Back in the day, the robust town of Madison had a movie theater, which is now the location of the courthouse annex building. It was on its last leg when I was a kid, but they managed to show movies that were only slightly old and most of them were even in color.
The movie was often the least entertaining part of the theater because there were so many other impressive features. Making your way to your seat was always an adventure because the house lights were rarely turned on and the floors were never cleaned.
This greatly increased my odds of skiing face first into the general direction of my seat and if I was lucky, I would have a small amount of popcorn and coke left to enjoy during the movie. The floor was covered with weeks worth of coke syrup, mixed with the ice from the last bloke's beverage who escaped with his life from the slippery surface. This made for an action movie of its own.
For those of us Southern boys who were venturing into our first explorations with chewing tobacco, this place was awesome. It was specially equipped with seats that had no cushions. Of course, no one ever sat in these seats, so they made perfect spittoons for us to practice perfecting our redneck heritage without getting caught by our parents. Plus, their life insurance policies had specific clauses in them that prohibited the hazardous entry of the beloved Woodard Theater.
Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of the theater was the balcony, which was mostly used as a smoking section. Breathing second-hand smoke was never an issue. Dodging the fiery little projectiles as they were flipped in our general direction below was another story.
Imagine watching a flick like "Volcano" as real burning ash drops on and around you. Three dimensional movies had nothing on us.
Besides all of this general excitement, there was the added fact that the manager was a quaint old dude with poor eyesight and a delightfully fading memory. This meant that access to R-rated movies would rarely, if ever, be restricted. As long as we promised not to hold him accountable for any broken limbs incurred while trying to find a cushioned seat, we were good.
There could be more than a few reasons why the theater is no longer with us, but at least it makes a lovely place to pay taxes and attend government meetings and you are guaranteed a good seat and a dry floor.
My local movie going experience left me with a mixture of memories. Some of the disturbing images I saw at 10 years of age would re-run themselves while I was in church or studying at school and I sometimes found it difficult to sleep. Though today's culture seems to have forgotten this, age-appropriate viewing is still important. Young minds thrive off of youthful, thought provoking material that can entertain and stimulate learning.
Now, death, destruction and sex are what floods the market for all age groups and it isn't a healthy mix. They bring disorder to minds that haven't matured to a point where normal processing can occur. The long-term results have forced us to accept abnormal behavior as if it were normal. School shootings and cop killings have become facts of life for us.
Looking back at my high school parking lot gives me plenty of proof that things could be better. Many of the trucks at my school were literally loaded with rifles that were in plain view from the back windows. Lots of us carried knifes. Yet, no one was ever shot and I recall no stabbings. Our culture and our parents demanded better of us. Our restrictions came from within us and we were a law unto ourselves. Though we were far from perfect, even the criminally-minded among us rarely took a shot at a police officer. Such activity was beneath us and it should still be today.
The Woodard Theater is a good metaphor for life. If you leave things in disarray long enough, your demise is certain and it's true in all aspects of life. If you are noticing some messy spills occurring in your life or the fiery darts of the enemy are flying your way, call out to Jesus for a cleanup. His standards never change and his mercy is everlasting. Doing this will ensure that when it's all said and done, you're sure to enjoy the show.