Been thinkin’ about…forest or fire

Hot afternoons and cold nights and the Ozarks’ oak forest blossomed in crimson, orange and brilliant yellow. Fall has finally fallen, too late for Halloween, but right on cue. I drive home in awe, even as early dusk covers the hills in a gauzy purple blanket.

At some point in the past, the “Ozarks the natural world” and the “Ozarks the culture” began to blend into something resembling a personality, an expectation, something with a past, and consequently something with a future. At the heart of it all? The oak forest, grand oaks holding down what little topsoil we have left on the rugged limestone ridges. That forest soul is echoed in the smell of an old log cabin in summer heat and the smooth grain of a woven oak basket. No matter where we are in the Ozarks, not far off there are the oaks, grand, towering, sacred carriers of knowledge in ways we can only sometimes understand. Since America’s founding, the oak served as a symbol, at once powerful, versatile, yet also ancient, hearkening back to the Old World. Our first frigates were built of oak and Joshua Humphreys did his best to make sure we didn’t forget it.

Oaks are known for strength, but it takes more than just strength to weather the storms of this old world. The oaks that last are those with flexibility, the ones that find the bending, not the breaking as the west winds roar. For when an oak becomes brittle, its strength doesn’t matter and the tree shatters, littering the forest floor with its great broken limbs. Or worse, too many brittle oaks are a tinderbox just waiting to be lit.

Society is not much different, truth be told. And here in the old Ozarks, in the face of adversity and constant change, it is easy enough to get our fur up, our backs to the wall, circle the wagons, and rely on brute strength but anger only lasts so long before it is spent and time passes on.

Sometimes the Ozarks look enigmatic, sometimes romantic, sometimes not a bit different than culture anywhere else. But yet, there is something here that’s unique, something almost inexpressible, something that leads others to simply say, “It’s different here.” Those differences are not hard to concede, even as it is difficult to understand, much as starlight is easier to see in our peripheral vision. Stare directly at a distant star and the star fades from view. But look at the light from the corner of the eye, the star brightens, becomes more clear.

For some 18 years, I have built StateoftheOzarks, a brand whose stated mission is simply “to preserve and celebrate Ozarks culture.” But beyond the old-timey mishmash of stories and artifacts and anachronistic tourism, what does that even mean? What is Ozarks culture, anyway? Many things to many people, yes, but just as we can agree on what is an oak forest and what is not, we can find common understanding even in the complexities, the history, the simple values of this people of the “interior highland” of North America.

After some five years of work, StateoftheOzarks has completed — now published — our cultural values, values rooted in the heritage and history of the region, imbued with a love of our Christianity, of Second Amendment rights, of craftsmanship, of traditional roles, all kept from becoming too brittle by the crucial importance of art, and nature and magic. The future is not found in hanging on blindly to the past, nor is there any sense in discarding our past in petulance and ignorance. Against our baser natures of “rigid angry last stand” and “let’s just burn it all down,” the path forward is in the tension between the opposites and so that’s exactly where you can expect to find StateoftheOzarks as we chart our future together. We welcome you to join us in the journey, one of forest, not of fire.

StateoftheOzarks Values

1. Free will is a natural and divine right.

2. Freedom of speech is a fundamental personal right.

3. Defense against tyranny is a personal right.

4. Engagement in the political process is a personal duty.

5. Parents’ rights supersede schools’ rights in education.

6. Health independence links directly to personal freedom.

7. Local / regional food sources sustain a free culture.

8. Environmental conservation and protection are intrinsically linked and best managed locally.

9. Small business proliferation is critical to our regional culture.

10. Art is the physical manifestation of human expression.

11. Craftsmanship is an integral link to our regional culture and a unique expression of the human experience.

12. Respect for Christianity — especially Scots-Irish congregationalism — is foundational to understanding Ozarks culture.

13. Traditional / emerging metaphysical beliefs give insight to our culture and are also to be respected.

14. Traditional masculine and feminine roles contribute significantly to cultural stability.

15. Non-traditional subcultures give valuable understanding of humanity.

16. An objective and contextual understanding of history is necessary for the continuation of a free society.

17. StateoftheOzarks works to create, support and sustain cultural stability.