MODERN MATURITY IN THE FLYOVER STATE

—for David Penny

 

How nice of you to visit old Anita B. Rice—there at the retirement home way back then. But as you surely must know—the old bag kicked the bucket way back in 1994.

So there’s no way Anita B. Rice could be—ensconced here in Emporia in the lovely Kenyon Heights Apartments with me. I was just imploring a minor poetic conceit—the idea of Midwestern noir in the Flyover State.

The same with grizzled old grumpy Wood Bloxom—

his Hispanic Racism and Simmering Sexism with all that misogamist miasma of his generation. It would never be tolerated today—either by the academic administration or by the students.

The same with Albert Higgins and Ed Sands—why were they fired? Did they think they were above reproach—permitted to rule and lord over others like Bloxom and Rice? With the same old generational grudges—and prima donna privileges? Hardly.

Emporia has devolved back into what it always was—

a rural retirement small town community for Widows and aging Wrinklies. The Athens of The Midwest—is now Retirement City USA. Wasn’t it always that way though?

The Broadview Hotel there on Sixth Avenue—Kenyan Heights there on Twelfth. Full of retired people—aging Baby Boomer couples and singles. The Flyover State—one big Retirement community. Surrounded by ghost towns—and vast corporate farmlands.

Emporia Senior High School—will now be a great thriving Convention Center. I can’t wait to be the first guest—to be booked into the Wood Bloxom Bridal Suite!!! How about the Anita B. Rice—or Ed Price lovely suites with wonderful Views?

And the first corporate Convention in town—surely it must be the Hostess Twinkie Bake Sale Bonanza!  Or how about the Tyson Cluck Cluck Chicken Reunion Convention—or the Iowa Beef Stinkeroo Barbeque Memorial Get Together!

Ah Modern Maturity—comes to the Midwest. Ain’t it Great—ain’t it Wonderful? Just look at our lovely Class of 1962 Reunion Convention. Gathered together at the Granada Theater—for our grand Fiftieth Reunion Nostalgic Affair.

Too bad that our Neoclassical Emporia High School—hadn’t been restored, renovated and remodeled yet for our Fiftieth Reunion Get Together.

Oh well, but it’s kinda funny. How Bloxom, Rice & all those other Mentors—from way back then. Still are haunting my gaunt, gothic Imagination—Memories, Dreams and Flashbacks from 50 years ago.

But soon I’ll be just simply—nothing but Flyover State History. A brief Smudge & a mere Smidgeon—of that long gone Midwestern Noir moment back then.

“And you were there” — as Walter Cronkite said.