The Middle Ground 25/09/2005 Over at Another Man's Meat, Phil Dillon has been reflecting on his return to Emporia, Kansas, after two weeks away. His article, entitled The Little Wonders of Fly-Over Country, is well worth a read.Phil is originally from Boston and so can appreciate the glories of Emporia and Kansas and the Midwest in a way that perhaps no native can. When you grow up amongst the peace and good sense of the Midwest, it is easy to take it for granted, assuming that the rest of the world is very similar.I have seen Kansas with the eyes of an outsider, too, and I can echo Phil's thoughts as he sits in a local diner and watches "cowboys eating eggs covered with hot sauce, farmers in bib overalls wolfing down biscuits and gravy". In the little town of Hays in Central Kansas, true prairie country, I first witnessed the tradition of the farmer's breakfast meeting in some well-worn fast food joint. As they arrived alone or with a friend and made their way to the same table and seat they had occupied for probably the last thirty years, rumbling the same old greetings at each other and settling in for a long breakfast with all the trimmings, coffee ever-present at their right hands, the slow, unhurried conversation enveloping them with warm good humor and familiarity, their inevitable faded overalls and John Deere caps proclaiming their profession, I realized that I was seeing a tradition that was quintessentially Midwestern, that all over these Great Plains similar morning meetings were taking place and the heartland was re-asserting its position at the center of all that is good about America.Now that's a big statement (and a long sentence!) but I believe it to be true. In common with all migratory peoples, the first settlers came for land. They came to own a small piece of the new country where they could run the soil through their fingers, knowing that it belonged to them, and to plant crops and raise herds, to be independent and self sufficient. And in the Midwest this remains the driving force of life, the center not only geographically but also in terms of stability, wealth and unaffected thinking.In the cities we pretend to have forgotten these basic facts of life and we build towers of self-deceptive thought that we label "sophistication", pursue our dreams of a technological future, and imagine that our petty concerns are the true business of modern living. But there remains in the core of our being the knowledge that it is all built upon the hard work of the farmer; that, without him to feed us and clothe us, our cities would crumble and become empty husks, devoid of life.It is this knowledge that induces an insecurity in the city dweller's inmost thoughts, an insecurity that he attempts to cover with condescension and scorn of the farming folk of middle America. He calls them simple yokels and hayseeds, sighs at their outdated political views, labels them the silent majority and blames them for preventing progress into some brave new world that is forever free of the dirt and sweat of man's existence to date.Scratch the surface of this complex structure of self deception, however, and you'll find an awareness (but never an admission) that city life is unreal and insane, a state of being that is not natural to mankind. It is no accident that many who have made their fortunes in the big city use their wealth to retire to some idyllic pastoral spot in the agricultural heartland, there to rub shoulders with the very folk they have laughed at in a thousand cocktail parties.You may accuse me, quite correctly, of making enormous generalizations, but that's what I do. If I concerned myself with all the hundreds of exceptions to my thoughts, I'd never get done. Let the detail man fiddle about with delicate nuances of meaning; I'll make my sweeping swathes of conjecture, locking whole populations into convenient boxes that help to reach some sort of understanding of what is going on. I can do this; I'm a city man and am double-minded and "sophisticated" therefore.But being a complex mess of contradictory thoughts does not prevent me seeing the value of the single-minded man, the man who works the soil and for whom things are plain and clear. If he is closer to the realities of life and nature and weather and profit and loss, we should not be surprised that his values remain those of our ancestors, that his beliefs center upon an event that happened two thousand years ago.It was chance that brought me to Lawton, a dusty, sprawling town in the plains of Oklahoma, but I love it already with the same intensity I read in Phil's articles on Emporia. I, too, am welcomed home from every expedition by blue hills rising from the horizon, not the Flint Hills of Kansas but the Wichita Mountains that spring so unexpectedly from the flatness of West Oklahoma. The town owes its existence to its proximity to Fort Sill, that reminder of a time when the Native American still moved from place to place and the grasslands were virgin, untouched by the plow.I have said that I'm a city boy but that is not the whole truth; it's one of my sweeping generalizations. In fact, I am a mixture, a strange combination of a great city at the base of Africa, the empty savannahs of Zimbabwe, and the industrial heartland of England. If I find so much to agree with in the writing of Phil Dillon, a man of very different origin from my own, is this coincidence or are we both discovering a common humanity, encouraged by the huge spaces and straightforward folk of these, the Great Plains?
Clive
Mark You have painted a picture of the small town in South Eastern Iowa called Unionville where my parents live, of just about every rural Midwestern small town actually. Over-generalized but highly accurate. Although this article was good, it was far too long and severely disrupted the blog skimming flow I had going Clive. ;) Date Added: 25/09/2005
Scot Not sure if the above commentor was being cheeky with you or not, but I enjoyed your introspective essay immensely. You make a good point when you say, "And in the Midwest this remains the driving force of life, the center not only geographically but also in terms of stability, wealth and unaffected thinking." When I lived in Wichita, Kansas during the eighties, I was struck by just that same sentiment. Phil is in for a treat, as it seems we have both honored him in our posts for today. Scot Date Added: 25/09/2005
Gone Away Well, I must apologize for my thoughtlessness in interrupting your flow, Mark. I know just how one can get into that blog-clicking groove, only to have things ruined by some darn post or other. ;) Thanks, mate! Date Added: 25/09/2005
Gone Away Phil deserves it, Scot - he's a great encouragement to read and is a clear, courageous voice. Now I must run over to yours to read the latest! I've been watching the Grand Prix and not had a chance to see any blogs yet today... Date Added: 25/09/2005
Broken Messenger I have been a fan of Phil's writings for about six weeks now and of his heart for Christ, and I am quickly becoming a fan of yours too, sir. Thank you. Brad Date Added: 25/09/2005
Janus A very good summary of midwest small town life. I am from a small Midwest town myself, though no I am in a larger urban area I still think of myself as a small town sort of guy. Kind of like the John Mellencamp song. Some of the people that I have met that fit into your over-generalization (sorry mate, your words not mine lol) of the city dweller really do regard me as some sort of hick because I wasn't born and raised under the shadow of high rise apartments, but I figure they are just jealous. The truth is one of the reason why small town midwesterners are more publically behaved and can be devious compared to some of our more urban friends is simple- In a small town if you do something bad, everyone knows where you live and your parents and you will never ever ever live it down. When you only have 500 people in your town, and your father is one of the few local merchants...its as close to being a celebrity as a small town kid can be. The police all know your name and ask how your dad is when you get pulled over for speeding, people notice when you have cars in the driveway late at night and wonder what you are up to since respectable people go to bed at 8, and if you have a city girl visit you the local farmers will be discussing her at the local diner with John Deere Pictures hanging on the walls. It is true that we mostly wave at everyone. out of habit usually, because we figure if we are getting waved at by someone in a car they know us and we don't want to be rude just because we can't remember who they are right away. The waving has become less and less though as city people retire to the country and bring their Xenophobia with them. sorry..somedays my comments are longer than my blogs :) Date Added: 25/09/2005
ME Strauss Beautifully-written description of a midwest small town, Clive. It carries all of the flavor and heart that we who have spent our childhoods anywhere near one hold dear. My town was much larger (20,00), but much the same. My father's saloon served those farmers who would drive in at all hours of the day. They all were my surrogate parents. They came to my graduations and my dance recitals. Family includes many more people in a small town. Date Added: 26/09/2005
Gone Away Such good taste, Brad! ;) But seriously, Phil is a giant amongst bloggers - and it's good to meet another who appreciates him. Went across to your blog and had a quick read - good stuff. I shall return for more. Date Added: 26/09/2005
Gone Away Ah, you speak of that side of Midwestern life that I do not see, Janus. But these things are true of all small towns everywhere - that everyone knows everyone else and a boy stands no chance of getting away with anything! Yet, this is part of that glue that holds such communities together, don't you think? As for the length of your response, welcome to the blog of long comments! I get so many things wrong that my commenters have to write their hearts out keeping me on the straight and narrow... :D Date Added: 26/09/2005
Gone Away It sounds wonderful, Liz - just as I imagine growing up in a Midwestern town should be. My childhood was spent in a large city and, although we had the company of the kids in our street, that was the full extent of our society. Funny how the larger the town, the smaller one's circle of friends. Or is that just my imagination? Date Added: 26/09/2005
Mark I was not being cheeky Scot, I was just being a barmpot. Date Added: 26/09/2005
Gone Away Hey, it's okay, I got the joke. ;) Date Added: 26/09/2005
keeefer Lovely. It reminds me of the small town scenes from 1950s B movies. I am, however, slightly put out by the lack of banjo or harmonica playing, i believed these to be essential for small town survival in the midwest. Have you come across any classic diners? do they still exhist? I remember Bill Bryson waffling on about their demise and i guess im hoping there has been a nostalgic revival. Anyway well done, it was like taking out a hanky, wiping the grime off the window and peering into the town itself. Just be wary of flying monkeys, wicked witches and bints called dorothy. Date Added: 26/09/2005
Gone Away I haven't seen any classic diners, Keef, so perhaps they have all gone, just as Bill Bryson said. But I thought those who lived in Oz weren't allowed to make wizard jokes? ;) Date Added: 26/09/2005
Autumn I've just decided on my next holiday destination! Beautifully descriptive. Date Added: 26/09/2005
Gone Away If you like wide open spaces and huge skies, it's the place to be, Autumn. :) Date Added: 26/09/2005
Beltane I wonder sometimes, what is going to happen to that pastoral part of humanity when nanotechnology shows us her wiles. I can't help but think there will always be some part of humanity that will fight the technological upthrust and always remain sowers and reapers. Date Added: 26/09/2005
Gone Away Ah, but that's my point, Beltane: I don't think technology of any kind can ever replace the humble farmer. Technology may help him produce more but he will always be necessary. At least, that's the way I see it... Date Added: 26/09/2005
John (SYNTAGMA) Clive, you make me nostalgic for something I've never seen. For God's sake get that book out there so we can all wallow together :-) Date Added: 26/09/2005
Gone Away Actually, the book is rather different from what I put in the blog, John. And kinda hard to describe as well... ;) But the secret of the nostalgia comes from the fact that America's culture has so pervaded the world over the last fifty years or so that we all own her past to some extent, I think. Date Added: 26/09/2005
marion tucker Clive - I was "introduced" to your blog while reading Scot's (Unburned Pieces... http://dog1net.blogspot.com/ ). Your blogs are like eating potato chips - you can't stop with just one. Delightful to "see" the country through neophyte eyes. (Neophyte as to discovering our country, but certainly not in describing your adventures.) I particularly enjoyed your piece on your first Thanksgiving: "Tumbleweeds and Turkeys." I dug out a piece I wrote, published last Thanksgiving, and was going to post it here on your blog - but it is far too long! So have bit-the-bullet and finally started my own. As a descendant that intrepid little band of Englismen that sailed on the Mayflower - I have researched and written on them for decades. I thought, with your 2nd Thanksgiving approaching, you might enjoy reading about the true Thanksgiving fare. Date Added: 27/09/2005
Gone Away As you have probably seen, Marion, I have already been in trouble from a New Englander for my remarks on cranberry sauce! I went across to your blog (incidentally, the link you left is slightly wrong - here's the correct one) and read your article - very interesting. You've done plenty of research, I can see! Thanks for you kind comments and welcome to the happy company of the bloggers! :) Date Added: 27/09/2005
Scat. Mrow middy scad dunker! Date Added: 27/09/2005
John (SYNTAGMA) Cranberry sauce is what we in England call jam. Plastering it on turkey meat is a total travesty. A fresh, free-range turkey has a wonderfully subtle flavour. Why would anyone want to smother it with sweet goo, unless his name was MacDonald. ......OK, you can shoot me now. :-) Date Added: 27/09/2005
Mad I've always felt turkey was a bit bland frankly. Give me a good bloody piece of beef any day. Date Added: 27/09/2005
Gone Away John: Oh no, I'm not getting involved in The Great Cranberry Sauce Controversy again. I learned my lesson on that one! Mad: This is almost forced on you in England anyway, with beef being so expensive you can only afford to eat it on special occasions and turkey the cheapo everyday meat. Date Added: 27/09/2005
Kurt Nicely described, Clive. I can't help sometimes but to think of you as the natural extension of the archetype of the British explorer; however, in the lack of any true frontier between civilization and nature, you found the interface of the two instead in pastoral Kansas. Date Added: 27/09/2005
Marti Between you and Phil, I had to go cook up some eggs - LOL! As a farmer (farmeress?) I have a deep appreciation of the land. It gives me strength and hope, reminds me of the passage of time, and responds so beautifully to a little attention. I think I would go mad (not in the familial sense as your son LOL, but quite insane) if I could not walk (sometimes hobble) across this patch of earth I am caretaker of. Husband says I have Scarlett O'Hara syndrome, clutching a handful of dirt and saying to my children, "It's the land! THAT's what's important!" LOL It's my truth, it's what I love. Thank you for your beautifully written piece, it's always a pleasure to stop by for a good read. Date Added: 27/09/2005
Marti I wondered what would happen when someone calls and breaks my internet connection (woe is me, still on dial-up) JUST as I hit "Add Comment" Apparently it turns me from Marti into, "This field is required" I am ROTF, since this is a post about farms and "fields" LOL! Date Added: 27/09/2005
Madmin Marti, if you'd kept quiet no one would have known; I fixed it quietly in the background. :p Date Added: 27/09/2005
Gone Away Thanks, Kurt. Kinda like your description of me there - just call me Mr Intrepid! Date Added: 27/09/2005
Gone Away And thank you, Marti, for a beautiful and well considered comment. Your feeling for the land is exactly what I was trying to communicate in this piece. No need either to worry about the second comment - Mighty Mad has rescued us once again, I see! Date Added: 27/09/2005
Phil Dillon Clive Thanks for your kind words. I believe you're absolutely right. We both come from similar backgrounds. While I've never abandoned my Boston roots, I've found that life here among the folks who cut cows are very refreshing, and I've found these "simple folk" more sophisticated at their cores than a lot of folks I've met in New York, San Francisco, or some other trendy hot spot in this marketplace of ideas. I suspect Oklahoma is much the same for you. Date Added: 27/09/2005
Gone Away Indeed so, Phil. Very often simplicity gets much closer to truth than any amount of complex pontificating. Date Added: 28/09/2005
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