Well, I’ve been thinking about those peanut prices all week—24.4 cents a pound, they say, and up 1.9 cents from last week, which I suppose is something to celebrate, but I’ll tell you what, back in the day, you could buy a sack of peanuts for a nickel and a dime and not think twice about it. And now they’re talking about stocks at 4.07 billion pounds like it’s a big deal, but I remember when the peanut stand on Main Street had a line out the door every Saturday morning, and you could get a bag for a quarter and a smile from old Mr. Henderson. Now they’re measuring it in billions, and I’m sitting here wondering if the people who actually live here even know what a bag of peanuts feels like anymore.
And speaking of things changing, I heard about that 32-hour work week trial starting September—county offices closing Fridays, they say. I can’t help but think about the old days when the courthouse was open until 5 on Fridays, and you could drop by and get your papers sorted out before heading home for the weekend. Now they’re closing offices on Fridays, and I’m not sure who’s going to help the folks who need to file a permit or get a copy of a deed. I mean, I remember when the Planning Commission had two empty chairs, and now they’re talking about closing offices on Fridays. It’s like they’re trying to make it harder for people to get things done, and I’m not sure why. You know who you are, and you know what I mean.
And another thing—I’ve been thinking about the land use plan update they’re working on. It’s all very formal and fancy, but I’m still waiting for someone to explain why they’re making all these changes to the land use plan without asking the people who actually live here. I remember when the county used to have town hall meetings where everyone could talk about what they wanted, and now it’s all online forms and email. I mean, I’ve been to town hall meetings where the whole room was packed, and now it’s all digital. And I’m not saying that’s bad, but it’s different. And I’m still waiting for someone to explain why they’re making all these changes without asking the people who actually live here. That’s all for this week. You know where to find me.