>>Valley Patriot>> |
NEW ENGLAND vs. TEXAS
Now we are into September, and already I can feel a change in the air. The sun is still hot, but the humidity has dropped. How often have these high-priced weather forecasters told us, “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”? On that they were right, but the rest of their fancy forecasts remain doubtful - even to planning a picnic the next day. But I digress. We are approaching the best time of the year and it’s in New England. The cooler temperatures, the leaves getting ready to change color, the invigorating and cleansing night air drifting through the open bedroom windows – ahh, it’s refreshing indeed. ’Tis a good time to be alive, especially in New England. Jim is Vice-Commander of American Legion Post #219. He served as a combat infantryman in WWII, fighting in France and Germany with the 70th Infantry Division. We really are starting to feel invigorated! Which reminds me of my Southern Cracker Barrel friend, I.J. Schenkir, a Texan through and through, and proud of his Texas A&M background. He’s an Aggie, you know, and I told you about him in a previous column. I.J.’s a Texas Southern boy who travels with a special suitcase for his Texas dress cowboy boots so that he and his wife Barbara can strut on the dance floor in their fancy boots and ten gallon hats, doing the “Texas two steps.” What a great sight for us Yankees (oops, I mean us Red Sox)! Well, I.J. sent me another flock of email country-boy yarns and although this has nothing to do with New England, it does give me a correct title and it puts a little balance into another Senior Moments column, which I always strive for in The Valley Patriot. So here is an excerpt: I.J. remembers the story about the old country preacher who had a teenage son, and it was getting time the boy should give some thought along the line of choosing a profession. Like many young men then and now, the boy didn’t really know what he wanted to do, and he didn’t seem overly concerned about it. One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. What he did was, he went into the boy’s room and placed on his study table these three objects: a Bible, a silver dollar, and a bottle of whiskey. “Now then,” the old preacher said to himself, “I’ll just hide behind the door here, and when my son comes home from school this afternoon, I’ll see which of these three objects he picks up. If he picks up the Bible, he’s going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be! If he picks up the dollar, he’s going to be a businessman and that would be OK, too. But if he picks up the bottle, he’s going to be a drunkard – a no-good drunkard – and Lord, what a shame that would be.” The old man was anxious as he waited. Soon he heard his son’s footsteps as he came whistling into the house and headed back to his room. He deposited his books on the bed, as a matter of routine, and as he turned around to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table. With a curious set in his eye, he walked over to inspect them. What he finally did was, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped it into his pocket. He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink. “Lord have mercy,” the old man whispered. “He’s gonna be a politician!” Well I.J., I guess people are the same everywhere. See you all in October. Maybe we will go leaf peeping - then maybe we won’t. Jim is Vice-Commander of American Legion Post #219. He served as a combat infantryman in WWII, fighting in France and Germany with the 70th Infantry Division. You can email him with questions or comments at: Cassperryst@aol.com *Send your questions
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Praise
the Lord! We seniors are always concerned about extremes
of weather, be it cold or hot, and we finally staggered
through another fiercely hot and humid summer which
seemed almost unbearable at times. Gee Whiz - you know,
if it wasn’t for my central airconditioned Town
House, my air-conditioned car, gardeners who now do all
of the outside chores around this so-called condo
complex, with all golf dates put on hold, plenty of iced
drinks available – why, I don’t think I
would've made it. It’s been really tough!