Cocoon

Although we are not immune from the worries of the world, in Bluff we generally feel sheltered from the actual nastiness. People who come to Bluff often instinctively become attached to it. It may be the beautiful landscape, the interesting people or the quiet solitude. It may even be that Bluff is probably the best place on Earth to view the starry night. In any case, over the years, I have had numerous visitors tell me they believe they may enjoy living in a place like this. I always caution them that it is not an easy place to be; there are not many jobs, it is a long way from any major city and you cannot get a Big Gulp or Slurpee. If, however, you can live with those shortcomings, it is a truly great place. After considering the implications of actually moving here, most decide they are better off staying put. The reality, and lack of Big Gulps, generally overwhelms the romance.

Lately, we have been incessantly hearing and reading about terrorism threats. We even had a little activity of our own. Several days ago a local man decided he was capable of convincing the authorities that he had been beaten by men of “Middle Eastern descent” who wanted to gather information about the gas plant where he was employed. The schools were immediately locked down to protect the children, and we all wondered how and why terror had found its way to our small Southeastern Utah town. As it turns out, the beating may have been administered by a jealous spouse, and the authorities were not fooled. The young man is now facing charges of lying to a federal officer, and we have reentered our cocoon.

Bluff is still one of those places where our children can run free, and where cars and houses are rarely locked. When we receive a message from one of our friends in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York or other large city, expressing concern about possible attacks, and mentioning plastic sheeting and duct tape, we realize that we are very much out of the mainstream and very likely out of harm’s way.


Steve, with Chips and Rhett Pop

A few nights ago, Kira suggested we go for a walk. Although the sun had sunk and it was early evening, we didn’t give a second thought to strolling around town after dark. The night was peaceful, the rain was falling softly and the only worry the kids had was whether they could have a peanut butter sandwich when we got home. Which brings us back to duct tape, commonly known in this part of the country as “duck tape.” Duck tape is part of the local vernacular, which also includes terms like:

Foam Card - something used at the pay phone instead of coins;

Chips and Rhett Pop - a nutritious lunch (potato chips and red cream soda);

Ornch - orange

Ober Dher (generally indicated by pointing with one’s lips) - somewhere other than here;

Mudder - mom;

Fodder - dad;

Brudder - male sibling;

Seester - female sibling;

Iziiit - really?;

Den - then; and

Shitrok - a Reservation town in New Mexico, near a large volcanic upthrust resembling a ship.

Here in Bluff, duck tape is not something associated with fear. It is, in fact, highly prized as an automotive reparative. There is many a local mechanic who can work magic with a spool of bailing wire and a little tape. Since I am not mechanically inclined, bailing wire is merely something to trip me up when I feed the horses, and duck tape has no practical application. Biological and chemical weaponry is completely unknown in this small town.

During times like these I am reminded of my grandfather, Woody Simpson, who, on a regular basis, told us that the end of the world was coming. I would sit on the porch listening to Woody explain how Biblical prophecies were soon to be revealed, about the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse and about judgment day being on our doorstep. One day during my college tenure I was taken to the shoe store to buy my first real pair of work boots. They were purchased for me with the explanation that, “Things are not looking very good, and you may need a good pair of boots when everything falls apart!” They sat in the closet for years because I associated them with bad times. I eventually took them out and put them to use. Luckily those boots have long since worn out and things are still together, for the most part. We are very hopeful that things stay together for those of you in places a little less sheltered than Bluff, and for all the other innocent people in the world. Here in Bluff, we will continue to use duct tape and plastic sheeting for more practical purposes.

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