OPINION: Severe headache is not minor discomfort

I spend a large part of my time giving animals feed, high-dollar feed mainly. I feed my horses because I want to; they don't actually make any money, but I count them as necessary for living. I feed the bulls in the bullpen hoping they will bring in some cash at some future date, even knowing they might not ever produce a profit. I feed cows, steers, heifers, and every morning I feed barn cats and old Dog. Some of these might produce that profit thing but many times we hit a smidge below that line that denotes break even. Saying all that so I can say I sure like what I do and where I live.

The other thing that is very important is the fact that we have to stay upright, walking on all twos and able to take care of business. We don't have days off or sick days worked into our schedule, so we go on to work sneezing, coughing and aching and try to do the day's demands. I am not sick very often; my close relative is just almost never sick, and I can only remember once she was in bed sick, other than having a baby.

Morning started right on time today and, when I sat up, my head split right down the middle. Ache is not what it did; screaming pain is what it did, and I did not have a party last night! This is caused by the high mold that is being spread by all the wonderful oak trees we have in our midst! I did get on up, did not cry, and have discovered the little red pills for the relief I needed so desperately make me very sleepy!

My close relative offered a pill and water and then hot coffee. The coffee helped, and I finally got out to do the feeding. The offspring showed up and the older one loaded feed in the pickup for me. They are good to help take care of me so I won't quit and leave it all to them! I fed and started counting animals but, about twelve minutes into looking, they started getting so fuzzy I laid my head on the steering wheel and killed the motor.

It was noon fifteen when I raised up to realize Dog was wanting out of the pickup and my head was not hurting. I let him out and started looking for the cows. All of them had grazed off to the other side of the eighty. What to do next was on my mind, so I finished counting the fall cow herd and headed in for the dinner my stomach said was sure needed.

It is my opinion, and everyone has one, a severe headache or a hangnail, a stumped toe and a fever blister are counted as a minor discomfort. That is a cock-and-bull story! The aforementioned conditions can be very painful and may be worse than anyone can imagine. I have made myself work under conditions that were difficult and downright inhuman but at least I kept going. I've endured broken bones, stitches in my body and kept right on going. The proof is in the pudding, when a feller passes out from pain, he should have been put in bed and a cool cloth applied to his forehead and not sent out to labor! That is my story and I am sticking to it!

Hope you were able to keep your powder dry! Remember the Alamo!

Bill is the pen name used by the Gravette-area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.