MIKE PIRTLE, Post Contributer
Posted: Sunday, March 28, 2010 12:01 am

Random thoughts sparked by travel for a few days away:

Rolling along a rural portion of Interstate 65 South, a couple of huge billboards announcing the approach of an adult bookstore, I remembered the first time I noticed such massive pronouncements out in the boonies.

It was a few years ago on a trip to Indianapolis.

Running through Indiana corn country, a seemingly endless plain of cornfields broken only by the occasional convenience store, suddenly a number of gigantic billboards appeared promoting an adult bookstore.

Why in the heck would an adult bookstore be way out here in the farm country, I wondered, totally unaware of any connection between porn and corn farmers.

That left me totally perplexed. Not having given adult bookstores a thought previously with the possible exception of staying informed about First Amendment legal battles over them some 30 years ago, I was mystified by the rural stores.

Where would the customers come from, I wondered, figuring such businesses were usually in larger cities?

Finally, it dawned on me such an establishment usually drew more than a little opposition when trying to open anywhere near residences.

Out in rural areas undoubtedly many opportunities exist for such places with absolutely no zoning regulations to stop them, and probably darn few neighbors to become upset.

Possibly, by being away from everything, adult bookstores out in the sticks offer more than a little anonminity to its patrons.

So, I can quit thinking about adult bookstores except for one question I honestly can’t answer: Are there really any books in an adult bookstore?

•••

Returning from a few mind-clearing days at the seashore, my return trip up through Alabama proved quite a bit more challenging than expected.

Alabama was actually working on I-65, hopefully to improve its surface.

Four different road projects slowed the return trip, including my favorite: roadwork scant feet from the convergence of three interstates and seven full lanes down to one solitary, single lane.

Yeah, that was fun.

The last road project sent us off the interstate for a side trip through a couple of Alabama towns I had never actually seen: Hartselle and Priceville.

Didn’t really learn much about them except for one observation:

Smalltown America is starting to look all alike: A Ross store, a Hibbetts, Burger King, Ace Hardware, Subway, CVS, Pilot, Mapco, Domino’s.

Both towns looked alike.

As does our town.

Gone are so many of the local businesses that gave us unique flavor: Pigg and Parsons, The Men’s Shop, Ruby’s, Deli Junction.

Thankfully some survive: Reeves-Sain Drugstore, City Café, Holden Hardware for example.

We can’t do a lot about the homogenization of our community but we can seriously support those locally owned and operated businesses that give back to us in so many ways, including making us just a little unique.

•••

Returning home is was nice to be welcomed by a forsythia bush that was an absolute explosion of beautiful spring yellow.

As noted here before I generally hate that bush that just grows like crazy and requires constant pruning.

But, this week it made me smile.

•••

On a different matter entirely: You should have your 2010 Census forms by now. Do us all a favor, and save us a lot of money, fill yours out and send it in.