As of this coming June we will have been back in Neosho for 36 years. That’s a piece-’o-time, you know. As a result of that fact, she has been in Neosho longer than any other place and for the majority of her life. I think she is going to stay.
In conversation a few days back, I made reference to her not being from around here. She quickly took offense to this statement due to her time served. I really hadn’t given consideration to the facts stated earlier. This is due in part to the fact that the years have just flown by. I know that we are older and a lot of water has gone under the bridge. It couldn’t have been that many years, could it?
So as it turns out, the good wife considers Neosho home. This community has grown on her and became such a part of her consciousness that it is now her default place to be. Her loyalties are here, her passion is that this community excel and all things continue to transform and improve.
In conversation a few days back, I made reference to her not being from around here. She quickly took offense to this statement due to her time served. I really hadn’t given consideration to the facts stated earlier. This is due in part to the fact that the years have just flown by. I know that we are older and a lot of water has gone under the bridge. It couldn’t have been that many years, could it?
So as it turns out, the good wife considers Neosho home. This community has grown on her and became such a part of her consciousness that it is now her default place to be. Her loyalties are here, her passion is that this community excel and all things continue to transform and improve.
I have a more gypsy spirit. If I am not where I want to be, I make where I am what I want it to be. Due to this attribute, I simply created my own town, Sane City Limits. That is why the name of the motorcycle shop we once operated was Sane Mule & Motorcycle Trade Co.
The Sane referenced a location and not my condition or my name. Many a customer called me Sane as if that were my name. I just let it pass. But let a phone call come in with someone asking directions to Sane and the good wife’s reaction was not something you wanted to hear. Her response was, “There is no such place as Sane, Mo. My husband just made that stuff up.”
My thought was, “Just give them directions and don’t worry about what they believe“. Sane City Limits was a neat piece of branding and was easy to market. Even a blind hog gets an acorn every once in a while.
It wasn’t long after we established a website and were engaging in some online marketing, that one could “Google” Sane, Mo and Google Maps would give a location. Very handy, indeed! So don’t tell me that there is no such place as Sane, Mo!
Once we closed the shop, took down the website and ceased the marketing activity, that service also disappeared. Don’t bother to search on “Google” as the search will not yield the same results. There are, however, plenty of t-shirts out there with the Sane City Limit sign on the back and our tagline of “I’ve Been ‘in’ Sane”. We sold and shipped those to people all other the United States.
There are plenty of other places of interest in and around Neosho. I have been working as of late on a project to get as many of these as possible on a website that belongs to the Missouri Department of Tourism, www.visitmo.com.
It wasn’t long after we established a website and were engaging in some online marketing, that one could “Google” Sane, Mo and Google Maps would give a location. Very handy, indeed! So don’t tell me that there is no such place as Sane, Mo!
Once we closed the shop, took down the website and ceased the marketing activity, that service also disappeared. Don’t bother to search on “Google” as the search will not yield the same results. There are, however, plenty of t-shirts out there with the Sane City Limit sign on the back and our tagline of “I’ve Been ‘in’ Sane”. We sold and shipped those to people all other the United States.
There are plenty of other places of interest in and around Neosho. I have been working as of late on a project to get as many of these as possible on a website that belongs to the Missouri Department of Tourism, www.visitmo.com.
Branding these businesses and places of interest will only enhance our community. We have some really cool stuff to share, but we must let people know about it’s existence. If you would like some assistance in getting a place of interest, business or event onto this site, let me know. We can help as the site is free and our assistance on this issue is at no charge.
While your item may not have the panache of Sane City Limits there are some positive things that can be accomplished. Not everyone can have their own little town, complete with a fire truck and logo, but none-the-less you can be accessible to the masses as they look for things to do in Missouri.
Oh, by the way, if you are ever ‘in’ Sane, your speed is controlled by your ability to take the curve and don’t ever ask to ride the mule!
(Paul Richardson's column The Horse I Rode In On is featured weekly in the Neosho Daily News, the Seneca News-Dispatch and the Turner Report.)
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Newton County, the way it was. Relive the people, places and events of the 1960s, '70s, and '80-s.
Available in paperback and e-book formats from Amazon and locally at Changing Hands Book Shoppe and Always Buying Books in Joplin, Pat's Books in Carthage and Granby Auto Supply and Hardware in Granby.
There actually is an Albatross, MO on Hwy 96 between Springfield and Carthage.
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