Skip to main content

Our Town

In this episode, Our Town . . .

Like millions from the Baby Boom generation, I grew up in a vibrant small Midwestern town with a population of ~1,300.

While listening to music on Spotify, I was recently emotionally moved by the 2007 Grammy Award-winning song Our Town written for the Disney Movie - Cars. Lyrics & Music by Randy Newman and sung by James Taylor.

In my imagination, I'm transported back in time. With tears welling up in my eyes, I can see all the storefront businesses on our town square, which surrounded a Bandstand on Main Street.

In those days, Our Town had three grocery stores, two cafes', two hardware stores, a National Bank, a Ben Franklin Store, Movie Theater, a Tastee Freeze, Drug Store with a Soda Fountain, a Furniture Store, Men's Clothing Store, Marshalls Plumbing & Heating, Tavern, Insurance offices, Wilma's Pool Hall, Doctors Office, a Newspaper Printer, Post Office, Library, two Barbershops, a Ford Dealer, local Orchard, and three gas stations. We loved - Our little town.

After graduation from high school, I'll admit, it was hard to find a reason left to stay; I went off to college and never returned. However, like many Midwestern families, my family never left; they witnessed a steady decline. It wasn't an Interstate that bypassed our community. But a cultural shift, from supporting local businesses to the incitement of discounted prices at BIG Box stores like Walmart. One-by-one, all the businesses in town closed except - The Tavern.

Back to what inspired me to write this piece. I rediscovered that timeless songs transcend their intended purpose and unlock memories that are all but lost. Allow me to share the lyrics. Click the following link to listen on YouTube.

Our Town

by; Randy Newman


Long ago, but not so very long ago
The world was different; oh yes, it was
You settled down, and you built a town and made it live
And you watched it grow
It was your town.

Time goes by, time brings changes, you change, too
Nothing comes that you can't handle, so on you go
Never see it coming; the world caves in on you
On your town
Nothing you can do.

Main street isn't Main street anymore
Lights don't shine as brightly as they shone before
Tell the truth, lights don't shine at all
In our town.

Sun comes up each morning
Just like it's always done
Get up, go to work, start the day,
Open up for business that's never gonna come
As the world rolls by a million miles away.

Main street isn't main street anymore
No one seems to need us like they did before
It's hard to find a reason left to stay
But it's our town
Love it anyway
Come what may, it's our town.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening; see you in the next episode.

Labels:

Comments

Tammy Ramsell said…
<3
May 5, 2022 at 10:13 PM
Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

Finding Our Place

In this episode,  Finding Our Place: Hope and Humanity in the Age of AI . . . Yesterday, I overheard a conversation that echoed a question many of us are quietly asking: In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, where do we , as humans, truly fit in? My younger colleagues, sharp and driven, were "joking" about AI taking their jobs. Their concerns felt valid, prompting me to reflect. Will machines really replace us? My answer, unequivocally, is No . And here’s why. What makes us uniquely human isn't merely our ability to perform tasks. It's our innate capacity for creativity and our deep-seated need to serve others. These aren't just abstract ideas; they are the very essence of what gives meaning to our lives and work. While AI excels at processing data and automating tasks with incredible speed, it cannot replicate the spark of human ingenuity. It lacks the empathy to truly understand unspoken needs or the intuitive synergy that fosters breakthrough solutio...
2 comments
Read more

Chasing the Magic

In this episode, Chasing the Magic: How the Summer of ’98 Inspired the 'Ball Boys' . . .  Do you remember that feeling? The late-summer air was thick with humidity, radios crackling on porches, the smell of fresh-cut grass and barbecue smoke in the backyard. Every evening carried a new kind of suspense—the country holding its collective breath after every pitch. “Did he hit one today?” became more than a question; it sparked a nationwide conversation.   For me, and millions of others, the summer of 1998 wasn’t just another baseball season. It was theater, a movement, a time when the game recaptured something sacred. As sportswriter Mike Lupica said so perfectly,   “No matter how old you are or how much you’ve seen, sports is still about memory and imagination. Never more than during the summer of ’98, when baseball made everyone feel like a kid again, when it felt important again.”    Just four years earlier, the 1994 players’ strike had left the sport bruised...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Curious Crew

In today's special episode, The Curious Crew . . .  Oh, our young folks are ready, with AI so grand, A new era of wonders across every land! With curious minds, vast as Space, full of creative delight, And a zest for exploring, with all of their light! They welcome new tools, with a gleam in their eye, To learn and to grow, way up to the sky! Our thinking's a marvel, a clever design, We make new plans, so fantastically fine! With problem-space maps and memories, too, We build new ideas, quite fresh and quite new! With smiling faces, showing gratitude's grace, We find our own wonderful, human-filled place! Sharing a meal with generosity and love, A warm human spirit, a gift from above! We stand tall together, collaborate, and help with a grin, For with Agentic AI, together we win! Not machines all alone, but with us by their side, We'll create and serve, with nothing to hide! I'm Patrick Ball. Stay curious and ask questions. See you next time.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Sights of Summer

In this episode, The Sights of Summer: Chasing Miles & Unexpected Smiles . . . For Lori and me, the perfect summer morning isn't something you find marked on a calendar; it's a feeling . It's the refreshing crispness of the air on our faces, the gentle warmth of the sun on our skin, and the exciting anticipation of discovering new miles and uncovering the hidden "sights of summer" along our journey. A glorious California day returns with our weekly ride. We begin with a warm-up cruise around our neighborhood under a wide, cloudless, azure sky. With a smile, I’m thinking, " You know it’s going to be a great ride when even furry co-pilots are excited!"  We chuckled as a neighbor drove past, two white, fluffy dogs with their tongues flapping in the breeze and ears flopping wildly out the truck window. Pure canine bliss—an ideal sign for a fun day on two wheels. “Did you see those pups? They looked like they were smiling.” Traffic was blissfully light, ...
Post a Comment
Read more