LOOKIN’, THINKIN’, TALKIN’ AND TAKIN’ DIRECTION
T’WARD TWENTY TWELVE IN FLAT ROCK…

by Joe Potter

It was Wednesday of 2 p.m. when Slim rang me on my cellular phone. Beyond an afternoon-time "Howdy" and "Where are you on planet earth?", he proclaimed I needed to get by and pencil mine down. He was talkin’ about 2012 New Year’s resolutions and additional stated most all the community, area and even the near-full base of The Store regulars had done so, exceptin’ for Mr. Harley Hood, the night owl, travelin’ music man himself. I was still in full-hearin’ mode of Slim’s talkin’ waitin’ for his breathin’ break so as to talk t’ward him that I was parked and exitin’ my pickup, headin’ for the old, double-front doors of The Flat Rock General Store.

Here I entered and took direction to the rear of The Store. As I passed the counter, I howdied at Slim settin’ in his recliner. He was still holdin’ the phone and he howdied back with a "You got here rather soonly"-puzzled look on his face. There was a heavy nestin’ of Store regulars, community and area Flat Rock folk all roostin’ close to the old potbellied heater. Along the back wall b’hind the heater was two six-foot long pieces of white butcher paper carrying the title "2012 Flat Rock New Year’s Resolutions." The paper was near-covered in red marker and carried simple words like —
- Earn more money
- Save some money
- Lose weight
- Find true love
- Appreciate my spouse more
- Spend more time with my family
- Hunt less
- Kill a nice buck deer
- Pay off my pickup
- Eat out less
- Exercise more
- Less fast food
- Go to church
- Spend time with the g-kids

The wall carried lots more simple words, too many to pencil down completely.

Bro. had the floor and was a talkin’ t’ward 2012, he was offerin’ up his own words, personal sayin’s and feelin’s he had witnessed as pastor down to the Baptist church:
- Life is not fair
- We do life by the book, but it is not always the right book
- People in general do not seek advice, just confirmation or approval for their own ideas, thoughts and actions, like Bible interpretation
- Life is short — you may want to change teams
- God knows our heart

Here Estelle stood, kissed "Truth" goodbye and howdied bye to the group as she headed over to her hair factory for one of ‘em by-appointment-only, two-hour cut-and-perm, beautifyin’ events.

Most of the gathered crowd followed close b’hind Estelle t’ward late-afternoon duties and obligations.

As I drove off in my pickup, I thought on all the times I had heard the words "life is not fair" after Heath died and the pure fact we are not in control — often time’s things just happen. Course I believe things happen for a reason — good or bad. Durin’ the 16 months since Heath died, I have had so very much people-support; however, I allowed myself to hit a pure-depressed, rock-bottom state. Just recently, in the last four months, with the love of Dustin, Wendy, Ashlyn, Anna Kate, Kamron, Kole, L.O. Bishop and my new special mate and best friend Lynn Cook plus many others, I have managed to pull myself off the bottom and actually feel better than I have in lots of years.

As for me pencilin’ down a resolution (my wants) on The Store’s wall, it reads like this —

I want to
- Live comfortable
- Be healthy
- Fix the world and all its people
- Finish out my life with true love
- I also want to—-play, go, see, do, eat and have fun in my 60s!!!

All you individuals orta start thinkin’ and plannin’ t’ward your resolutions and wants for 2012…. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

REMEMBER YOUR HERITAGE!!!
ALWAYS, THINK GOOD MEMORIES!!!

Joe Potter, Potter’s Mud Creek Farm is located at 5840 County Road 339 (County Line Road), Russellville, near “Our” Flat Rock, in Lawrence County; e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .