Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Simply the Best: The Bean Shooter Man!

Some people are just good at what they do. Others vault into an entirely new dimension and can be called great at what they do! Take for instance the sports world. Most people will accept that Wayne Gretsky, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods are clearly some of the best performers ever in their respective sports. I certainly mean no disrespect by not mentioning the many other great athletes and exceptional performers out there but it's not my intent to focus on these/those superstars.


Today, I wanted to bring someone else into the limelight who has slipped under the radar and been overlooked by many people.

Travel with me (You know I like to travel) to the small town of Seagrove, North Carolina.






Now most of you have never heard of Seagrove. I know I hadn't. It's a small town just about 12 miles south of Asheboro, North Carolina. As of 2007 there were about 257 people living in this town.





Seagrove by the numbers:

(I got off track a bit while I was studying the demographics of Seagrove. Please bear with me.)


Of the 257 people, this is how some of the numbers break down:



  • White Non-Hispanic (94.7%) about 243


  • Hispanic (3.3%) about 8


  • Other race (2.8%) about 7


  • Black (1.2%) about 3


  • American Indian (0.8%) about 2
    (some people were included in several categories)


Males: 122 (47.6%)
Females: 135 (52.4%)
Median resident age: 40.8 years
North Carolina median age: 35.3 years



For population 25 years and over in Seagrove Education levels:



High school or higher: 74.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 5.6%
Graduate or professional degree: 0.0%
Unemployed: 1.7%
Divorced: 4.1%



Estimated median household income in 2007:



$29,795 (it was $31,250 in 2000)
Seagrove: $29,795
North Carolina: $44,670



There was 1 full time law enforcement officer and 5 registered sex offenders.


Now you might want to draw you own conclusions about Seagrove based on these numbers but before you do, think about this:


In a town this small, I'm sure everyone knows everyone. So if you were a stranger just walking or driving around town, you would stand out like a horse with it's head stuck in a tree. But you'd also be 5 times more likely to run into a registered sex offender than a full time police officer. And if you have a graduate degree, you'd probably be the most formally educated person in the town, unless there happened to be someone else just passing through. If you were visiting from say, Plano, Texas where the median income was $84,492 in 2007 - then it's possible that your annual income could be the highest in the surrounding area. We could go on and on....... But let me get to the point. No matter who you are or where you come from or how good you are at playing a guitar, golf, or shooting a bean shooter. The numbers just don't work in your favor. You might be smarter, richer, prettier, faster, bigger, taller than many of the people in Seagrove but the odds are you are not as good as Rufus Hussey at making or shooting a bean shooter. The late Rufus Hussey from Seagrove, NC was simply the best! Not just in Seagrove, NC but everywhere!


Don't just believe me, take a look.








How's that for sling shot skills?


Hussey was not only known for his quick and accurate shooting but also for his quick wit. On January 23, 1986, Rufus Hussey and Johnny Carson went head to head on national television. At the end of the night, viewers seemed to think that Hussey pummeled Carson and introduced him to a good ol' down home spanking. One of the classic lines went like this:


Carson asked if Hussey would like to demonstrate his talents with the slingshot after a commercial break.



"I'd rather shoot the bean shooter than shoot the bull"


That was Hussey! Simply the best Bean Shooter Ever!

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello....what an absolutely inspiring post.
You actually had me envisioning living in that very wholesome sounding town/city.
I am sure there are so many people hidden in all sorts of unique little towns that would definitely deserve a medal of being naturally gifted.
Too bad we did not have more people such as yourself interested in finding them!
A very enjoyable post!
Have a great day!
DorothyL

Unknown said...

I love sling shots! I had one as a child, but I was nearly as skilled. I could hit my brothers but that was about it.

intrepidideas said...

DorothyL... You've made my day. I agree with you. There really are a lot of unique people in unique towns. It's nice that we can enjoy them all via the web. Isn't it? Thanks for the visit.

intrepidideas said...

Summer, I have to laugh when I think of you with a sling shot. I bet you were dangerous. Better than you admit. I'm sure you could hit your brothers in the butt at 100 yards. :) I had a few growing up as well. Will you let your boys play with them?

Jane Turley said...

Another eclectic post Mr I; you always keep me interested! Rufus sure knew how to use a slingshot, I guess he'd been using his gaze heuristic without knowing it huh?

Well since the old fella has passed away I expect the title is up for grabs?! Ye Ha...I feel those birds in the back garden getting nervous already!

I'm going to recommend this post to PB - he's got a problem with bunnies in his vegetable patch...

(Ps A tad worrying about that percentage of sex offenders in such a small community - is that the norm?)

intrepidideas said...

Hello Miss Jane. I'm glad I can keep you coming back. Nice job on the gaze heuristic. Did you read the book? Enjoy your weekend.

Jane Turley said...

I'm reading at the moment but I felt a sleepy last night and fell asleep in the bath..fortunately it didn't fall in!

intrepidideas said...

I guess that's better than falling asleep at the wheel...

Unknown said...

Good question. You know that's an inner struggle I battle constantly. I'm always afraid they'll hurt themselves or each other, but I guess that's not fair. I would trust my oldest, b/c he's very responsible. I'll have to wait to see with the babies. I could already see Elijah slinging a stone at one of his brothers. Apple did not fall far from the tree!;)

Jane Turley said...

Believe me Mr I, when I'm at the wheel there's absolutely no chance of me (or anyone else) falling asleep at the wheel! I'll give you a ride sometime; wear your flak jacket and safety helmet, cos you'll be needing it!