2021-- May It Not Turn Out to Be The Year of the Tin Foil Hat
Houston Springs Mineral Water, Conspiracy Theorists & Other Area Attractions
Saturday January 30, 2021
Dana Koogler
I am writing this blog entry as an addendum to the previous entry on the Lost Creek Mercantile. It is very nice, but it doesn't take very long to see.
It is an hour drive for me from home. I figured I'd see other area attractions, and while there were not loads of things to see and do... I did round up a few.
I found a few other businesses, historic sites, and wildlife areas I could check out.
I pulled out of Lost Creek Mercantile, and I could see my next destination across the road. I noticed a farm market on google maps called From the Ground Up. I liked the looks of it and wanted to give them a try. I pulled up and found they have a nice clean restroom accessible from the outside. They have installed a porta potty which was immaculate. It was a welcome sight.
The outside of the place was attractive and very neat. I noticed only one or two other vehicles in the parking lot besides myself. I went on in to find the proprietor involved in talking with a couple area patrons. She waved a friendly greeting at me and I walked around taking in the store and its wares. It was really nice.
They carry loads of fresh produce. Fruits, veggies, local eggs, butter, buttermilk, local milk, chocolate milk, bacon, ham, every jelly and jam known to mankind, funeral floral decorations, discount clothing, popular toys at a great price.
They sell wonderful baked goods.
Above: front and side views of From the Ground Up Market. It is a nice place with a great selection of items.
Below: A nice selection of popular toys at a discount price! My granddaughter would have a fit if she saw these!
Above: fresh taters, onions, cheese puffs,
Below: I like the red checkered gingham curtains.
Above: lots of jewelry.
Above: fresh produce galore!
Below: when I said every jam and jelly known to man you thought I was just kiddin' didn't ya? Besides that lots of pickles & relish, tomato juice.
Mens socks. Home decoration.
four different types of onions, several types of true sweet potatoes, yams, and white cheddar puffs.
Above and below: a refrigerator section filled with ham, bacon, lettuce, eggs, butter, buttermilk, and ciders. I bought buttermilk and eggs here.
Above and below: local dairy products
I enjoyed the visit to the store and purchased several things. I brought my items up to the register to pay. The other customers were all gone and I was alone in the store with the proprietor. I had heard her having a discussion with the other customers, but I hadn't been paying much attention to it. I had noticed this in the store. 
Sorry for the blurry image.
Sorry for the blurry image.
I can't help thinking this may have been my first clue to what was coming.
Before I knew it the lady had kinda cornered me with all sorts of crazy conspiracy theory style talk about the corona virus, prophecies of doom to come March 4th, 2021. Don't take the corona virus vaccine! It will put a nano chip in all of us! It's dangerous. It's killing people. I wonder sometimes if people like this ever stop to listen to themselves and hear how truly crazy they sound. The world is going to end March 4th, but come on back to see me in April when I've got my pretty plants out. See the image below to know the look that came over my face.
I wasted my breath for a few minutes trying to reason with this lady.
I could see that my logic and line of reasoning was wasted on her with the blank stare that came back at me. I was cutting. She wasn't bleeding. So being the queen of "This conversation is over." I wrapped things up speedily and left.
I felt like my skin was crawling. I was very aggravated at the political diatribe that got leveled at me. I wished when I saw that hat I had turned and left immediately. I wished I'd been paying more attention to what she'd been discussing with the other people. Maybe it could all have been avoided had I left quickly.
I had other things I planned to do this afternoon. I tried the best I could to shake off the foul mood this woman's foolishness had hanging over me.
I went next to the business about a block over, Houston's Mineral Water.
The more I read the more I felt like I was in crazy town. The water is 50 Cents per gallon. A good deal. I did not need any, but wanted to try it. I paid my money in the honor system canister and filled up my drink bottle with the water. It tasted pretty good,but was nothing real spectacular or out of the ordinary.
I took a couple photos of the Presbyterian church and a civil war historical house. I had planned on going up the road toward Jefferson City and seeing Mossy Creek Spring as well as the Mossy Creek Wildlife viewing area.
I was just overcome with disgust at the turn this day had taken. I felt like I was surrounded by zombies. I headed down the road toward Jefferson City and as soon as I saw the sign pointing me toward the interstate I knew what I needed to do. I got the hell out of there. I headed home via I-81/40 West and never looked back. I shook the dust off my sandals from that outfit.
Once home I tried to get my mind on other things. I took a nap. I ate lunch. I read and watched tv. Finally I prayed about it. I spent several days reading about conspiracy theories and what makes people believe them.
I won't launch into a lot of what I learned, but it did help me to understand a little more.
People like this lady do what they do for a variety of reasons some of which can be :
- They need to feel special like they are woke or in possession of some wisdom and knowledge others do not possess
- They are scared and trying to make sense of a world that is confusing and random. I read that randomness and chaos are some of the most terrifying forces to humans and can be the hardest to accept. The idea that a virus could be just arbitrary and that it doesn't care if we live or die is unacceptable.
- The need to feel like they understand things and are in control because they feel powerless.
I also learned that :
- It is pointless to argue with a conspiracy theorist believer
- People who believe one conspiracy theory will be more likely to believe others EVEN IF THOSE THEORIES DIRECTLY CONTRADICT ONE ANOTHER!
- Example: People who believed that Princess Diana was murdered in a plot by the royal family to silence her also believed she had faked her own death and had run away to start over new somewhere else in peace and quiet.
People who have a poor handle on the sources of news and a limited knowledge of how the news media works are more prone to believe conspiracies.
People who believe these things always have another explanation up their sleeve for why things are the way they are.
Example: Well if what you're saying is true and the election was fraudulent and stolen from President Trump why is the news media reporting that they've only found errors and not evidence of outright fraud? To which I've been told well, the same people who are behind the election tampering own and control the news media and are covering that up too.
Younger people tend to believe conspiracies more than older folks.
I can't forget what Jason Horton's uncle Jim said about the election. He was unconcerned. He said he'd lived about half his life under a republican president and the other half under a democrat and the Lord had been real real good to him during all of it.
The last thing that causes people to believe in conspiracy theories is that once in awhile they turn out to be true.
The Tuskeegee airmen really were part of an illegal, unethical experiment.
Project MK Ultra was real--illegal experimentation by the CIA with mind altering drugs and murders to cover it up.
Project Stargate-- was real... ESP and PsyOps experiments on remote viewing by the USA to try to spy on Russia and our enemies.
To name a few.
Above: some photos of the mineral water place.
So I debated a long time about what to say with regards to the trip. I have always tried to tell the truth and not varnish my opinions. I believe I need to pray for people who are that scared and ignorant. I need to have compassion for them and pray God will give me a word in season for them that may comfort them or edify them some way if it is His will. I need to pray the serenity prayer and remember the precepts contained in it about accepting things I cannot change.
I think what bothered me was that I have fallen into the traps of believing things that were not so. Maybe that is what hurt me the most. I will end this report by saying that people who are in business can surely say whatever they wish. We live in a free country and that is a beautiful thing. However in order to remain successful in business it is probably best to keep political talk out of things especially when one espouses extremist views.
I'd be lying if I said that the trip didn't leave me with a bad taste in my mouth for that area in general. I have to remind myself that the folks in the store across the street were very sane, rational folks, realistic and 180 degrees removed from what I found next door.
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Thanks for reading and commenting. I enjoy hearing from those who read & make use of my blog. I have made some wonderful friendships through emails from readers. I respond to all comments and emails. I appreciate folks reaching out to let me know when my blog entries are not functioning correctly or if the situation somewhere has changed. Many Blessings to you!
Dana 🐝