Intervention for the House of Davisson

The House of Davisson, founded by Harold Davisson, is a fixture in Seward, Nebraska's history. When you turn in the driveway, the first thing to see is a giant white pyramid: the cap to the largest time capsule in the world which you can read about here. Past the time capsule is a corrugated steel building which once housed an eclectic assortment of furniture, appliances, baby chicks, wholesale candy, and whatever Harold Davisson could buy in bulk, including boxes of corn flakes past their expiration date.

Near the main door, a six foot cement cigar store Indian stands guard. In this time of political correctness, when such a statue could be deemed racially prejudiced, I have created an explanatory plaque to be placed near the statue which explores the history of cigar store Indians and offers an explanation of its presence. Following is the text of this plaque.

Though at first glance this statue could be considered offensive or insensitive, the cigar store Indian has had a long history intertwined with the foundation of our country. First used in England in 1617, the cigar store Indian was one of many carved symbols placed outside shops to give customers a quick read of the contents within. The Indian, in particular, came to represent tobacconists, as they were the first to introduce the plant to Europeans.

In America, cigar store Indians came to represent general stores as well as places to purchase tobacco to many pioneers venturing west. Use of such sculptures declined in the late 19th century due to municipal ordinances banning the blockage of sidewalks.

Though comparable in the minds of some to other racial stereotypes such as the lawn jockey, there are some who choose to see cigar store Indians as examples of historical commercial practices and period sculpture. Its placement by Harold Davisson represents his desire to collect bits of the past, warts and all, for future generations.

This information has been provided by your friends at N.I.S.U.S. Network for Operation: Hometown Heroes

Trickle-Up Intervention

Shiny, Pretty Things

Not the over-the-top closets like those featured on the MTV show CRIBS, but I've got the biggest closet out of everyone I've known well enough to know how big their closet is. Truth be told, I share it with my wife and son. But, in my opinion, the 1/3 that is allocated to me is far too much space for one person. There is a functioning window, as well as two overhead lights. On occasion, I feel as if my clothing supply is inadequate from the space in between hangers. This is troublesome, considering I have accumulated a relatively large collection of clothing over the past 15 or so years.

In the early to mid nineties, like many naive and underprivileged college students, I got sucked into the credit card trap. I believed that I would eventually find the job and make the money to pay off whatever debt I accumulated during this time of struggle. After I finished my schooling and entered into the real world I realized that the time of struggle never ends. It just changes names and presents itself in different ways. Needless to say, spending habits are difficult to break, and there is never a time where one can step back and say "I make too much money now, I can finally use all this extra income to pay off those credit cards.

During the college years I charged an overabundance of excessively expensive clothing. It has been over a decade since these purchases, but I still have a decent portion of clothes from that era. The problem I am having with possessing these shiny, pretty things is that I no longer believe in their power to transform me into something I am not. Or their power to raise my status in the community. So they have been a chronic source of discomfort. Daily, I am reminded of my past insecurities and my need to mask them with these shiny, pretty things. I realize that there are many individuals out there whose wardrobe serves a different function. And that those with the purchase power to possess these things may not necessarily use them as a decoy, diversion or distraction...as I did. Some individuals might actually enjoy the superior quality of the material or stitching or rare color combinations.

As an affiliate of the N.I.S.U.S. Network and in conjunction with Operation Hometown Heroes I have finally redistributed approximately 3/4 of my clothing to a local thrift shop. Which will allow members of my community to pay a fraction of the cost for these high-quality clothing items. As well as support the mission statement of my local thrift store which reads: "we respond to major disasters as well as the development of depressed areas by providing medical supplies and equipment and humanitarian aid."

It is my hopes, through Operation Hometown Heroes, that the citizens of my community will enjoy these shiny, pretty things.

above right image: A New and Improved Closet