Reflections

Hernando Farmers Market

Saturdays through October Courthouse Square Hernando, MS 8:00am - 1:00pm Voted Mississippi's Favorite Farmers Market and 13th favorite in the nation by American Farmland Trust. This Mississippi Certified Market encourages & promotes access to fresh local foods. For more information call 662-429-9092 or visit cityofhernando.org/farmersmarket.

Unknown Child Exhibit

Through December 31 DeSoto County Museum Hernando, MS The Unknown Child Exhibit honors the memory of 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. Stunning black-and-white photographs, interactive images and holograms of the faces of the lost children are part of the display. For more information visit desotomuseum.org or call 662-429-8852.

Grammy Museum Mississippi presents MTV Turns 40

Through June 2022 Grammy Museum Mississippi Cleveland, MS The first major exhibition to be curated by the GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi team, MTV Turns Forty will explore the history of the iconic music brand—from the role of native Mississippian, Bob Pittman, in the concept and execution of an idea that revolutionized the music industry and, to why, nearly four decades later, people across the world still scream, “I want my MTV.” MTV Turns Forty is sponsored in part by the Maddox Foundation. For more information visit grammymuseumms.org or call 662-441-0100.

51st Annual Watermelon Carnival

August 6 - 7 City Park Water Valley, MS Fireworks show, street dance, BBQ contest, music, arts & crafts, children’s activities, car show and more. For more information visit watervalleychamber.com or email wvchamber@bellsouth.net.

First Friday Back Porch Party

August 6 - Catching Javelin DeSoto Arts Council Hernando, MS 7:00 - 9:00 pm Enjoy live music, food and cash bar the first Friday of every month. No admission required. For more information call 662-404-3361 or visit desotoartscouncil.com.

14th Annual Bikes, Blues & Bayous

August 7 Greenwood, MS Join us to ride the "flat and fast alluvial plains of the Delta" and discover "the BEST Southern Hospitality on Earth". For more information visit bikesbluesbayous.raceroster.com.

Elvis Week

August 11 - 17 Graceland Memphis, TN Celebrate the music, movies and legacy of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Highlights include a 50th anniversary concert celebrating Elvis’ Nashville recording sessions, Blue Hawaii Luau, Ultimate ETA Contests and concerts, exclusive tours, first-time experiences, Elvis in concert on the big screen, and much more! Fore more information visit graceland.com or call 800-238-2000.

Live at the Garden presents Brad Paisley

August 13 Memphis Botanic Garden Memphis, TN For ticket information visit liveatthegarden.com or ticketmaster.com.

33rd Annual Sunflower River Blues Festival

August 13 - 15 Downtown Clarksdale, MS Featuring safe outdoor performances on both the main stage and 9 acoustic stages in Downtown Clarksdale. For more information and lineup visit sunflowerfest.org.

Summer Jam: Benefitting John 3:16 Ministries

August 14 Landers Center Southaven, MS 7:00pm Featuring Crowder, Rend Collective and Andrew Ripp. For tickets visit ticketmaster.com.

James Taylor and his All-Star Band

August 14 FedEx Forum Memphis, TN An intimate and memorable night, which will also feature special guest and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jackson Browne and his band. For more information visit fedexforum.com.

Blues on the Back Porch

August 14 - Lady Trucker & the Headcounter Band Holly Springs, MS 7:00pm Blues on the Porch is a summer music series that brings Hill Country Blues musicians home to Holly Springs, to play on local porches. For more information visit bluesontheporch.com or call 662-278-0388.

Mississippi Book Festival

August 21 State Capitol Building & Grounds Jackson, MS 9:00am - 5:00pm Join in celebrating writers and storytellers at our annual Literary Lawn Party. 100’s of authors, book signings and over 40 panel discussions. Free and open to the public. For more information visit msbookfestival.com.

18th Annual Tri-State Blues Festival

August 21 Landers Center Southaven, MS 6:30pm Artists include Pokey Bear, Calvin Richardson, Bobby Rush, Lenny Williams, Ronnie Bell, Chic Rodgers, and Terry Wright! For tickets visit ticketmaster.com.

Cheap Trick

August 25 Graceland Memphis, TN 7:00pm For more information call 877-777-0606, email gracelandlive@graceland.com or visit graceland.com.

Harry Connick Jr.

August 28 Brandon Amphitheater Brandon, MS 8:00pm For more information visit brandonamphitheater.com or call 601-724-2726.

Iuka Heritage Day

September 3 - 4 Mineral Spring Park and Jaybird Park Iuka, MS Gospel singing, crafts and car show. For more information visit tishomingofunhere.org.

I’ll Send you a Pickle

By Karen Ott Mayer

Technology enhances our lives but does that have to include gas pump entertainment?

The other day as I was pumping gas, a voice startled me. Looking around, I realized the cheerful, perky voice was actually blaring from a monitor on the gas pump itself. As I waited for the slow pump to finish filling the tank, I thought how odd our world has become, not just because of COVID-19. I wondered what or who decided entertainment had become a requirement when pumping gas. Having spent my share of time in corporate conference rooms knocking around ideas, I felt a particular sense of curiosity as to this technology and imagined the concept sessions. “Anyone ever bored while pumping gas?” Knowing the contentious nature of throwing about ideas, at some point the majority of people in the room would have had to agree for this product to hit the streets. “Gosh, yes. I really wish we could watch 15-second, random commercials about upcoming movies or reality shows ... at the gas pump.” “Yes, Fred. The silence at the pump has been depressing me for years.” The odd American addiction to the endless marketing barrage leaves me even more confused. I’m not sure about anyone else, but if a winter wind is howling or the summer heat is beating down, I’m sure to hop back in my car while waiting for a slow pump. The last thing I want to do is consume another infomercial or listen to some hipster tell me about the latest YouTube sensation. Am I the only one not yearning to fill this void?

A writer friend once called me a Luddite. I immediately disagreed as I waved my Nokia brick in his face as he held an iPhone in mine. I decided to look up the formal definition and found neither meaning particularly appealing. Derogatory: A person opposed to new technology or ways of working. Historical: A member of any of the bands of English workers who destroyed machinery, especially in cotton and woolen mills, that they believed was threatening their jobs. I felt vindicated. After all, I had never worked in a woolen mill or took part in destroying machinery. But technology? I shuddered, remembering when Facebook first entered our lives and another dear friend, Bobby King, begged me to try it. “Why do I need it?” “Because it’s fun and cool!” he said. “I don’t know…,” I replied. “Oh, come on! I’ll send you a pickle.” “What if I don’t want a pickle?” I can laugh now at that chat because I feel much more progressive, working on a Mac that’s 10 years old and living in a rustic cottage. This year has pushed all of our limits when it comes to technology. We’ve retooled, Zoom’d, upgraded, sidegraded, and migrated to closed restaurants reinvented as highly-private, personal internet cafes like the one where I worked during the pandemic. I believe in the clear distinction between innovation and progress. This year, I have watched all of my small business friends scramble and innovate to survive. Is a TV screen on a gas pump progress or innovation? Call me a Luddite, but I think I’ll stick to a pickle-free life and hope I can pump gas in peace.

Writer, essayist, copywriter, and flower farmer Karen Ott Mayer runs Moon Hollow Farm & Country House bed and breakfast on 26 acres in Como, Miss.