Is it possible?

Clayton Hayes is a lifelong resident of Dyer County.

Not long ago, people would confidently declare, "That'll happen when pigs fly!" It was shorthand for "never," an amusing way of saying something was utterly, completely, and spectacularly impossible. Fast forward to today, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if there’s a startup somewhere developing jetpacks for swine.

Because, if we’ve learned anything from the past few decades, it’s that the line between impossible and possible is about as clear as a foggy morning in Cade's Cove in the Smoky Mountains.

I mean, think about it. Once upon a time, talking to someone in a faraway land meant shouting into a seashell. Today, you can FaceTime your cousin halfway across the globe while ordering a pizza that’s being made by a robot.

We live in an era where anything can happen. Need evidence? Just look at the news. Billionaires are planning on building space colonies while the rest of us struggle to make sense of Bitcoin. It's like living in a fever dream, but with more Wi-Fi.

Remember when breakfast was just cereal or scrambled eggs? Ah, those simpler, carb-heavy times. Then, somewhere around the mid-2010s, a toast revolution happened. Someone, probably a millennial with a big heart and a small budget had the audacity to smash an avocado onto a piece of bread and call it breakfast. And lo and behold, the Impossible became the Possible. Avocado toast not only became a staple of trendy cafes but also the scapegoat for why millennials couldn’t afford homes.

Who knew that a fruit smeared on toast could change the world, one Instagram post at a time? If you told someone in 1995 that avocado toast would be a symbol of an entire generation’s lifestyle choices, they’d think you were one slice short of a sandwich. But here we are—avocados reign supreme, homes remain unaffordable, and the world keeps spinning out of control.

There was a time when we marveled at smart phones. Now, every device under the sun is smart. Your fridge can now judge you for running out of milk. Your vacuum cleaner doubles as a GPS for your cat. Even your toothbrush keeps track of your oral hygiene and probably sends a report to your dentist behind your back.

We live in a world where inanimate objects are more intelligent than some of our high school classmates. Sure, it’s convenient, but let’s pause for a moment to consider the trajectory here. We’ve gone from using rocks to start fires to arguing with Alexa about the weather. The shift from stone tools to responive toasters happened in the blink of an eye, and we didn’t even have time to process it. What’s next? Smart socks? Wait—those already exist. If there’s a line between "this is helpful" and "this is ridiculous," we've clearly crossed it with gusto.

Speaking of crossing lines, let’s take a moment to appreciate influencers. Thirty years ago, the idea that you could make a living by posing with detox teas on Instagram would have been met with fits of laughter. Now, we live in a time where a well-placed hashtag can earn you a six-figure income, and people take fashion advice from their favorite TikTok star instead of professionals.

Influencers have become the new celebrities, trading the red carpet for ring lights and spontaneous photo ops. And while it may seem utterly bizarre, it’s also kind of genius. Why be just a regular person with opinions when you can slap a filter on yourself and suddenly be an “authority” on anything from skincare to cryptocurrency? It’s the epitome of the impossible becoming possible,complete with affiliate links.

With the way things are going, I fully expect to see pigs soaring through the clouds any day now. In fact, I'd bet on it. I mean, we already have flying cars, artificial intelligence that can write novels, and a society that seriously considers pineapple on pizza.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that the impossible is just an innovation away. Whether it’s avocado toast reshaping breakfast culture or your fridge telling you to eat more vegetables, we’ve crossed into an era where the absurd is the norm. And while it’s easy to scoff at some of these developments, it’s also kind of thrilling.

Who knows what outlandish, “impossible” idea will become mainstream next? Maybe one day we’ll finally achieve the ultimate dream: ice cream that never melts. If that happens, consider this a prophecy fulfilled.

Until then, keep your eyes on the sky. You never know when you might spot a flying pig. Or, you know, the next influencer sporting a hoverboard and selling you kombucha made by AI. Either way, it’ll be one more notch in the belt of possibility.

And we have two strange people campaigning for President of the United States. Go figure this one out!