Got one thing I wanted,
and one I really did not
THANKS, SANTA
LIFE HAPPENS
WHIT JONES' COLUMN
MEET THE WRITER
Whit Jones
Whit Jones is a native of Saline County and a longtime, award-winning journalist and newspaper editor.
Jones most recently served as editor of the Benton Courier, where his knowledge of the county and his insight into its residents and the colorful and sometimes frustrating political climate helped him develop a loyal following among readers.
As Jones said in his farewell column in the Courier, in so many words, saying goodbye doesn't necessarily mean you're leaving.
For some, this resurfacing of sorts will come as good news. For a few, it won't be such good news. And for those who don't know what this means, let's have fun finding out.
Got one thing I wanted for Christmas and one I didn't.Gave myself the newest Jimmy Buffett CD, which is, I have to say, one of his best original creations in a while. People who know me know that I've
been a devoted fan since he and Greg "Fingers" Taylor of Little Rock and
the band played for hours one night in a Texas joint when no one had heard of Buffett and his band.
Buffett's concerts remain the best, in my opinion, but things have changed; you have to be willing and able to pay healthy prices for tickets and travel good distances from Central Arkansas to enjoy the party. He did play Little Rock years ago but has long since distanced himself from such venues. That was when Taylor, a harmonica player extraordinaire, was part of the band and had local roots.Quick story: Had gone with my brother and sister to the southwest region of Texas to visit some close friends who no longer lived in these parts. Was getting a bag out of the car at the motel and recognized Taylor, who was doing the same. Had seen him perform in Jonesboro a couple of years prior with a group called Larry Raspberry and the Strawberries. The group still performs, I understand, but substituted Highsteppers for Strawberries in its name.Walked over to Taylor and asked if he was indeed himself or a lookalike. "That's me," he said, and I asked what he was doing in that part of the country. I explained, of course, that I had seen him perform in Jonesboro."Oh, I'm with a new band now," he said. "It's called Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band. You guys should come see us."He told me the venue and we did. Arrived a little early, in fact, and had a table about, oh, 20 feet from the stage. They played and played and played some more. Tunes that made him popular, like "Come Monday," "Pencil Thin Mustache" and many others.Now, for those who have asked, and others who have wondered, perhaps there's a chance of understanding why a grown man would choose the artwork of a tropical bird for the page on which his column appears as some sort of symbolism for grasping any understanding and meaning of life. It's not deep, trust me.But, enough down that memory lane for now. It made me feel a bit better, I guess, since the other Christmas present Santa dropped on me was the bug. Thought I could escape it; no luck. Christmas Day was nice; the rest of the weekend was not.Heavy doses of antibiotics and other things have me on the mend -- much to the delight of a few and the chagrin, no doubt, of numerous others.The up side of the unscheduled and unwanted down time was that when I wasn't drifting in and out of consciousness -- which some who know me would argue is a regular occurrence -- was that I got to catch up on a little bit of reading. Mostly news articles, opinion pieces and columns from other publications. It's stuff I've been adding to the "I'll get to it" stack that grows taller and more intimidating by the day. Ever notice how those stacks, once they reach a certain size, produce a twinge of guilt each time you pass them?Ah, well, that's life.Most of the reading was enlightening and entertaining. Most of it. I suppose the malady Santa delivered left me a bit unsettled when I read a piece by Charles Krauthammer, a syndicated columnist I thoroughly enjoy, admire and respect. He didn't win a Pulitzer by mistake. You know those profile pieces you read in the state newspaper and other publications, and the subject of the piece is asked to name a few folks he or she would most enjoy having as dinner guests? I can think of a bunch of people, but Krauthammer would be on any list.Anyhow, he wrote of his 25th anniversary as a columnist -- something he never imagined doing, obviously, because he was a practicing psychiatrist."Longevity for a columnist is a simple proposition: Once you start, you don't stop," Krauthammer wrote. "You do it until you die or can no longer put a sentence together. It has always been my intention to die at my desk, although my most cherished ambition is to outlive the estate tax."The other thing I did -- during periods of semi-consciousness when attacking the stack, catching an old movie or watching football wasn't appealing -- was try to add some sense and perspective to all of the local news of late. There's never a shortage of controversy or intrigue, particularly of the political nature, but it does seem as if the dam bursts on occasion and we get flooded with stuff.Take Benton, for example, and the final weeks of the year. City officials and others became engaged in dramas involving road projects, the budget, public access television and several other issues. For a while, it was enough to make the head spin. In fact, that's what thinking about everything did to mine -- and I'm not blaming it on medication.When you do step back and try to add some perspective to it all, you realize just how convoluted, unnecessary and embarrassing everything can be. I continue to be amused by Benton Alderman Greg White's lame attempts to blame the media types for giving "bad press" to the city in general and the City Council in particular. He still doesn't get it, so there's no reason to hold out hope that he will.Like many others, I thought it might be nice to wipe some things off the blackboard and begin a new year somewhat anew. Won't happen, of course; the council chose to carry the budget, the TV soap opera and some other matters into 2010. I suppose they didn't feel they'd have enough to bicker about and play petty politics with otherwise. Who knows? Can't figure out that bunch of hombres, and any attempt to do so is a textbook exercise in futility. Go solve the Rubik's Cube or something; it's easier.I'm not sold on the decision to carry the budget issue into the new year, even though I understand how and why aldermen bowed to political pressure. A majority of aldermen will likely have opposition in 2010, and it's not cool to mess with something like an employee insurance plan -- particularly when the employees and union groups like fire and police can not only recruit opposition, but can form a formidable opposition base, if necessary.But, that brings to mind a concern that has been expressed by any number of people: Given the likely political landscape locally in 2010, are we left to wonder how many aldermen may vote based on political opportunity rather than conviction? It is a genuine concern, and don't let them try to tell you it isn't. There is worry among the chosen ones, both on the council and elsewhere.If there is a silver lining to all of the end-of-year drama, it may be that the public access issue remains unresolved, albeit unwittingly. It pains me to say that, for this truly is an issue that is ugly and unnecessary and needs to go away quickly. Every person involved in this issue will attempt to have the final word -- and a final word is never spoken.That said, it appears, as we all learn more, that matters on either side of this issue are not exactly as they have appeared. Not sure if that means additional episodes in the soap opera or if that means that finality is, quite honestly by default, on the horizon.We will discuss this and more later. I've been sick and I am woefully behind with things, like this Web site. Gimme a break here.Incidentally, I am told that there's an art to being sick. Well, it's an art I have not mastered, I assure you. But neither have most men, I also am told. I feel better.POSTED DECEMBER 28, 2009
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