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Steve Spellman, a lifelong Columbia-area resident and political observer, writes twice monthly for the Missourian.
Steve Spellman, a lifelong Columbia-area resident and political observer, writes twice monthly for the Missourian.
Like many Americans this last Independence Day weekend, our family traveled to see loved ones out of state.
Unlike the news of canceled flights and airport congestion, we drove a car. Yes, gas was expensive, so taking the most fuel-efficient vehicle was a motivation, as was filling up in Macon where the pumps dispensed at 20 cents less per gallon than Columbia.
Choosing car audio everyone will enjoy is a challenge, and the kids have earbuds to escape into their own world anyway. But cruising the radio dial while out of town has always been a fascination.
Right out of the gate Saturday morning, KWIX-AM in Moberly served up an hour of old-time, call-in programming for its local audience. “Trading Post” is a classic: A single DJ moderates as listeners call the station to offer household items they have for sale. One lady announced her garage sale currently in progress and shared the address.
Then “Party Line” allows local folks to ask the host or listeners questions, such as when was the town fireworks display, with tips on parking and lawn chair placement.
While driving, we found AM country stations that fizzed with static when driving under electric highwires, an old recorded speech by radio legend Paul Harvey about not getting sucked into bad news, and inspiration on genuine American greatness — more prophet than politician.
Numerous religious programs, whether preachers, calming traditional tunes, modern Christian Rock, and paleo-conservative news and commentary on the hot topics of the day were available. Somewhere near the Iowa border, Catholic radio was saying the rosary, apparently with a special Fourth of July edition, asked Mother Mary to specifically bless each of the 50 states.
We arrived at the old family farmstead. My mom’s sister, the matriarch of the farm, converted the machine shed into a holiday dining hall. Potlucks offer something for everyone; overeating is an American pastime.
Her son (my cousin) is an expert griller and served up the finest pork chops I’ve ever tasted. Part of the secret is he raised the hog himself, had it butchered and smoked up the road near his buddy from high school. He did this all to serve himself and his own family; love and care was thoughtfully baked in.
Biting into fresh-picked garden peas flashes a kind of life force, like the scent of a bloomed rose, or a spoonful of raw liquid-gold honey.
Numerous extended family members from several walks of life grumbled how they can hardly bear to even watch the news anymore. The radio dial confirmed why as it repeated top-of-the-hour headlines: train wreck, airport mayhem, who’s to blame for high gas prices, or a mass shooting at a Chicago-area holiday gathering — click. Word of aunt so-and-so’s cancer coming back or an upcoming milestone wedding anniversary seemed so much more worthy of attention.
Iowa does not allow fireworks sales, other than for piddly stuff like sparklers and snakes, but the Missouri crew failed to smuggle anything in. The Missouri side of the board on Highway 63 is populated with fireworks stands, as well as gas stations and cigarette vendors, due to lower taxes here.
One branch of the family has migrated to Illinois, so jokes ensued about how they didn’t bring over any pot, which is available there for recreation. A local cousin announced that everybody knows that people can drive across the river and get whatever. A private conversation later took into account a since-deceased acquaintance who benefited from medicinal substances while on hospice.
On the way home, we were compelled to stop by a southeastern Iowa landmark, Dutchman’s Store in Cantril. This rural megastore featured a combination of bulk foods, a discounted freezer aisle, a standard small-town grocery, a full-fabric department and country clothes and footwear. The front porch had fresh potted flowers, rugs, wall hangings, lawn ornaments, you name it. The complex was similar to South Dakota’s famous Wall Drug, as it had taken over adjacent downtown buildings over time to face the entire city block. Instead of free ice water, 50-cent self-serve ice cream cones were a draw inside the front door. Each store section was separated by a wall with doorways cut between and a step here and there.
An older friend back home had requested to be on the lookout for a peck of fresh peaches, and this place had them. Handheld Google-machines were then consulted on the spot as to how many pounds or part of a bushel that would be. As I perused summer sausage and the selection of suspenders, a big box of fruit appeared in the shopping cart.
Time with family and change of venue from the daily routine allow for an escape from current events.
Steve Spellman, a lifelong Columbia-area resident and political observer, writes twice monthly for the Missourian.
About opinions in the Missourian: The Missourian’s Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form.
Steve Spellman, a lifelong Columbia-area resident and political observer, writes twice monthly for the Missourian.
The Missourian’s Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form.
Letters to the editor are limited to 250 words and must be signed by the author. Submissions are limited to two per month by a single author. Guest commentaries are longer pieces, up to 700 words, and must be signed by the author. All submissions must meet the editorial standards of the Columbia Missourian and will be verified for accuracy.
News editor 573-882-6870 johnstonlc@missouri.edu
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