THEN HE GAVE ME SOME ADVICE FOR KEEPING BLUFFTON A GREAT LITTLE TOWN

Dear Icon Viewer:

It's a strange feeling to ride in a parade...watching the crowd. This happened to me on Nov. 28. As I rode and watched, I spied a guy who I hadn't seen in town for some time. It was Old Man Bluffton. He retired to warmer clims some years ago, but returns now and then to check up on his real estate.

After the parade, I caught up with him in the Senior Citizens Center and was lucky to give him a Bluffton Christmas list.

He's a interesting guy. Cynical, direct, thoughtful, but has Bluffton close to his heart. After viewing my wish list, he pointed out several things I knew, but live to close to forest to see the you-know-what.

Anyway, he told me that Bluffton was pretty fortunate at the moment. The streetscape program makes the downtown shine like a newly waxed classic auto. Maybe it's a 1954 Corvette, he said.

I thought about it for a moment and then had to agree with him. He also pointed to the town hall that stood proudly like a statute of a lady in a New York City harbor.

"Nice job on the building," he said. "You did the right thing. Don't forget to continue to take good care of it. I remember when it was built. I knew the builder."

He continued...the hospital award for great service...well, come on, Fred, I knew that would happen. I was even there when the award was given. Give yourself a pat on the back. Bluffton's IS a community of caring people.

He mentioned several other things as he chewed on the senior citizen peanut brittle and shook hands with passers-by.

"You have to keep in mind that Bluffton is a small town. That's not a bad thing. Take advantge of your positives," he said.

People envy you guys and rightfully so. Look at all those out-of-town folks who drive to Bluffton on weekends to simply drive through town at 5 miles an hour and gawk at the lights.

Ask yourself...do you drive to (I won't mention the town he listed) and look at their lights at Christmas? Heck no.

Again, I had to agree with him. Then he went into a lecture that I've heard before.

"The only way things happen in Bluffton that makes your town different from others is when people get together and volunteer to get things done," he said.

He starting rattling off names of service clubs, churches and certain individuals. "That's why Bluffton is Bluffton. It doesn't just happen. It happens because people are proud of this place," he said.

This lecture went on for some time. I felt sort of funny handing him my Bluffton wish list. It included a bike path around town, new trees to replace the ash trees that are dying, a heated swimming pool, and a couple aggressive retail businesses downtown.

He looked over the list and sighed.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do," he said. "But remember, it takes people with a vision to pull this list off. You must do your part to make it happen."

I felt sort of silly by this time, but Old Man Bluffton just laughed. "I got to go check out the Ream display. Then I'm off to Buffton, South Carolina. There's a Bluffton convention I'm attending."

"See you at the 150th Bluffton celebration in 2011," he said, as he slipped into the crowd. "And tell Bev Amstutz that if people don't start volunteering for that event, I'm going to get on the phone and pretend I'm a telemarketer and start driving people here crazy."

I promised I'd do my best.

He assured me that Bluffton would flurish...so long as people continued to care for their town...pick up trash in their yards, continue to watch out for their neighbors, go the extra mile for the community, see that there are plenty of activities for youth, take care of their senior residents, buy coffee on Main Street, support the university and shop downtown instead of you-know-where.

With that he disappeared into the crowd, shaking hands with who knows who. I thought I saw a '54 Corvette head out of town later that night. But then again, it could have been a '47 Chrysler woody convertible. Whatever it was, it was a car that caught your eye. Sort of a jewel.

It appeared that Old Man Bluffton was at the wheel with a grin on his face, and a back seat filled with Bluffton smoked sausage, some Bluffton Unversity sweatshirts, Bluffton Slaw Cutters, senior citizen peanut brittle, several decks of Bluffton playing cards that he bougth from Mary Schecter at the MMH and lots of tins of Shirley's gourmet popcorn.

Gift to his buddies, I guess.