Our five senses, not counting horsesense, are pretty amazing. I was thinking about that this morning as I drove from pasture to pasture. I don't want this repeated, but I have a hang nail and the darn thing really hurts. I have little strobe lights of pain leaving the center of the injury and traveling halfway to my elbow. I have tried to cut the hide off close to the flesh with some scissors that are supposed to work on such as what I have. They didn't do a good job at all. Nail clippers were worse. Therefore, I was thinking about the sense of touch. Do not touch myfinger!
My mind wanders occasionally. My close relative says it is almost always on a trip somewhere! My eyes are important to me and to my business. The sense of sight is such a gift to us who have good eyes. Even us old ones with old eyes that are wearing out. I can still see pretty darn good and I have nothing to complain about. I learned from a TV commercial that one of the obstacles blind folks face is not even being able to tell day from night. That caused me to really think about my sense of sight. I am thankful I can see all the cattle and even look at the sorry ones! Let me explain: sorry ones not in our pastures!
A favorite thing in my life is the sense of taste. I relish the taste of beans, beef, biscuits and pie. I will not ever be able to pick my favorite flavor of pie, I guess it would have to be hot or cold! I like the taste of iced tea, hot coffee, windmill water, water melon and a billion other treats.
Smell seems to be connected with taste. The sense of smell is a true blessing or a vile curse at times. A skunk will clabber your day so bad and, not only your day but, if you aren't careful, anyone who comes into contact with you is sickened. But the great odor of a pan of biscuits or pies baking is as welcome as rain in my life.
Hearing is a sense that protects us and gives pleasure. We hear the babbling of our children that is golden, and we also hear sirens that warn. I think of the rattle of the old nasty sneaky snake and then the welcoming nicker of Snip when I open the door of the barn. I liketo hear. Maybe I do have some selective hearing as I have been accused, but who wants to hear all the thoughts on someone else's mind? As nice and charming as I am, I don't want to hear everything!
It is my opinion, and everyone hasone, the school books don't include horse sense and that is a terrible shame! That is a sense that makes businesses succeed and countries develop. The lack of that important sense causes depressions, economic failure, riots and plain disgust in association with governments. Horse sense starts at the mother's knee and should be developed by the time a kid is house broke!
Enjoy your sights, hear the birds, feel the breeze, smell the hamburger joints as you pass, taste your dinner and think about voting in some horse sense!
Bill is the pen name used by the Gravette-area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 10/07/2015