Why was “Carbondale Nickname Madness” such a hit? The answer is simple, because it was a quintessentially Carbondale event. The event featured three elements that are at the core of Carbondale: competition, reminiscence and the support of our neighbors, friends and family. When I think of my hometown, those are the core values that I have always believed in and hold dear.
Let me start out by congratulating “Bubba” Thomas on his victory. The “Jiggers” also had one heck of a run!
Competition is Carbondale.
It doesn’t matter if it’s taking place on the football field, the basketball court, in City Hall or on main street; the residents of Carbondale thrive on competition. That’s not to say we always win, but we’ll always give it one hell of a go. Carbondale’s sport team have always been gritty and tough, if nothing else. Even if the natural ability wasn’t there, opposing teams knew they were going to face a team that was as likely to punch them in the mouth, as they were to punch a touchdown into the end zone. Therefore, a level of respect was always demanded, even if it wasn’t always outwardly shown.
The city of Carbondale has been fighting for years. Keeping the city afloat has been a competition in it’s own right. The city has been competing against changing industries and mother nature longer than I’ve been alive. Mine fires destroyed half of the town, but the people of Carbondale weren’t defeated. They faced the challenge head-on and rebuilt. The coal industry and locomotive industry pulled out of town, families suffered, but found a way to sustain and survive.
The nickname competition between families, friends and neighbors spoke to the essence of Carbondale’s competitiveness. It also speaks volumes that almost 5,000 people signed up for the group, in a town with a population less than 9,000.
We live to reminisce.
My wife always laughs when I get together with my friends from Carbondale, because the night generally devolves into a story telling session. Memories are rehashed, even if everyone has their own version. We all believe our version to be the correct and best one. After all, you know what they say, never let the truth get in the way of a good story. We crack jokes, we bust balls and we fondly remember our times together. Such is the Carbondale experience. My college friends often joke about how much I love my hometown. I believe that’s a common theme among those of us that have left the area.
I can remember being a little boy and sitting around listening to my Grandfather tell stories about growing up in Carbondale during the 40’s and 50’s. Some of my favorite memories consist of sitting on my Great-Uncle Bob Caviston’s floor and listening to he and my Aunt Joan recount family history, stories of the Carbondale glory days, and other tall tales. At a time when people look through newspaper archives and other pieces of written history to catch a glimpse of their ancestors’ lives, I was lucky enough to hear it through stories! But thanks to such record-keeping, that glimpse is an actual possibility. Although there’s nothing better than sitting around the fire and listening to enchanting stories of old. I believe this speaks to the rich immigrant influence on our city. Oral story telling and history was important, especially among the Irish and Italian cultures. We’ve seen that become part of our Carbondale culture.
You’d be hard pressed to find an empty barstool in Carbondale on the weekend. It’s not that the town has a collective drinking problem. People in our town genuinely like to spend time together, share a drink and reminisce. That’s why places with rich family history like Franks and The Peanut Bar do so well. As an outsider, spend an evening at Franks, The Coach, AJ’s or The Peanut Bar and try not to learn someone’s life story (and drink a bunch of shots of Crown Royal). It’s impossible. We gather together, we enjoy a few drinks and we keep our family and local “history” alive through the verbal method that was passed down to us by our our ancestors.
I’m sure the story of “Carbondale Nickname Madness” has received plenty of talk time already and will for years to come. It gave us all a chance to reminisce on the nicknames that were included and even the ones that weren’t. It gave us all something to talk about and an excuse to tell stories and bring up memories of friends and relatives.
We take care of our own.
We don’t all like each other, all of the time. But, for the most part, you’re never on your own if someone else form Carbondale is there. It doesn’t matter if it’s a brawl at an out of town bar, a flat tire on the Casey Highway or a benefit to assist with medical bills. When push comes to shove, we’ve all got each other’s backs (for the most part). We also travel well. I currently live in Harrisburg and my three closest friends are all Carbondale expatriates.
I’ve never seen another community come together and take care of their own like Carbondale. When the troops are rallied, we come together and support each other, especially in a time of need. During benefits, I’ve seen packed bars and people wait 3+ hours for food, just to show their support for their neighbors.
I’ve always said: In Carbondale, we take care of our own.
So, when Bubba Thomas posted on Facebook, “Russell Park mount up,” that they did. When friends and family of Jigger, Chinky and Turk saw their names were in the running, they flocked to vote for them. But, at the end of the day, when the competition was over, there were no hard feelings. No one was salty about the loss. Because, if you’re from Carbondale (or Simpson), there is an (often unspoken) level of a respect that we all have for each other. Why? Because we came from the same, very unique, place.
So, thank you to Landon Gabriel and the rest of those involved in putting together Carbondale Nickname Madness. We all enjoyed it and look forward to next year.
