Into The Blue is about finding joy in simple pleasures. One of those pleasures is a small town.
My wife and I have owned a camper van for several years. That thing has been a true joy. One of the greatest things is how it has taken us to small towns all across America. My wife is a small town girl, so that has been a delight for her. I’m a child of the suburbs, so for me it has been more of an education.
And what I have learned is that small towns often have more character, more roots, and more history than the suburbs. People know each other. People value service. People are proud of their heritage. In many ways, small towns are the backbone of America.
I’ve also learned that small towns have suffered. Many people have left for the opportunities of the city. The national economy and transport infrastructure have likewise left many a small town behind. Many are ghosts of their old selves.
This sad state makes it a special joy when you find a town that is undergoing a renaissance. There are new stores on the old main street. People are out and about. There is a sense of passion and pride. Ordinary people are doing extraordinary things.
This kind of revival doesn’t happen by accident. It takes vision, creativity, and persistence. Leaders have to have a dream that inspires. People need new ideas for old spaces. And, it takes time and fortitude for transformation to take hold.
Fortunately, you can find these towns everywhere. Carson City, Nevada. Kingman, Arizona. Ellicott City, Maryland. They are so worth a visit.
Big Things
Today, I want to talk about one of these towns, Casey, Illinois. It was born in the mid-1800’s as a settlement on the National Road that first connected the states from Maryland to Illinois, roughly along what is now I-70. It experienced a boom in the early 1900’s because of nearby oil deposits. 1
Later years were not as kind. When I first visited Casey in 1989, there was not a lot there that would attract the attention of an out-of-towner. There was one stop-light and not a lot else, at least at first glance.
But my wife and I returned to Casey recently, and what an absolute joy it was! The main street area is beautiful, with a charming retro vibe. Classic, red brick buildings line the street. The area is anchored by wonderful restaurants, shops, and boutiques. And tourists are everywhere!
Casey
Tourists?! Why would tourists be everywhere in this tiny, farming town of 2,400 people? Because someone had an idea that inspired. Because a lot of folks had new ideas for old spaces. And because they’ve stuck with it.
That someone was a local businessman named Jim Bolin. His family wanted to open a tea shop downtown, and he came up with an idea to draw potential customers passing by on I-70. His idea: use his expertise running a pipeline business to build the world’s largest wind chimes next to the family’s café, which he finished in 2011. 2
It worked. So he started building other “world’s largest” structures—all very tastefully done—like a massive rocking chair, teeter totter, barbershop pole, swizzle spoon, and so on. That pulled in even more people. And that led to new stores and businesses. The potential of the community has been unleashed!
The neat sites and stunning landscaping around them create an atmosphere of childlike whimsey. It just pulls you in. We saw families everywhere, kids and adults alike entranced. BBQ place. Clothing boutique. Coffee shop. Candy shop. Creamery. Beautifully restored boutique hotel. So fun!
World’s biggest chair
The Seed
Now, if you had visited Casey in 1989, you would probably never have guessed what potential lay untapped there, just waiting to come out. But I knew. How? Because my wife is the most exceptional person I’ve ever met. And Casey is her hometown.
It takes an exceptional village to raise an exceptional person. She left Casey to see the world. But Casey never left her. Thanks to dear mentors and friends who love her (and whom we had the delight to visit on our trip), Casey helped shape my wife into a caring and wonderful person with a fire in her belly. She shares that fire everywhere she goes.
In many ways, she became who she is on Casey’s softball fields. On those fields, she had the opportunity to blossom. You see, this little town takes its sports seriously. On our visit, we saw the stocked trophy room in her old high school and went to the gigantic public park there, filled with sports fields. This little town has been producing state championship caliber teams for decades and decades. It is such a center of softball excellence that the Illinois softball hall of fame is located there.
Winners gonna win…
How does a struggling, tiny little town pull off all that? Because the community has spirit. Because the community loves its kids. Because the community is committed.
But the truth is, that seed is present everywhere. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things. Little towns can do great things. They just need a vision, someone to believe in them, and an opportunity to blossom.
Big things in a small town.
A Short Meditation
Where there is no vision, the people perish:
But he who keeps the law, happy is he.
When a community, organization, or nation lacks a unifying and animating sense of purpose and direction, it loses its way and suffers for it. This is true enough, as can be seen so painfully in many dying small towns (and big cities) and even in our country as a whole in this turbulent moment.
Towns and nations will pass away. But this proverb has something higher in view. Eugene Peterson translates it thus, “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves.”3 And George Schwab renders it this way, “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.”4
We live in a world awash in distractions. Our leaders and social media feeds shower us with provocations and lies. People are running wild every which way. It is hard to know which way is up, much less to see what God is doing.
But aligning ourselves with God’s vision, his direction and purpose for us, is how we find our way and thrive, individually and collectively. It is how we know the joy of being part of what God is building for eternity.
How do we do that? By tuning out all the noise, listening for God, and following after him. That is the narrow gate that leads to life.
What does God’s vision look like? On the night before Jesus was crucified, he washed his disciples’ dirty feet. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:12-17).
God’s vision looks like humble faith expressing itself in sacrificial love. Happy is he.
Jeff Workman writes a Substack, Into the Blue, from which this essay is drawn. Into the Blue is about finding joy in simple pleasures.