An Outhouse to Celebrate

by Jeanette Levellie

“Did you see that?” my husband guffawed, pointing out the car window on a recent road trip.

Why does he torture me like this? If I miss something spectacular or funny, him saying, “Did you see that?” only makes me angry. “What was it?” I said.

He was still hooting with laughter. “A billboard for an Outhouse Festival; I can’t believe it!”

 “Are you serious?” By now, I was giggling, too. “What is there to celebrate about outhouses?”    

I can understand celebrating the Honey Bee, the Furry Bear, Covered Bridges, Popcorn, and Raggedy Ann & Andy. Bring on the parades. Sell deep fried Twinkies and tacos in a bag. Hire a brass band to play on the town square for festivals honoring those essentials in our society. But, outhouses? Every time I’m forced to use one, I am not thinking of Ferris wheels, lemon shake-ups, and ice cream cones.

I suppose they are a great invention, if you’re out in the middle of nowheresville and can’t find a bush. Still, to have an entire weekend dedicated to holes and the houses that hide them? How desperate must we be for something to party over?

            If you really want to celebrate, I have a few great ideas:

• Celebrate living in a nation where you have a free education, can criticize a political candidate openly without being arrested, can vote, and can worship whatever god you choose.
  
• Celebrate being rich, even if you only have one set of clothes and food for just today. Most dogs and cats in this nation live better than millions of people in the world.
  
• Celebrate if you had parents who loved you and taught you right from wrong. Many children don’t.
  
• Celebrate that you are in sound enough mind and have decent enough eyesight to  read this article.
  
• Celebrate your friends. My Dad used to tell me, “If you get to the end of your life and can say you have one faithful friend, you are a rich person indeed.” I am discovering how very true that statement is.
  
• Celebrate your marriage if it’s lasted over ten years. Most do not.
  
• Celebrate a God who gave you all the wonder of creation simply for your enjoyment, and who loves you just as you are.      

I’ll bet you can come up with a few more reasons to celebrate; things we all take for granted and fail to notice until we’re without them. For that matter, next time I go camping, I may have to reconsider celebrating an outhouse after all.

A spunky, sometimes reluctant pastor’s wife, Jeanette Levellie has published articles, greeting card verses, stories and calendar poems.  She authors a bi-weekly humor/inspirational column in her local newspaper, and regularly speaks to any group brave enough to have her, offering hope and humor in every message. She is the mother of two, grandmother of three, and waitress to several cats. Find her blog, On Wings of Mirth and Worth, at http://jeanettelevellie.blogspot.com