Dispatches: Old West & Beyond 08.05.25
“When there is no vision the people perish. “ —Proverbs (29:18)
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MY TWO CENTS WORTH
The ritual of belonging is often described as a feeling of security and support, and having a voice and the “ability to contribute to the community.”
When I was growing up in a small town in Ohio, a few guys in the neighborhood started a club. And the ritual of belonging involved secret handshakes and whispered passwords. The membership qualifications or purpose escape me now. It was just another way to have fun.
The guy with the biggest yard had an actual clubhouse at the back of the property. It was more of a shack, mainly fashioned out of old newspapers, cardboard, and a few chunks of wood, with a slanted roof. It reminded me of how frontier families might have built their homes.
This secret society was a front for fun and games. Among the most significant challenges: Casing a Wonder Bread truck, figuring out how to purloin sample promotional packets containing sugar, cinnamon, and a slice of bread without getting caught.
The exact nature of our secret discussions eludes me. I do remember one sticky summer day when one of the guys floated the idea of allowing girls to join. A sudden stillness permeated the cramped, humid digs of this small band of irregulars. Everyone held their breath and shifted uneasily in their seats. Furtive glances were exchanged. Eyes rotated to the ceiling as if seeking redemption.
The member who initially brought up the idea slumped to the floor and shook his head in silent acknowledgement of the sheer audacity of his suddenly deflated trial balloon of equal rights and political and social correctness. I don’t remember many other votes that carried similar significance.
And no one spoke of it again.
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DISPATCHES FROM THE OLD WEST
(1) In the spring of 1878, Dodge City Marshal Ed Masterson locked horns with a drunken cowboy over violation of a gun ordinance. The confrontation started as a fistfight but escalated into a tragic gunfight. "Deadly Confrontation."
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(2) Another Masterson brother, James, wasn't as well known as his brothers. But most historical accounts say he was a more effective lawman than any of them, including his high-profile sibling, Bat Masterson.“Bullets and Booze.”
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DISPATCHES FROM HERE & THERE
(3) Lengthy TV commercials annoy me. The best commercials, in my opinion, are short and sweet and—if you’re on the buying end—cheap. Let's flashback to the year 1941 when the first-ever TV commercial debuted. It cost the sponsor a cool $9 and ran for nine seconds.
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(4) A lot of people are into comfort food. I am. According to Readers’ Digest, comfort foods vary from state to state.
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(5) A 232-foot high building in Tirana, Albania, features bold architecture that resembles pieces of a puzzle. The structures include shops, hotels, rooms, apartments, and luxurious suites.
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(6) Over the years, I’ve experienced a mysterious or haunted room or two, but never stayed in a “certified” haunted house. If you’re up for adventure in your travels, here are 55 haunted hotels across the globe waiting to accommodate you.
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(7) Frozen in time is the best way to describe this once-thriving Arizona mining community that was abandoned in the ’50s. Thanks to the work of volunteers, the town represents a “living gallery of authentic and detailed relics.”
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(8) Dan Pelzer read books. And more books. Pelzer read nearly 3,600 books over his lifetime—all of them from the Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library. He died a few weeks ago at the age of 92. And, he kept notes about each book he read.
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“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths.” —Arnold Schwarzenegger
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