The trailer home that comprises
most of the
town is advertised as the "Nutt Shopping Mall." The bar next
door is named, of course, the "Middle of Nowhere Bar." Take a
picture of the NUTT road sign and you can almost imagine the town
reaching
up to make "rabbit ears" over the Black Range Mountains in the
distance.
Nutt is the Court Jester of New
Mexico. It
sits between the more "serious" destinations of Hatch and Deming,
waiting for the next visitor with all the patience of a well-timed
punchline.
Anyone lucky enough to stop by gets a pat on the back, a wink-wink,
nudge-nudge,
and a reminder that laughter is as essential a body function as hunger
or thirst. A hearty laugh, in fact, does us the same amount of good as
ten minutes of rowing. Laugh and be well, indeed.
Think about how good it feels to
laugh, to
enjoy things that are truly funny or exciting. Who among us can sit
thorough
"What's Opera, Doc?" and watch Bugs Bunny in drag without cracking
a smile? What would life be like if Purcell hadn't trilled the second
note
of his "Trumpet Voluntary?" Isn't Thanksgiving dinner just a
little less exciting without Uncle Harry?
When the list of Man's Greatest
Inventions
is compiled, I hope "whoopee cushion" is number one. Until then,
fortunately, we've got Nutt. And that's Nutting to scoff at.
