The lesser man

     Is the material/capitalist society the best we have to offer each other as citizens of this great nation?
I have changed over the years and most of us who claim humanity, do. If you don't claim it, read no further.
As a young man I was indoctrinated into society in the usual way, school and home. In the working world I hit the ground running and learned its lessons at that pace. It was easy to overlook many of the inconsistencies between what people said and what they did. I came to understand the difference as I matured and tried to put the priorities of life, God, family, work, play, in order. The order I settled on was very different from most of the people around me. As I progressed in life and saw that those that were being advanced in most occupations were those with a different priority than mine. After coming to that decision crossroads repeatedly, I discussed with my wife the order we had established in our family. At that time, many others in my profession were giving up all their priorities but work. That was the company's unwritten rule for advancement. Over the years, as I have grown in my family and friends respect, they have continually said they have watched our rule with admiration. I am now at an age where I can look back at my job history and life in general and be glad of my journey. I have left a trail of men who I admire for their almost unwavering resolve to live a life by the best of rules and ask others to hold them accountable to those rules. I have also mentored others who look to balance the most important things in life.
     That being said, the view from this angle of business is skewed by being called the loser. All of the many workers who have the very traits that have made this country great are those can put up with all the pushy, overbearing, bullies who have given up themselves for their jobs. These are the very workers that are perceived as unpromotable because of their priority order. The truth is that these are the ones that can't be controlled because of that order and consequently are the only ones who can lead. All other leadership styles ultimately come around to mimic the traits of these few. The problem the bullies then have is convincing all those they trampled in their climb to advancement, of their change in personality and heart. Not realizing that it takes a lifetime to become those people, they and their companies delude themselves into thinking that because they hold the purse strings; their employees must kowtow to whatever they say, true or not. In reality, those who rule by cheating their workers out of their due are destined to take themselves and their companies down. The ones who lead must be the ones who promote and advance those who hold others in higher esteem than themselves. This is the example that literally takes a lifetime to achieve. By sharing this," information of a lifetime," I realize that it gives more information to those already inclined to abuse it. There is no other way. At some point a change will have to be made if our system of capitalism to survive. All our lives and souls are at stake.
     In conclusion, those who have self-named themselves," the A-type personalities", have proven that they have overrated themselves, and those who are gentle, mannerly and polite are the real leaders that have been called losers to long. So when you hear that old saying, "The Good guys always finish last", remember that the real men are there willingly. Because any old fool can get ahead through trickery, but those who make a difference make sure everyone gets help to travel the path. Everyone take a close look around at your real friends and see if I'm not right.

Penticton Jack

As a child of ten, at the Omak Stampede, I witnessed an unusual view of the humor of those days among the men of the 1950's.
     As was the tradition at that time, the teepees of the Native Americans had a special place within walking distance of the rodeo grounds. When entering from the parking lot, everyone had to walk the teepee pathway to enter the stadium. As was the custom of Penticton Jack, he wore a large saddle bronc belt buckle won previously by a friend of his, Ellie Lewis. The native Americans all knew Jack and his girth, he was a famous Canadian beer drinker, renowned on both sides of the border. Their standing joke as Jack approached on the path was to bend over and try to read the inscription on his belt buckle. When seen in groups of two or three, it was noteworthy. When seen with groups of twenty or thirty, it was hilarious.

When I’m an Old Lady

                          By Mary Ann Hopkins

When I’m an old lady, I’ll live with my son

And make his life happy and filled with such fun.

I want to pay back all the joy he’s provided,

Returning each deed, Oh he’ll be so excited

When I’m an old lady and live with my son

I’ll write on the wall with red, white and blue

And bounce on the furniture wearing my shoes

I’ll drink from the carton and then leave it out

I’ll stuff all the toilets, and oh, he will shout

When I’m an old lady and live with my son

When he’s on the phone and just out of reach

I’ll get into things like sugar and bleach

Oh, he’ll snap his fingers and then shake his head,

And when he is done I’ll hide under the bed

When I’m an old lady and live with my son

When my son’s wife cooks dinner and calls me to meals,

I’ll not eat my green beans or salads congealed

I’ll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,

And when she gets angry, run fast as I’m able

When I’m an old lady and live with my son

I’ll sit close to the TV, through the channels I’ll click

I’ll cross both my eyes to see if they stick

I’ll take off my socks and throw one away,

And play in the mud until the end of day

When I’m and old lady and live with my son

And later in bed, I’ll lay back and sigh,

And thank God in prayer and then close my eyes,

And my son will look down with a smile slowly creeping

And say with a groan, “she’s so sweet when she’s sleeping”

When I’m an old lady and live with my son

arms for sanity

The war in Iraq is ongoing even though the government says we won. I hear of servicemen still dying at the hands of those who have supposedly surrendered. The streets are filled with A.K. 47's that are banned in the land of the free. What kind of thinking is this? If we, as a free law-abiding people cannot be trusted to be responsible for automatic weapons, why should they? I believe most of the people in the U.S. should be trained with a variety of arms before they are 21 years old. This would serve a twofold purpose. It would train the young in the proper handling of firearms and acquaint those with a gift for such things. Once in our military it would identify those who aren’t capable of them. Is our government wary of our good judgment? I think the fight against domestic terrorism, by legislating stricter gun control for the law-abiding, is lost. I see the only option is to educate and train the lawful and uphold the existing laws. To do this we must change our focus from, law and government against everyone, to everyone against the felons. The more ignorant a person is about any subject, the more unprepared they are to deal with these new emergencies.

I would rather have my lawful neighbors equipped to protect me in a time of trouble than worry about how many felons are disregarding the current laws on gun control. If I am not trustworthy or competent, please don’t let me have any part in the responsibility that comes with owning a weapon. To tell the truth, I would never touch one again if we could get rid of them all at once, but that’s not going to happen.

So let’s be realistic and work on the good- thinking of the citizenry, we can trust most of them.

Get the most bang for your buck

Get the most bang for your buck. Get the most time for your term. Our bang and time is being wasted on other people’s bucks and terms. From politics to entertainment, where did these people get such fame for doing so little. I'm ashamed of the society that can put so high a regard on the professions of acting or politics when both are based on deception. I’m also ashamed of us for allowing them to use our lives for their purposes. Not only are we dictated to on the programming of our television’s content, we have no input into length of political campaigning leading up to any election day. Just because we put up with holiday advertising two months in advance, those who claim to be the “smartest men in the room”, think the new rule of thumb is “whatever load the ass will bear”.

     Let’s start with this political thinking, limits on all politics, terms, campaigns, size, thoughts. We have to begin our search for a method of living that encompasses most of our legal citizens. Those that say being a politician is difficult have never had a difficult job. All politicians must always remember that being elected is not a mandate, it’s only a job and anyone can do it

Whatever the load will bear

“Whatever the load will bear”, is the new “law of supply and demand”.

     Have you noticed that every new thing that comes on the market is priced in the upper economic range? That is so only those in that earning range can afford those items. All others must wait or go in debt. Since our generation has played the credit card card, we have learned that lesson through misuse. Some process is driving our thinking to an extreme of debt acceptance and it is transferred to our government through that acceptance. The time is at hand to turn from this poor thinking. We must get over the thought that it’s all about us and stop voting with our pocketbooks. We must tell our representatives to pay our bills and not overspend. These are the people we must have is government. The pork barrel days are gone, China owns our pork. It’s up to us to get it back.

Giving giving

  A young married couple came to me and asked advise on a “gift” that was being offered to them.  Their circumstances are similar to those being offer by a political player in Alaska’s future.  It's better never to say the word gift than to have your name associated with a thing that is called a gift and is not. I told them any gift I should ever give them or anyone is free of charge, to do with as they will or give to whoever they want.  Anyone who gives in any other way is not giving a gift, no matter how many times the word gift is repeated.

Rich Man

        What a skewed view we have of a rich man.

I am never going to be in a position to tell anyone, look at me and see how good I’m doing. So, I am in the envied position of being able to speak on the subject of a good wife and fine children. A journey that has been hard and easy at the same time. Hard, because the things presented to the average man are hard to take when they seem to be against all freedoms that are rightfully our’s. Easy, because all those things will fall into place when we get the right thinking in our heads. That right thinking is the subject of the truly rich man and I take an extreme liberty by speaking of it to people I do not know.

All of lives lessons can be learned in many different ways. So one who thinks a person must stand the wall to appreciate freedom does not know the other ways to live your life protecting freedom. But once a person sees the possibilities of multiplicity in learning, we realize all our lives are intertwined. And as they are, it has to be by divine design.

GUNSORUS

I’ve never been in the military. Never stole anything at gunpoint. Never threatened anyone with a firearm. Don’t hunt. Haven’t since I was a lot younger. But I could and would, if life asked it of me. I own one gun. I bought from a friend when he wanted some cash. Shot it twice in twenty years.

 These facts make me an expert of sorts. A working middle class gun owner who doesn’t care about guns but knows about them.

       My point is this; our society doesn’t need more guns, it needs to get the guns we have into the hands of responsible, caring people from all walks and occupations. Train them, license them, make sure they have a temperament to conceal carry them. I want my life to be protected by a perfect stranger who has concern for the innocent and unwary. We must be aware by now that anyone who wants an illegal firearm can get one. That fact is on the books and no amount of legislation will change it. Lets go forward in our thinking. Shall we ask some questions of  some countries that have been under fire from internal enemies for some time. What are their laws and their thinking on this topic? Are their statistics accurate and open for our inspection? I see shop owners in some countries carrying automatic weapons. The peaceful Swiss are required to keep arms and ammunition in their homes.  Does this lessen their crime rate? I’ll bet it cuts down on the stalkers and causes many to pause and consider. If it does or doesn’t, lets see those unsung statistics. I believe crime would have a very hard time if half of the law-abiding community were trained and armed. Our laws should be made to reflect and accommodate the good thinking of the many, not the poor thinking of the few. 

        Those in the police and military should know who they are fighting with and for, because it is the right and freedom of all citizens to exercise their right to say NO, not just yes.

Yes, that’s the freedom I’m talking about.

Do I wanna take a poll?

Do I wanna take a poll? Hell No. Not now, not ever.

      By definition a poll is a cross section of the target demography. In actuality it is a cross section of a targeted demography. Those who have do-not-call phone numbers need not respond, and won’t. Conservatives, for the most part, will not give information just because somebody wants them to respond. Liberals are happy to give their opinions. That’s why they have those names. The outcome of any poll or survey can be skewed to show whatever the poll taker desires. What amazes me is that anyone is foolish enough to pay for or believe any poll. We have little imagination if we don’t understand the underlying manipulation behind polls and surveys. They aren’t for gathering information, they are for influencing information.

       Those who give credence to the opinions of some unseen voices truly do get the government or viewpoint they deserve.

Don't trash our liberty

       My wife and I have just been out for our weekly neighborhood trash pickup, 10 pounds per city block. It has made me wonder who these people are that use our freedom and liberty to trash the outdoors. I realize that as a young man I didn’t feel the way I do now about such things, but as I’ve matured, I now know that to push my foibles and idiosyncrasies off on others is just being a bully. As we’ve seen in recent years, the general public doesn’t want to put up with certain habits, “i.e.” smoking indoors. If this is a prediction of things to come, maybe the smokers who want to retain what liberty is left to them, should redefine their ashtray. My children saw me give up smoking and throwing butts out the window and they will never do either, I hope.

       All the people you see cleaning up trash on the streets may not be doing community service, but instead be doing the community a service only because it’s right. Helping with that task can be as simple as keeping your foibles and idiosyncrasies to yourself, “i.e.” your ashtray inside your car. 

       As we mature, we see the need to revise your personal liberties to benefit all of us! This is real freedom, real liberty.

Idontwannaknow

Too much discrimination against the, " Idon'twannaknows". It's time it ended and its time we all stood up for them. They seem to be a harmless minority who don't protest and seem fairly quiet, but their rights are being trampled on and its only right that we guarantee them a place in our society. Even if they are a little strange.

Can I say that or is it somehow incorrect? Should we go to the next level and amend the constitution to afford this previously unappreciated group the protection that seems to be lacking for the quiet people? Not all of our race feel the need to get their point across with loud and obnoxious acts. This small and dwindling section of the population have no one to identify with but others who stand silently shaking their heads in disbelief. Perhaps we could get them to ally themselves with the, " don'ttellmes". Be sure they are oriented first.

Hear, Hear

Where did some of you get a drivers license?

     In the world of the sane people, it seems we have people from other galaxies driving on our streets. Surely you didn’t get a license from anyone born on this planet. No, I’m not being tough or judgmental. The common sense rules of the road do not apply to a great many of the beings that transverse the pavement. It would seem that some of the physical laws also do not apply.
     On my best days, I can probably do as good as any common driver. These others must have been trained on a planet with less gravity, faster time, smaller car lengths, and the ability to read minds. I feel like I’m being forced to drive in the Indy with a 55 Ford. And as I look around, I see I’m not the only one. Lets slow down a bit and learn to wait on each other just a bit more. After all, the red light you run may just speed you to the scene of your next accident. Getting away with it doesn’t make it less of a crime.

Worth doing

I’ve heard it said” Anything worth doing is worth doing well”, but I tell you the key to fulfillment in doing for others is not letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing. Things done anonymously are rewarded many times over. The temptation to tell is sometimes persistent, but it is worthwhile to resist. I have seen things done in secret that were claimed by those who did not do the blessing. Still, the doer of the blessing said nothing. I believe those who take credit for things they have not done, will have to pay many times over. Sometimes without their knowledge. So whenever you are prompted to give of yourself, resist the urge to do it in public. It makes a profound statement when done without regard for oneself. Something we all can puzzle at.

Punk Weed

The onset of the smoking habit is something for everyone who has had that habit to examine. A lesson learned is another mistake that will never cast a shadow on your life.

     I was 6 years old in 1953 and it was the heyday of postwar smokers. Still it was no excuse for starting the habit and it was not encouraged by the elders. As it is today, the main problem was the lack of 24 hour oversight of youngsters bent on trying forbidden things. In rural Washington State, enough leeway was given to the young adventurers to get them out of sight for a half-hour or 45 minutes. Our opportunity came on our little trips to the Okanogan river where the Punk Weed vines grew. We never new the proper name for the vine weed that grew in abundance, but it could be cut to any size desired. It smoked much like we imagined a real cigar or cigarette. I don’t remember the taste except that it was almost manageable for a 6 year old. The 35 year habit that followed is the real lesson of life, of lung capacity never recovered. Also, all three of my children were born before I shed the curse and for that they have the blessing of a smoke-free life. Sometimes the best lesson really is to let others see your mistakes and recovery.

The Cliffs

In 1963, at 16 years old, I was living in Blue Lake, California. One of the weekend pastimes for some friends and I was to hike up the Mad River for a camping trip. On one particular Friday night we started our 5 mile trek about dusk. The favorite swimming hole “The Cliffs”, was about 1 or 2 miles out of town. It was also a popular drinking spot for young partygoers because it was across the river and considered safe. People had to wade the river to get to the beach and bonfire area. It being night by the time we forded the river, we were unobserved even though it was a moonlight night. As we approached the partygoers, we considered making our presence known. As we stood looking around we noticed a string of car approaching on the opposite river bank road, the only path. After a quick discussion, we three crouched out of sight of all parties. Our caution  was rewarded when 5 or 6 police cars pulled up to where the partygoers cars were parked.  The police all got out and started writing down license plate numbers. One officer leaned against the hood of his car with a bullhorn. His plea to come over and surrender was met with a chorus of belly laughs and hooting. These people were obviously ready to spend the night and feeling no pain, but they also knew the police wouldn’t wade the river. It seemed a standoff until our fertile imaginations kicked in. After a hurried consultation with my friends, we shouldered our packs and bedrolls. We were ready to run. At a safe upriver position I turned and yelled” This is the police, we have you surrounded”. We were unprepared for the reaction. People started running in every direction. They sounded like a herd of stampeding cattle. Some were in the river splashing or swimming for who knows where. Others were running through the brush. We three hikers beat a mirthful retreat and continue to laugh 40 years later. It caused a lot of discussion for a while, each side blaming the other.  Nobody ever knew who the culprits were.

oh yea oh yea

Please do not think me a kook or know- it- all. I’m just the average Merican. That is “I’m

the boss.” Not the person in charge, not the judge who sits and decides, not the head of one of the many government offices I’ve voted for, but rather one of the many with good average thought who decide how we should be governed. My thoughts and words are for my many fellows, men and women, who decide with me how we should conduct our lives. Are we not bound to the roots of this country and the thoughts of those who have come before? We should change only those things that have been a detriment to our ability to live together, but not to the fundamentals that are the foundation of our country. If those are not protected, we will run the risk of losing all our freedoms and the loss of one is the loss of all. Those who would whittle at our freedoms are not our friends. They are the threat to those things that make this a great country, but not the only great country. Citizens of the U.S., lets look around and discover what a great place we’ve been born into. Is this not the place we would choose, if given the choice? I believe the problem we experience with anti-Americanism stems from the inability of other nations peoples to gain the freedoms we take for granted. If they can’t have it themselves, they must destroy those who do. Yes, I’m talking to those who have seventy Virginians waiting in their heaven. I thank my God I have nothing of this world waiting for me. I believe it will be so much more than I can imagine and that is plenty. So what about the women, is it seventy virgins for them also. Or don’t they get to go to heaven. I really am “up with people”, but not at the expense of a nation who only wants the best for others, and continues to prove it. Let’s not spend or time and money convincing people or nations to be our friends. I’ve never had a friendship worth beans that has been established on those grounds, and don’t want any.   

God is the choice of many and the choice of most of the founders of this country. If we remove the God they believe in, do we not harm the basic idea on which this nation was founded. And not just any God, but a certain God. That is the One who is above all our thoughts, words, and deeds. The One who says when I become a man I am to put away childish things. The worst of those things is,[ if you can get away with something and no one knows, it is O.K.].  We all pay for bad thinking, in everyone, many times over. Sometimes to the third and fourth generation.

             Let’s be aware of our responsibilities to each other and to the God of our ancestors. If you have none or no opinion, perhaps you are part of the problem, not part of the solution. If you make it easy for other peoples gods to influence or change the wonderful things our forefathers have lived and died for, you are the worst kind of freeloader. One not willing to stand up for the very life you enjoy. We must never take the powers that be at their word or they us.    When we are truthful with each other, this examination is a great blessing and encouragement, a thing that makes great people and people great. This is my wish for all Americans, great people wanting the best for others.

             Those who don’t wish to walk  this path will be condemned to the path that is wide and heavily traveled.   

Turn signals for others

     The problem in not turn signals, red lights, speeding, or any of the other infractions people commit on the road. The problem most certainly is the thinking behind those acts. We are not a perfect people to be sure, but at some point those who take the most advantage of the system should realize it is not their toy. Those who have learned this lesson are the most forgiving of the mistakes of others. I see them every day. They let strangers into traffic. They yield to the unyielding and forgive the unforgiving. They let others get by with the most unforgettable acts and get nothing but a rude gesture in return. No matter what is taught in the everyday world, the real power does not lay in committing acts uncivil to others. The real power, the one defining thing of America, is in the power of forgiving. Those who know this should hold it close for all the country. Those who don’t should study on it quickly, for the fate of our nation will show through in the way you handle yourself in private when no one is looking. Even in your own car.

Advertiseforme

Yeah,sure, Give me a present with the corporate name or logo on it. What am I, your billboard? When I give presents they are for the person intended and the inscription reflects that. Are we so money oriented as to make even those things we give to others pay an advertising premium. That’s not truly giving, that’s not even giving a little. To give with pure motive is to give with no thought of recognition or return. A thought that may be troubling for corporate America, but nonetheless reflects their thinking for all the world to see. Perhaps that is what some want, but it is not a good thing to all those who are the recipients of such things. Those who receive such things are insulted that the company they give their lives to, has such a low opinion of them. The corporation can give anything it wishes as a reward or recognition of service or deed. It can be inexpensive or not. The one thing it should always say. This is yours, for recognition. It should say it with no pretension, no reward. The beauty of this is in the retelling of the event, which has been understated. This is when the giver gets his great reward, not from something that nobody will wear and is not looked upon as a treasure. Give things that ask for the telling of the story but do not demand it. Bottoms of drawers and second hand stores hide many a corporate gift.  

In support of Pete Rose for the Hall of Fame

As only a minor fan of baseball, I am in the perfect place to comment on Pete Rose. I know Pete has some records on the books and has played some of the great baseball we have come to love. Because of that alone he should not be kept out of  the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown. I may or may not agree with all the things he did off the field, but that level of play, on the field, cannot be trod upon by those of us who can not and never could do such things. On the other hand, those things that Pete has been guilty of, off the field, are the things that life lessons are made of. These things most of us are tempted with and can comment on. Best told father to son, not on the walls of baseball fame. I believe banning Pete from baseball should not keep him from the hall of fame. It should be punishment enough for him to never know the joy of an oldtimers game and knowing he can never meet a son without knowing all his story will be told later by the father.  No amount of regret, remorse, or forgiveness will change these facts. 

The truth and something like it.

The solution to the "Big Spill" must be authored by one of the people in this world who know how to do it. It seems the smartest people in the room may not be capable of earning those big salaries when the chips are down, and they are down now. Unfortunately, the climate in industry is that only the chosen are deemed worthy of giving the solution. All others must give their knowledge for free, it's the law of corporate America. There are thousands, maybe millions of people whose ideas could be used to solve and prevent these tragedies. But because of the teaching of big business through highest profit and secret practices, untrustworthiness has become the sound of working relationships. I'm sorry for the disaster in the gulf, but the truth is there, and it doesn't have any use for the  5th.

People Mutts

      Do you think we are the great and generous family of mutts that our ancestors raised us to be? No matter what your perceived bloodline is, or lack of, you may be sure that your legacy in the U.S.A. is one of a great tradition. Whether or not you give it much thought or time, it is one of our great freedoms. We cannot judge those we  perceive to be doing less than their share. How are we to know just what is being done to support this nation on a personal level? Only God knows. Those who don’t support the things that this country was founded on and have helped to make her great, know who they are. Doesn’t matter if they have been in the country 100 years or 100 minutes. Sad to say, some newcomers are much better citizens than those of us who were born here. Some are much worse, or the enemy.  Over the last 50 years there has been a decline in our civic responsibility to each other. When I was young, all adults took their rights much more seriously. No youthful mistakes were overlooked by neighbor or stranger on the street. This is the involvement in each others lives that we lack. We are no longer ready to put forth the effort or time to say we care what is going on around us. This effort is particularly important with children and strangers, even when it is done in private, maybe even more so. That is where new relationships are made, barriers are crossed. It’s where an old man of one race or ethnic group can pick up a young child of another group and be reminded of his own children. It’s where that old man doesn’t think twice about giving his life for that child, as if it were his own. It’s where his children celebrate that act as one of love and favor. They know he has given all, even for the least of them.

     Let us be the people who believe in the greatness of life. Not just for ourselves, but for all others as well. Those who want to tear this country down are hard at work. They won’t ever quit. It has to be a very personal decision to be the kind of person who wants the best for all and is willing  to stand for that view in public and private. Our battle is most often in the little things we say and the way we say them. Our opportunities come everyday and we must all use them for the good of us all, because we will survive, but at what level. Lets make it one, those who come after can be proud to build on.

More guns for the sane

Just a few words on guns. I have one but don't carry it around. I take it sometimes when going into the woods but never shoot it for the sake of shooting. And I taught my children as much. This is pretty much my definition of sane gun ownership.

That being said, I believe most of the population would look out for our safety and can be trusted with arms, concealed or otherwise. It just ups the odds that someone sane is in the crowd with armed felons. If we authorize the police and armed forces and in the same breath say we are not willing to accept the same risk for others, we are unworthy of their sacrifices. This is all proven out by watching all the bystanders accept the risk during the recent plane wreck downtown. All the best to them; I would hope we would all do the same.

basketbull with todd

I’ve always had my questions about the status of sports, even though I’ve been good at a few. When working with a younger man who was a University of Alaska M.V.P. in basketball, I asked him why it was such a status thing. He replied, “It’s about doing something few people can do”.  His suspicion that I was jealous because I was 6 ft. tall and couldn’t dunk, was incorrect. I proposed a game that included him and 4 others of his size (6 ft. 5 in.) and 5(under 4 ft.) people. The court would be roughly 40 sq. ft. The baskets would be near the floor and the points would have to be made from the bottom. I guess my reasoning is, Your ability is in direct relation to the rules of the sport. They can be skewed to fit a certain physical type. Sports are devised to reward and advance the physical types we admire.

Rememory

   I’ve heard of people who cannot remember or memorize anything. They are thought by some to be either lazy or liars, or both. I’ve been around more than a half century and it has begun to dawn on me that I don’t know as much as I did last year. Am I getting smarter about the previous state of things or am I just aging, or both. I can see and hear the truth about things much better when I’m not talking. So, is the mute person the smartest one around, maybe? It certainly doesn’t hurt to be quite. Talking is not all it’s cracked up to be. One can get in all kinds of trouble by running off at the mouth. I know, I’m a past master and less frequently a present master. The real trouble with not having a good memory is the habit of repeating ones mistakes. That and having to remember all your lies, if one is a prevaricator. Learning by rote is not fast, but sometimes the lessons are absorbed better and retained longer. It’s unfortunate that lifes grades are given for our ability to remember and not our ability to grow. Many in command of the things of this world are admired for doing what is easy for them. They have never struggled with anything. Others have struggled plenty for them. Those who persevere in the face of many hardships and struggles are ones most admirable. But even those, are not doing anything that we are not all put here to do. It’s in our nature.

        At least I think it is, I can’t remember.  

Hoodah at the Omak Stampede

As a youngster at the Omak Stampede rodeo (about 1955), I heard this story while listening to the old men in my family and their friends.

    Some city dudes came to visit the Colville Indian Reservation. They were dresses for the city and not the ranch. While touring they stopped often to comment on the goings on and were rewarded with a chorus of “Hoodahs” from the Indian hosts. They took this word to mean their comments were being well received. This continued on for the entire tour until they finally came to the cow pasture leading back to the parking lot. As they stepped carefully onto the grass, the Indians warned with a point down at the cow pies and spoke the familiar words, Hoodah, Hoodah.

I've seen your Honor

     Honor cannot be measured by volume or intensity, nor in nationality or any measure of man, it is truly a wonder of God. I have lived a fairly understated life and it has been blessed with a few friendships along the way. For a man to have a good quality of friends is an unusual thing in our present time, maybe in all time. I’ve almost never forced myself on anyone and haven’t thought much of those that do. That makes my friends all the more remarkable and improbable. They are usually not popular by world standards. They have an insight into many of the doings of the world that sets them apart, usually not by choice, although it does serve them and their families well by keeping much of the negative world at bay. I was once told that I was a fairly strange human and my friends were also. I asked the speaker to consider the source of the statement and he nodded in acquiescence. These aren’t the people who spend their whole lives trying to be different, not those who try to be characters. These are people who are usually not forcing themselves to the front of the crowd or elbowing people out of the way. Instead they spend their lives going quietly about their business and are available to help at the most unlikely moments. I think highly of this sort of person because of their ability to silently and without thanks, honor those people who cannot see or care about such things. I have been most honored in my life by anyone simply doing for me what I could not do by myself. That is why those in the military regard honor so highly. They make their sacrifices for each other, and those others are us. We just need to realize it, that’s the start of honor. From there we must choose Honor.

We reflect whomever we believe our God to be.

             

Not that we define our God, just that we define our view. God has to be so much more than we can imagine, that all our imaginations fall short. But those who fall the shortest are those who limit God to a petty, cruel, and vicious being. If your actions toward others reflect this kind of attitude toward life as a whole, you can surely know that your god is not the One God. It is fitting that as I write this, I sit watching” hitler, the rise of evil”. I see many of his ilk in the world just in my short lifetime of 55 years.

       Few of those in the world seek after the maker of this world, even though He is the One to whom we owe all. Because we die we cannot think of him as cruel, because we are the authors of death. His is the hand that preserves life at every turn. If you don’t consider this, your memory is worse than mine, and I have survived some real stinkers of my own making. If I or you don’t recognize His sovereignty, you put Him away from you. He cannot draw close to those whom He has given the free will to reject Him. Still He persists. We really don’t have clue. Nothing of any lasting value in life is done without His guidance. I fear His gentle hand, but I fear far more His inability to let His hand come close to me. Let’s not nurture a puny god, but the One who has to be the best of everything for everyone. We must get outside ourselves to truly see Him even fleetingly.

     I see He does things without fuss, oh that I could.

He does things when asked with a pure child’s heart.

So many miracles explained away as just so many coincidences. It is his nature to let man discover Him through searching and diligence. If any don’t wish to make this wonderful journey, the choice is theirs to make.

Old women of Tonasket

      I want to thank you for the lessons you gave me that helped make me the man I have become.  In the 1950's, you showed me a resolve to always do the best for others even at a personal sacrifice to yourselves.  You almost never wavered from your conviction that has helped me form my basis for living and was instrumental in choosing my mate for life.  That one thing is putting others before yourself.  I see it in the military, in the sacrifice of others, and I saw it in your concern for all children, all the time.  You are the women who told your husbands at childbirth,” If it comes to a choice between the child and me, choose the child.” There was no thought of how many children would be motherless, no thought of a wifeless husband.  These are the real heros of mine and should be the examples of giving your life for others.

When asked these questions, their reply was,” choose me”.  That is really living for others, giving your lives for others.  The thousands of days of service they give for us all is in sharp contrast these days to the thoughtless second of a suicide bomber who calls himself a martyr.  I don’t believe these two acts can be spoken of in the same world.  Therefore one of them must be in “Bizarro World”.  I am indeed thankful for my view of the real martyrs of my world, as I see so many of my countrymen and women give their daily living and lives.  Those who truly know the difference between murder and the taking of life in defense of others.  If you question your neighbors view of this subject, you should first question your own.  I have and I think mine is the way we were made to be, not self focused and inward, but always wanting the best for others.  No matter their color, nationality, or belief.  Oh, old women, you have taught me well and right. And I married one who is just like you. 

The look of leadership-dudbutts

Do the people who use and abuse others really think they are in control of their destiny? I put it to you, the people who don’t have to have their way are the ones who are the further along the narrow path . These have seen enough of life to understand the difference between getting and receiving, giving and charity. All those who are known as “A type personalities” are much further down the list than A,(a letter obviously designated by one of their own as a sign of superiority). Those who think they are demonstrating leadership ability by elbowing their way to the top, aren’t. They are the object of ridicule and scorn by the people they most need for support. So the structure of business is most often top-heavy with any kind of bully who has gained their advancement on the attributes of those who are less of that and more of the other. They often mimic the abilities and attributes of those who are the real movers and shakers, those who really can make things happen. They then spend their career manipulating and deriding those who are the real team. The real team don’t beat their own drum. Once the A's have entrenched themselves in a company and gotten a power base they are virtually impossible to overthrow or oust, from up ladder or down. They use their contacts and energy to maintain their position. The company limps along at about 1/3 speed, still making money, but in dire straits. No one will say anything because those in the hierarchy are dependant on each other. Those who can and would be a blessing to the business are held to a position of inferior service by jealousy and envy, among other things. And these are the very things they are often accused of harboring, by those hiding from the real problems of unproductivity, no imagination, and the like. One of the first indicators is the delegating of most of ones work to subordinates. A real leader is a whittler of business. They will reduce the paperwork and free their people to invent new ways to gain revenue for the company. This is the real leader, one who is not threatened by others gifts, but rather helps them to develop. Those of you in control of a company, making the big bucks, this is your responsibility. Most of the deadwood of a company can be found at the upper level, not at the level of the average worker. The workers level can usually be relied upon to get rid of those who don’t pull their weight. Management propagates more of its own kind, if it is a poor kind or good kind. This is the very reason the average worker knows they are worth more and those in management are worth less.

   In conclusion, even these things that are written in support of all people are seen by those who could most use it as a manipulation or an opportunity to get the upper hand on someone, anyone.  Ours should always be,” Up with the people who make up the company or group”, and never up with only those in management. This is the primary attribute of a successful leader. It has to be heartfelt and true, if not it will be seen and ridiculed. A worse condition than before.  People are smart and even though they abide in the physical world they operate in a world that can see beyond the facade.

Do we have to know about everyone and everything?

I’m as curious as the next person but I don’t believe it’s our right or responsibility to look into everything that comes our way. Some things happen around us for a reason and some of those things should be investigated. Other things happen around us and although we deduce they are none of our business, we refuse to turn away. Are we curious or just busybodies? Is this something we can blame on someone else, maybe the news media? Perhaps we are just not in the habit of exercising self-control, that dirty word. We are learning that knowledge is power, power over things and others. But is it a good thing? I hold those people in high esteem who can say,” That’s none of my business”. And in higher esteem those who say,” excuse me for asking, but that’s none of my business.” We should not think that because we have the effrontery to speak out of ignorance that others should be required to answer any question put to them. Fellow earthies, just as God spoke the world into existence we should follow His good example and speak and ask only those things we can be proud of. Perhaps the world would be a quieter place.

"Why" put the ship in Sportsman.

        Why isn’t the outcome of the game enough to celebrate? Do we have to celebrate every  play, every strike, every goal. Why is winning everything? Why aren’t the losers included in the celebration?  Haven’t they played their best too? Not every game I’ve watched was decided by the best of everything. Lots of skill, lots of luck, lots of planning, lots of mistakes. These are the things that decide a game. We all learned these things as small children. As I get older I see lots more. I see the losers weeping, I see the covered heads, I see the turning away to the lockers. I don’t see the losers massing in front of the dugout or on the sidelines and applauding the winners. I don’t see any of the winners drawing the losers into the celebration or treating them with the sportsmanship I’m looking for.  If we’re who we say we are, do we want the rest of the world to see us as poor sports?  Are we poor sports? Is this the view we project and the idea that our house is divided? The great thing about freedom is the ability to give and take any honestly given comment on any subject and develop your own conclusions. Freedom's poorest thing is the ability to manipulate and bend anything honest and pure to suit whatever is on ones mind or in ones spirit. If we play the pure game and examine our motives, we will never need to be defended.

          That’s sportsmanship.           

Education by hoof and hide

I remember with fondness the horses of my youth. There were only three or four I got to know on a first name basis. Between the ages of six and 12, I had the great childhood experience of farm animals. Of them all, I remember the horse the best, and not for their great personalities but for their cantankerous nature, which I later learned was just an unwillingness to be led by an idiot. We lived in the apple country of northern Washington and horses in the 1950's were in my father’s words,” just a little better than walking.” And that was one of the kinder things he said. They were still tolerated as farm animals because they kept the children busy and out of trouble. Them and chores. Tricking one into a bridle was an education in itself. How could any large animal become so callous to the temptation of a large apple? We were always looking for new bait, it was worse than fishing. Anything we could make look tempting. All smart horses were out of range of the longest rope and quickest wit. Or maybe, at that age we were evenly matched, mentally. Since they were larger physically, I guess we were overmatched, as some of what follows will verify.


The bridle torture
Once the brilliant creature was in rope tow, it would often become docile, don’t believe it. All to often the rope would get slack and then the sharp teeth would grab whatever piece of rear facing meat most easily removed. When finally approaching the location of the bridle and saddle, care should be taken not to grasp the rope to closely, for the first look will often warrant a head jerk much longer than your arm. If you forget, next time change arms and even them out. Or if like me, grow old with long arms. A normal horse can stare down any man or beast still breathing, without a twitch. But come bridling time, it can become very animated, akin to shoving a snake up its nose. With the clarity of 50 years, I believe the horse just got bored or tired and finally let me put the bridle on.


The saddle torture
When it comes to saddling, many horses can put on a show worthy of a broadway chorus line. They can shimmy, siddle, do the Roger Rabbit and even invented the Moon Walk. Michael Jackson must have watched horses. The footwork and choreography are dazzling and in most cases worthy of some kind of award. But like the bridle, they bore easily and want to get on with the game. The cinch is adjustable up to the size of a small blimp, which is fortunate since many a horse can hold that much air. And holding that air would make many free divers envious. Don’t get your young fingers under that cinch when that horse looks ready to float, he can trap them with just a bit more air. He must know I’ve done my chores and have nothing else to do.


The Mount
Somewhere along the horse history path, they have imbedded into the genetic code the fact that they cannot be mounted if they are standing on a human foot. To bypass this, one must be accompanied to the mounting but anyone you dislike or can spare as a friend. Once the foot hits the stirrup, the chorus line can again start up, leaving the trailing foot in undecided limbo. It’s at this point that a good horse will shine. They even have their own rodeo games. During one of these encounters is where I discovered the term “horse laugh”. It really can. I thought it was my imagination or state of consciousness, but it sounded like “go again?”


Control
Once firmly mounted, (yeah right), the horse can only go where you direct it with the reins,(you betcha). I believe we have gotten this far only because the animal now knows it’s easier to get rid of us that put up with this torture. So for the most part this is the smooth part of the ride.
The full tilt gallop through any part of the barn that is horse high plus 6 inches is the preview of things to come. Please remember the saddling was done outside, going in is not by choice. Everything that will clear the saddlehorn, which is 3 inches below my bellybutton, can clear the barn.


The Orchard
Upon inspection at full gallop through the apple orchards, I discover only minor bleeding. Hardly worth the trouble of stopping, since I’m this far. A good day for riding on the trail of bandits and bad guys. (Take it either way) But again this smooth sailing is to lull the senses. Remember that half hour trot for him is a two hour walk for you. For now, your steed is in the league of Roy Roger’s Trigger. As you near the upper edge of the orchards, a mile from the barn, the irrigation ditch looms. Concrete, 6 feet deep and 12 feet wide, it rings most fruit valleys as a way of cheap water. In sight now, with only a few more apple trees to clear, the beast give a lurch for the nearest low branch. If it can’t be accomplished with a straightforward scrape, then the chorus line can be again attempted.


The Irrigation Ditch
If destined to get this far, the ditch must be followed to the nearest small, narrow, wooden bridge. It’s on this bridge that many a rider has lost his mount. Or better put, the mount his rider. The whole exercise lasts only 12 feet, but can be the longest 12 feet in your life. The possibilities are: you and horse safely across; you across and the horse diggin dirt toward the barn; you in the drink and the horse again on its way; you and the horse both in the ditch(in which case you most certainly will not get out in the same place). All of these but the first ends with horse laugh and wild eyed trot toward home.


Tumbleweeds, Sagebrush, Prairie Dogs and Rattlesnakes
By making it this far, everyone should know I’ve chewed, hugged, stoned, and jumped all the above. Mostly from an unwilling dismount, at least on my part. But after surviving any or all in the course of a ride, ones mount must be always viewed with a wary eye. Be suspicious any time it looks back over its shoulder for no good reason. Don’t tense, don’t change position, just be aware it can make high speed 90 degree turns that would put a jackrabbit to shame. These maneuvers may not be aimed at you but you’re the only one there.


Home
By far the most dangerous part of the ride. The horse is tired or tired of you. You are tired and thinking of something cool. The horse is thinking of the nearness of the barn. And all those things can come tragically true with an unchecked, 15 second charge toward the irrigation ditch. At the end, approximately 10 feet from the ditch, the horse will do a world class balk. For the uninformed, this is where the horse stops in the shortest measured distance and you don’t. If this fails to unseat the rider, it can improvise with a 90 degree turn at the last moment. Akin to a wrestlers”hip throw”. Unfettered and heading for the nearest crossing; which it has no trouble crossing; it gives you the laugh, smile, and look of a being that has given you exactly what you wanted or at least what you deserve. As I watch it fade into the apple orchard, I hear my last orders before leaving home: DON’T LET THAT HORSE EAT ANY APPLES. They might as well have said, “ Don't let that horse come home without you”.