Saturday in downtown Laurel was a warm, friendly early Fall day that felt like “Community”.  There was an event called the Loblolly Festival billed as a fun day for family and friends to come downtown and enjoy our town.  There were a good many people milling around the streets in the warm sun.  All our neighbors were there.  There was music for everyone’s tastes.  Personally, I felt close to T-Bone’s style of traditional blues music. But really, there was a tune for everyone during the day.

Food? Oh, yeah, there was food. I had my first corn dog taste in some time.  PB&J, another food booth, had homemade hot tamales. It has been some 40 years since I ate a hot tamale from Jones County.  Anyone but me remember the stand against the rail road tracks at Central & Front?  That ribeye sandwich place that makes my wife salivate when she comes within 100 yards of the stand was there too. Food, yeah, and it was good. People I know making and selling it.

The downtown merchants were open and offering places to visit and shop. Like I said before, the place felt like Community.  It is a community that is a good place to visit, meet people, and do business.

Wonder what would happen if we, the citizens of Jones County, took over the South Mississippi Fair? What if, that week was a week to proclaim doing business in Jones County is a good thing? Imagine all those Fair Booths owned and run by local citizens, or civic clubs, or charities.  What if the local civic clubs ran the games and took the proceeds and spent them locally on the local need each one sees as its mission?  What if  a civic club ran the Fair “rides” like Sertoma manages the Christmas Parade? 

Think about all the possibilities.  All that money spent at home staying at home.  One idea can lead to another idea that helps a community grow and prosper.  What’s yours?