The man part of me wanted to punch the guy in the mouth for his stupid and nasty language, but the married part of me was once again smarter and so I just walked away.
We were within earshot of the crude old boy at the gate of the farm show and had to wait to get past him as we were leaving. He did not want to pay for admission to the grounds and was telling the world about it. It cost $5 each and the money went to getting the place cleaned up after the show.
The incident made me think about a lot of things. Sure $10 for him and his wife would buy groceries, put some socks on a kid, and a little gas in the truck. But the thing I keep going over is why did he think it would be free. We know nothing is free anymore, yet we sometimes are a little surprised. He could have done some other pastime with his family and saved the gas he burned coming to the fairgrounds.
He cussed and ranted for a few minutes and then kicked some boards off the ticket shack as he left. His wife was meekly following him to the parking lot, expecting a baby pretty soon and carrying a 2-year-old. So is your life really and truly tough or do you just wish you had a new boat?
There are a million things that produce tough times -- arid weather, no money, and sickness. At the time we are able to only take tiny steps toward making life better but, eventually, it rains, a job shows up and we get well or die. I am talking about things worse than a fever blister or a hangnail, although some folks have to have a sling for that!
I am sure a hard time can wreck a day. I have had some wrecked days but the sun still came up the next morning. My sainted mother died after a long hard winter of suffering cancer and my pappy wanted to die with her. That was a hard time, but time wore the corners off the wheels and we came out of the worst days of our lives. Then, by golly, my pappy lived only eight years and he died too. Hard times, and another tough row to hoe.
We are blessed in so many ways, mostly because the Lord takes good care of fools and I qualify! We try to live by His way and His book. We have family -- some days a lot of family -- and we are appreciative of it and yet we know life is fragile and we had better love and hang on tight to all of them because hard times come to all.
It is my opinion, and everyone has one, a cussing, kicking man who is so crude and mean-spirited is a hard time. He will suffer in his own skin even while he makes others unhappy and miserable. He is to be pitied and she is to be prayed over! Hard Time that she is married to and raising old Hard Time's babies is her lot and I am sorry. We gotta do what we can to help and I still wonder if a good solid left to the jaw would have made him more gentle.
Things are sprouting and I am happy! Cattle are growing and Turkey Day is very near!
Bill is the pen name used by the Gravette area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.