The President recently shared optimistic news: affordability is improving across America. Eggs are down, gas is easing, and grocery prices are beginning to settle. On national charts, it looks like real progress.
But out here in Western Oklahoma, we measure affordability the way we measure the weather: not by what’s predicted, but by what actually hits the windshield. And lately, what’s showing up locally is moving a little slower than the national headlines suggest.
Take eggs. Nationally, prices have dropped sharply thanks to recovering production. But rural stores operate on their own schedule. At Puckett’s in Sayre, prices are coming down — just slower than a barefoot kid trying to walk across July grass full of goat-head stickers. It’s progress, but it’s the careful, tip-toe kind.
Gas follows a similar pattern. Oklahoma City celebrated sub-$2 gas this week, while Elk City sits around $2.49. It’s not unreasonable — just a reminder that rural fuel prices tend to drift instead of drop. Longer routes, fewer stations, and plenty of wind between here and anywhere else keep things moving at their own pace.
Groceries tell the same story. Many basics — bread, beans, canned goods — have leveled out. Produce is better than it was a year ago. But beef and dairy still act like luxury goods, and anyone shopping locally knows that national optimism doesn’t always ring up at the register.
None of this means the President is wrong. The overall trends are heading in the right direction. It just means Western Oklahoma feels national changes later, slower, and usually with a crosswind involved. Out here, good news takes the scenic route, and by the time it arrives, everyone is already back to work.
Which is why folks in this part of the state tend to wait for local proof before celebrating. After all — if the world ends tomorrow, Western Oklahoma probably won’t hear about it until three days after OKC does.
And we’ll still show up for work.
