Every morning when you wake up you want water to flow out of your faucet. You
want your toilet to flush by simply pulling down that handle. You want your streets
paved, your trash picked up, your street light giving off light so you don’t trip getting
to your car. You want a swimming pool where you kids can go all day for just a little
bit of money. You want a park with playground equipment for them to play or have
their birthday party. You want a golf course so your spouse can be gone for a few
hours on the weekend. You decide to do genealogy research and begin using the
public library and want research materials. You want. You want. You want.
Don’t act like you don’t know where the money comes from to provide all of that.
A minute part of it is the fees, but in our Oklahoma towns it is primarily sales tax
dollars.
How would you like to call the City Manager and tell him about a pot hole on
your street that you want fixed and him say, “Sorry, our street crew is working on
streets in Amarillo today.” Take a deep breath. You brought it on yourself.
When you choose where to buy your groceries think about who provided those
buns free at your last Sunday School picnic. Think about who bought ads in your
school yearbook so your kids could have an affordable memory of their school
years.
When you’re buying a car, try to remember if the place you’re buying your car
(or washer or dryer or furniture) bought an animal at the stock show. Or if they donated
to your prom party. Or bought the scoreboard at your school. We might even
remember who buys the radio time so you can listen to area teams in the playoffs.
Now, don’t be throwing out exceptions as excuses. Sure, it’s a fact you can’t get
everything in your hometown. That’s not what we’re talking about. As a point, to
heck with any excuses at all. Just thoughts to ponder. You say you save some money
… but I wonder just how much of that $3 gasoline it takes to save those dollars.
And how many hours it took you to drive to and from that other town.
When there are medical emergencies and traumatic events, who steps up and
helps out? Hometown zip codes is my guess.
Who buys the tickets to your school and community plays? Who buys the FFA
top hands? Who pays for all that expensive candy and other stuff your golf team is
selling as a fund raiser? It’s always people who own or work for people who are in
business in or near your hometown.
It’s time to stop going into places just for a handout. Think about where you’re
going and why. There is nothing wrong with going to other towns, no. But consider
what you expect from local merchants and be economically smart. Sometimes when
you’re saving a dollar, you could lose much more.
And while you’re thinking, tell those folks that do provide jobs in your hometown,
that do pay the taxes that helps keep water running through your faucet, that do
hold up your community events … tell them thank you. I appreciate our community
supporters every time you give to our kids, our school, our community events, our
civic groups. You’re what keeps us alive.
Time to put the soap box away.
See you on the bricks.
Melyn Johnson is the Main Street Manager in Guymon, Oklahoma.
By Melyn Johnson
Just recently in conversation someone told me that they purchased their insurance
online. Ouch. That really hurt. Biting my tongue is what hurt. The inclination for me
to pull out the soap box, climb atop the box, and deliver a personal opinion was
strong. But I maintained self-control. Until now.
Online? Really? The very thought gives me heartburn.
Saturday my grandson (and many other people’s children and grandchildren)
played two games on the Kid’s Inc. league. Not a single one of those teams had an
online business on the shirts.
The day before, the Ag Appreciation Day was held, an education opportunity for
our farmers and ranchers (including a free meal). There were several local insurance
agencies that had paid the money for booths and were present. None of them were
online agencies.
On Saturday at the Women in Ag conference, there was Phil and Dianna Brown
in attendance. No online companies that I saw.
Let’s let the imagination run to that tree branch falling on your roof and causing
damage to your house and car. It’s easy to just call up Phil and Dianna (or Warner
and Roger McKinnon or Ken Lane). Good luck on calling that online group. And
don’t whine to me when you find out how it’s working for you.
Whew. I think the soap box can be put up now on that subject.
Wait, though. Before putting it up let me address shopping in your hometown.
Every morning when you wake up you want water to flow out of your faucet. You
want your toilet to flush by simply pulling down that handle. You want your streets
paved, your trash picked up, your street light giving off light so you don’t trip getting
to your car. You want a swimming pool where you kids can go all day for just a little
bit of money. You want a park with playground equipment for them to play or have
their birthday party. You want a golf course so your spouse can be gone for a few
hours on the weekend. You decide to do genealogy research and begin using the
public library and want research materials. You want. You want. You want.
Don’t act like you don’t know where the money comes from to provide all of that.
A minute part of it is the fees, but in our Oklahoma towns it is primarily sales tax
dollars.
How would you like to call the City Manager and tell him about a pot hole on
your street that you want fixed and him say, “Sorry, our street crew is working on
streets in Amarillo today.” Take a deep breath. You brought it on yourself.
When you choose where to buy your groceries think about who provided those
buns free at your last Sunday School picnic. Think about who bought ads in your
school yearbook so your kids could have an affordable memory of their school
years.
When you’re buying a car, try to remember if the place you’re buying your car
(or washer or dryer or furniture) bought an animal at the stock show. Or if they donated
to your prom party. Or bought the scoreboard at your school. We might even
remember who buys the radio time so you can listen to area teams in the playoffs.
Now, don’t be throwing out exceptions as excuses. Sure, it’s a fact you can’t get
everything in your hometown. That’s not what we’re talking about. As a point, to
heck with any excuses at all. Just thoughts to ponder. You say you save some money
… but I wonder just how much of that $3 gasoline it takes to save those dollars.
And how many hours it took you to drive to and from that other town.
When there are medical emergencies and traumatic events, who steps up and
helps out? Hometown zip codes is my guess.
Who buys the tickets to your school and community plays? Who buys the FFA
top hands? Who pays for all that expensive candy and other stuff your golf team is
selling as a fund raiser? It’s always people who own or work for people who are in
business in or near your hometown.
It’s time to stop going into places just for a handout. Think about where you’re
going and why. There is nothing wrong with going to other towns, no. But consider
what you expect from local merchants and be economically smart. Sometimes when
you’re saving a dollar, you could lose much more.
And while you’re thinking, tell those folks that do provide jobs in your hometown,
that do pay the taxes that helps keep water running through your faucet, that do
hold up your community events … tell them thank you. I appreciate our community
supporters every time you give to our kids, our school, our community events, our
civic groups. You’re what keeps us alive.
Time to put the soap box away.
See you on the bricks.
Melyn Johnson is the Main Street Manager in Guymon, Oklahoma.