You Asked About Hammer, Bubba . . .

A few weeks ago, I shared in this space that some of you have asked about my old pals, Honest Hoosier, John Hammer and Bubba Castiron . . . and why you haven’t heard much from them of late.

So I foolishly said that if you wanted to catch up with the boys to let me know and I’d see what I could do.

Silly guy!

You responded in droves (not sure what exactly a drove is anyway, but you sure bombarded my email).

Shelly from Sheridan wrote and said that she really misses John Hammer.

“Mr. Timmons, In these times with everyone so divided I miss the Hammer. He seems to have more common sense and says what I’m usually thinking. Thank you for asking and yes I’d like to hear more from him.”

Thanks, Shelly. And by the way, Mr. Timmons was my dad. I’m just Tim.

John from New Richmond echoed her thoughts.

“Bring back John Hammer! He speaks the truth and it is in limited supply now.”

You got that right about “limited supply,” John.

We had two Garys reply – one from Noblesville and one from Crawfordsville. They have different emails, so I’m guessing these are two different Garys (either that, or he might have a hell of an interesting tale to tell). Both said they are looking forward to hearing what John Hammer thinks about the presidential election.

Betty from Cicero tried to be kind – and I appreciate that. “I like your what you call scribbles,” she started out. “However, I just LOVE reading everything about John Hammer. He reminds me of my late husband. He’s smart, opinionated, and not at all afraid to say what he thinks. We need more like him.”

I’ll let John know, Betty. I’m sure he’ll be honored by your comparison.

When it comes to Bubba, several of you wanted to know where the Crawl-On-Inn is located. Truth to tell, I can get there, but it’s hard to describe. Let’s just say that “out in the middle of nowhere” is a thriving metropolis compared to its location on a gravel road!

“I go by Bubba, too,” Bubba from Lebanon wrote. “So I sympathize with Mr. Castiron. Pass along my number to him and tell him if he wants to start a support group for Bubbas who don’t get any respect, I’m in.”

I have a feeling Rodney Dangerfield’s got nothing on this guy.

“Every time I read about Bubba, I think about Jeff Foxworth’s Bubba J. I think they are both so funny. Yes bring him back please.”

That came from Dave in Crawfordsville. Sorry Dave, I think you meant Jeff Dunham – but you are right – I see similarities in both Bubbas as well (and wonder if Lebanon’s Bubba would agree?).

My favorite email of all came from Monica in Noblesville.

“I don’t know if Bubba is a real person or a figment of your imagination. If the latter, I seriously wonder about your childhood and what sort of trauma you must’ve been through. And if Bubba is a real person, then that explains how Joe Biden won the election.”

True that, Monica!

Oh, and I almost forgot. Several folks say they miss Honest Hoosier the most. Mark summed it up perhaps the best.

“I don’t have time to read all your “scribbles,” but I miss the quick hits that Honest Hoosier provided.”

There were others on all three, some perhaps not fit for the family newspaper we strive to be. But you get the gist. I’m not sure if I’m flattered by all the response or offended. But hey, we’re here to give you what you asked for. So you can expect to hear from the boys in the coming weeks. Assuming I can track Bubba down!

Two cents, which is about how much Timmons said his columns are worth, appears periodically in The Times. Timmons is the chief executive officer of Sagamore News Media, the company that owns The Noblesville Times. He is also a proud Noblesville High School graduate and can be contacted at [email protected].