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It’s Called... “Home”

Written by: Brett O. Smith
Photo by: Brett O. Smith

Courtesy of: www.sweetwatertxnews.blogspot.com

This seems to be the case pretty much for most residents in Sweetwater, Texas.

It has been more than a year now since I have grounded my feet here in Sweetwater.

To this day, I still feel the same way. People are genuine here, and it still is a community, something that it is not common anymore in small towns.

Other towns that still do have these traditional features. Are slowly becoming extinct as you might say. Not because of the town so much.

But, be cause of the economy.

Sweetwater still remains the small town that it has always been.

Yes, it has had some growth, in the right direction of course.

From new restaurants, hotels, and more.

A lot of this is thanks to a wonderful community that supports keeping it small, but healthy.

Some of these factors in keeping Sweetwater healthy and growing in the right direction are thanks to a Mayor that has always promoted (green) with the wind turbine movement with Wind Energy.

Not only do churches and other community funded organizations give so much to the well being of Sweetwater. SEED (SweetwaterEnterprise for Economic Development, Inc.) has made a huge movement into the economic development of the town. Not to mention branching out to many sources in growth from local areas but even abroad.

Yes, Rattlesnake Roundup has always, and will always be a major fuel for the fire here in Sweetwater in its economic survival.

One thing that Sweetwater has always had going for it, is pretty much everything!

Low cost of living, great people, lakes and parks for the family. As well as the WASP Museum, Pioneer Museum, Texas State Technical College.

Well and lets not for get. Abilene is only a thirty-five minute drive away. Dallas is a little over two hours. Not to mention other locations such as San Angelo, Austin, and Lubbock area always at reach.

So if you can’t find something in Sweetwater. You can always get in the car and visit the city life for a weekend with the kids, and still be able to come back to what I consider “Home”.

This is something that I always thought I had everywhere else I have lived, “Home”.

Until, after moving to Sweetwater I now see how that word really fits.

It’s kind of funny how when I use to watch those movies like; Doc Hollywood, My Cousin Vinny, Fried Green Tomatoes, Places in the Heart, Sweet Home Alabama, and yes even Funny Farm. I can see how Sweetwater can relate to every one of these movies in some way or another, all positive of course.

One thing Sweetwater does have the upper hand on in a lot of areas. Technology in all aspects has adapted here very well, in every way.

In closing with my thoughts of Sweetwater. If you’re looking for a town where things move, but not to fast. And where most of the town sooner or later will know your name by your face, going into the local post office.

Then this is a place you would call “Home”.
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 A Timeless mother

Written by: Brett O. Smith

Courtesy of: www.sweetwatertxnews.blogspot.com

The time has come to go searching for that special gift again for Mother, Mom, Mum, Mama’, Ma. Well, you get the point right?

Isn’t it funny how at times we talk about our mothers on Mother’s Day in a past tense?

When we remember how they took care of us when we were young, or how they talked of caring for us when we were baby’s.

Don’t get me wrong about this stage of motherhood. This is a very important time as a child, and for the mother. Probably the most important from the first day that little child’s eyes open and see’s mommy. It’s a time of trust, shelter, love, warmth, and life. It is just as important for fathers to, but in a different way. Speaking from experience as a daddy myself. We didn’t carry that little one around for months as it grew inside us and would feed off of our own body system.

One thing I have noticed. We always speak of our mothers from when we were young and up to our teens. After all that is the growing stage before we go out into the big world on our own.

What about the here and now? Mothers do some much for us even when we are older. We just don’t always have them around us to see how obvious it is.

Mothers instill this piece of us inside that makes us caring, loving, and even understanding. Believe it or not even in most men this is true to. We just don’t want to make it to noticeable with the ones we care for.

It seems like the older we get, the more we just give our mothers a hug and a card to say thank you. As if we were going through the motions of a tradition that has been around for years and years.

If anything, the older we get the more we should give to our mothers on Mother’s Day. For the support they give us, when they may disagree with something going on in our lives, or some things we have done even in the past. Even when our mothers are not close, do to circumstances. They are always with us with prayer, letters, or just even a simple email or text saying, “Hi! Love you!”

The funny thing is, it’s not so much the gifts from us that seem to really matter when we are older to our mothers. But, the recognition that we have not forgotten about them and that we appreciate everything that they have done for us in the past as well as in the present.

Not to mention don’t for get the grandmothers either. For they are mothers also to our own mother or father. Unfortunately, in the world today even grandmothers are becoming more of a mother figure. Do to family break-ups, divorces, etc.

So this Mother’s Day be sure to give thanks to all the mother figures who have touched your life.

To all mother’s and grandmothers have a Happy Mother’s Day and blessings.

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