The awful, crazy stuff going on in the world today makes me all the more thankful to live in a small town in the mountains of western North Carolina. That’s not to say that living here makes us immune or any less sensitive to what we hear on the news, but there is some measure of comfort knowing that because of where we live, we are buffered to some extent. Or at least I feel like we are.  I worry about my friends and family who live in big cities. I did it for most of my adult life and have no desire to do it again. I like living in a town where it takes me longer to do my grocery shopping because I’m always running into people I know. I like the notion that being behind four cars at a traffic light is considered a traffic hold up.  Like any town in America, we have our issues but the crime is petty stuff. There are no riots, no one is looting our stores and burning down businesses, putting innocent business owners in jeopardy of losing their livelihood. Our newspaper isn’t filled with that kind of news. Community sections ask for prayers because someone’s Uncle Roy isn’t feeling well this week and a child coming home from college for spring break will likely be celebrated at a pot luck supper.  It’s not to say that what happened at Vaughn Foods this week couldn’t happen anywhere, including our small town, but I can’t say that I live in fear of that here.

At the moment, the controversy in our community centers around whether our entire county should be allowed to sell alcohol.  For anyone living in a big city, it may come as a shock that liquor laws are even a point of discussion in today’s world. But it is Transylvania County. This is the south and this is the Bible belt so there are very strong opinions on both sides.  As it stands now, you can buy a drink if you’re in the city limits of Brevard, but head south to Cedar Mountain and you can’t.  I have my own opinion on the matter but the point is, while the folks of Moore, OK are reeling from the violence that has infiltrated their community and shattered their sense of security, we’re talking about whether people should be able buy a beer. Sorta gives you pause to consider what’s really important in life, doesn’t it.