Living in a place like Montana can definitely have its advantages. The other day I was listening to the Daily Crime Report on the radio station in Missoula. Someone had two hit and runs in a row. In Idaho!!! Not even in this state! I mean….that is not huge, is it? Now, mind you, we have our problems here in the state and in Helena. Currently there is a big case about a shaken baby who is now forever confined to a wheelchair. And a pregnant girl that took a metal bat to her boyfriend, who is also now confined to a wheelchair for the rest of HIS life. There is a huge problem with all sorts of addictions (gambling, smoking, alcohol, etc.) and an issue with depression – highest suicide rate per capita in the US! But, be that as it may, it is sure a relief not to wake up every morning to our earlier Houston fare of shootings, high speed chases, rapes, arson fires, and all that good stuff.
We’re so lucky to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. The snow on the mountains provides a new perspective on their heights and the depths of their canyons and crags. Deer, elk and bighorn sheep abound everywhere you look. The wolves still chose to keep to themselves, but they are out there, and the bears are now taking their well-deserved winter nap (oh, to be a bear!).
People here are also beautiful. Hard, independent, and wise in the ways of nature. “We” come from an aggressive stock of individuals who came to this harsh land in search of beauty, land, and yes, wealth. But yet, we as a whole are given to the behaviors and problems listed above. In the “best last place”. Why? That is what I’m here to find out and hopefully find a way to reverse, through the gospel.
Last item on the radio> HOG’s futures! I don’t need to listen to a report on the radio to know that. The future for a hog: bacon! Ha.
Best.
