“ …Through purple mists ascending, and the flare

Of water ditches silver in the light;

A swift, bright lance hurled low across the world;

A sudden sickness for the hills of home.”

~ Willa Cather, excerpt from “Prairie Dawn”

 

Whether we’ve been in Saluda a year or have a family history going back a couple hundred years, we’re all transplants of some sort, coming from somewhere else to here; the native Cherokee were the original inhabitants of these mountains. When we go away for long periods of time, there’s a longing, a ‘sudden sickness for the hills of home’ as Cather wrote. Every time I come back toward these soft blue mountains, I feel a sense of peace, that feel of home and place.

Lately there’s been a lot of yelling and fussing about signs around town—there are those folks who resent being told what signs they can put up (or not), and those who want some sort of regulation and planning. It seems like there might be some common ground for all in this issue. I’ll throw my two-cents in the ring, just some thoughts as an observer of things and life.

One thing stands out: I noticed while watching the television segment about the signs that: WOW! We have such a beautiful downtown. The camera captured a slice of a Saluda late-summer evening, sunlight softly painting old brick buildings a rosy glow, trees all golden-green in that moment.

Then, there was a glimpse of herds of signs, mostly plastic, in the background. Everybody and his brother has one: yard sales, political signs, realtors, businesses, individuals, this way, that way. Signs, signs, everywhere the signs! There are SO many signs you can’t possibly read ‘em all in one pass-by.

Simple me, I just wondered what on earth is all the squawking about? Does anyone on earth REALLY enjoy looking at that many signs poked in the ground? Isn’t this sort of sign pollution? Do signs really need to be all over the place? Maybe it just makes sense to start thinking about this from a different viewpoint. To be considerate of where signage is placed, to be aware of everybody’s feelings, to come to some common sense ground rather than yelling at each other, hurling insults and making it about ‘us’ and ‘them’. We can have signs, but maybe prune ‘em back a little, think about where they’ll go and what they’re for.

Back in days when dinosaurs roamed the earth, the signs I found least unobtrusive and most interesting were ubiquitous Burma-Shave signs, small…but fun to watch for. Garish hulking billboards on interstates just made my teeth hurt; I’d rather see trees and scenery. It sort of is the same thing for our little town: I’d rather see trees and scenery—with signs kept to a reasonable level and planned well to blend in. People are capable of figuring some things out; we don’t really need a sign for every dang thing; sometimes they’re tied more to tanker-size egos or other nefarious things. Yet, when you have every Tom, Dick, and Harry demanding to plant their signs any and everywhere, you get sign pollution and discord: a virtual Tower of Babel with every Tom, Dick, and Harry jumping up and down and demanding to put their sign where they want to put it, or else. It becomes a battleground; a mountain forms out of a molehill.

It wouldn’t hurt to have some guidelines in place so we can all live peacefully in our little town, to have signs, but not be overwhelmed, keeping it nice for all, whether homefolks or visitors passing through. After all, we all live here, and we’re all part of Saluda whether we’ve been here forever or a bit shorter. All we need to do is listen respectfully and from the heart to each other, to sit down together and discuss things civilly instead of grandstanding or yelling—that goes for both sides. It doesn’t take a sign to tell us that!

 

Saluda Tailgate Market continues at West Main Street public parking lot on Fridays, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Many Saluda businesses are open later on Friday. Come enjoy the tailgate market, shop, eat, and enjoy music in our charming little town!

 

“Top of the Grade Concerts” conclude this month at McCreery Park’s Ella Grace Mintz stage on Friday, September 26, 7-9 p.m. with a grand finale performance by Scoot Pittman.

 

Saluda Community Land Trust continues Walks in the Woods; the next one is September 21; meet at 2 p.m. at the Saluda Library parking lot. Keep up with all that SCLT does by visiting saludaclt.org or calling 828-749-1560.

 

Thank you to all who helped make the annual Charlie Ward barbecue a success. Rain stayed away, the sun came out, and it was a happy evening for all! Charlie would be so pleased. The dessert tables were groaning from all the offerings brought!

Get-well wishes and big hugs go to Faye Chandler.

Happy September Birthday to Connie Woodruff, Courtney Hoots, Merci Weitzen, Dale McEntire, Joni Rauschenbach, Sonya Monts, Linda Kaye Hayes, Carol Kenfield, Debbie Fisher, Leslie Jespersen, Linda Mintz, Sheila Billeter, Cary Pace, Ross Arrington, Hop Foster, Chuck Hearon, Alexia Timberlake, and Clark Thompson.

Thank you, dear readers for reading this column. It’s my goal to make you feel as if you were enjoying a ‘Saluda Time’ visit on the porch swing watching butterflies dance in the soon-to-be-fall garden. Please feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com; or 749-1153. You may also visit my website at bonniebardos.com for more writing and art, or find me on Facebook.