FOR MY NEXT TRICK
I do not have a college education. So, I am not in a position to provide a balanced argument on the benefits of a higher education versus the trial and error, learn as you go method.
However, I can tell you that the trial and error method is never boring, is always interesting, and is usually good for a laugh or two, especially if you happen to have a very dark sense of humor. I can also testify to the fact that it can be a very frustrating way to learn.
With that lengthy introduction as a preamble, I regret to inform you that as of this past Friday the Jim Hinckley’s America program on Alamo 1230 AM in Alamogordo is an historic footnote. The reasons for the decision to pull the plug are lengthy but suffice to say this venture was a learning experience.
I am quite confident that this concept will be revisited and brought into the 21st century in the near future. After all, it has tremendous potential for the promotion of Route 66, the Route 66 community, and the people that make it so unique.
Meanwhile the focus needs to be on more immediate tasks. First, I need to survive another day at the office. This is to be followed by a dinner date with a charming and exciting young lady who just happens to also be my best friend.
On Tuesday, it will be a harried day of morning correspondence, the office, and then catching a ride to Anaheim with Kevin Mueller (one half of the Mueller duo that has transformed the iconic Blue Swallow Motel into an oasis from another era) for the World Monuments Fund Route 66 conference. As I am quite confident the evening will not end upon arrival, it will most likely be a very long day.
To say that I am quite honored to have been invited to this forum would be akin to saying that Route 66 is a rather popular old road. Now, if but half of my expectations for this conference are met I should be able to provide valuable assistance in the development of the 2014 Route 66 International Festival and the transformation of Kingman into a destination.
Speaking of the festival, here is a little teaser of what you can expect. This is a recent inclusion confirmed for the film festival – Autumn of Route 66.
And here is a note just received from Bob “Boze” Bell (True West Magazine, commentary on the remastered release of True Grit, acclaimed author and artist, etc.), “Local boy, Bob Boze Bell, who proudly iced jugs for free at Al Bell’s Flying A on Route 66 will be coming home. Bell is the executive editor of True West magazine and has written and illustrated a book on his experiences—”The 66 Kid”—which he will roll out at the festival.
BBB”