Bill Engvall

I am not from a small town.  I am from 15 miles outside of a small town in the middle of nowhere.  It is different there, it is a way of life that is being slowly lost forever.

On a recent trip home, we were driving down the old country road that leads to my father's house.  It was previously the road to my grandmother's house and before that my great-grandparents'.

As we passed by another car going in the opposite direction, the person waved and I waved back.  My daughters asked, "Do we know them?"

I said, "No."

They said, "Then why did you wave at a stranger?"

"I don't know," was my hesitant reply.

That's just what we do, when you pass by someone, you wave.

I read a study once about small towns.  I think my small town may have even been mentioned in the study, that happens a lot.  The study was saying that in small towns, like 9.8 times out of 10, when you pass someone on the street you smile and say, "Hello."

Know what would happen if I smiled and said hello to someone on the street where I live now?  Sheesh, I shudder to think.

So, that brings me to Bill Engvall.  Bill is a comedian best known for the "Redneck Comedy Tour" with Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy.  (Making the connection to me?)  Bill is currently on Dancing with the Stars.

Bill is a gentlemen.

The other contestants, hosts, producers and everyone associated with the show seem to be baffled by this behavior.

And, they love it.

I think the same thing a happened another time when Trace Adkins was on the "Apprentice" everyone  was startled by and fell in love with the characteristics of: humility, patience, kindness, gentleness, selflessness and thoughtfulness that were characteristics of these gentlemen.

Here is the problem, we have thrown away all of our "old ways."  They are all bad, out of date, stupid, irrelevant and unnecessary in our new society.

But, nothing could be further from the truth, we need our old ways now more than ever.

I don't know for sure, but Bill and Trace might have been told "no" when they were growing up.  I am going out on a limb here, but they may have not been allowed to do and say anything that they wanted.  They were given (possibly) guidance, correction and parenting.

Why does our society completely throw away the process it takes to achieve a certain result and then become surprised when a different result is achieved?

Why does our society think that never telling a child "no", never teaching a child right and wrong, never teaching a child to wait, never teaching a child to be kind to others would produce anything other than a selfish, spoiled, rotten child?

Why does our society not see that the qualities that they actually admire and desire come from the exact process that they think is so terrible?

I don't know the answers to any of these questions.

Maybe we could ask Bill.