"Rooted" may be a better choice of words. What you see above is the top of an actual fence post that used to sit on my property.

The photograph above represents what I eventually came to see whenever I paid it a visit. So I brought it to life with my camera and some computer software simply as an exercise in creativity.

I can only attest for the 23 years I have lived here but local historians believe it's a good bet this post was probably placed in the ground over a hundred years ago. The general consensus is that it was set where it shouldn't of been; just outside my property line.

So last spring when the city of Alpine was reassessing it's property the location of my errant post was duly noted.

When I took down the fence [by demand] this post was so stubborn I had to pull it out with a tow chain hitched to the chassis of my truck. Apparently it was placed in the ground when it was still alive and as a result of an apparent "last gasp" effort, it sprouted roots. Seriously, a fence post with actual roots.

My wife has labeled me as a know-it-all (and as she is one herself she must certainly be correct). Know it or not it's her rhetoric reference to the the fact that my opinions are rooted in 62 years of experience. The fence post story illustrates the fact that right or wrong, in the end, even the most established and rooted of "whatever" can be dislodged with proper persuasion. So please feel free to attempt to dislodge any of my opinions that follow if deemed necessary.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Women

I’ve been surrounded by them my entire life. As my father’s only son I had four sisters. I’ve been married twice, both times to women. Like my father, I had one son and four daughters. My mother was a woman as were all of my aunts and even my grandmothers and mother-in-laws.

When I was in grade school, during recess I used to chase them. Once I got in trouble for kissing one of them after a successful ‘catch.’ Thus, my first ever pang of guilt was felt because of a soon to be woman.

Oh, make no mistake; many of them are evil, all are annoying. Estrogen is kryptonite to any real man.

It’s said that behind every great man stands a women. What they don’t say is that behind every man’s fall, everyman’s most insane and stupid act stands a woman. Remember Delilah and Pandora’s Box?

Yet they are nice to touch and easy on the eyes. Adorable and loving; intelligent and strong. In the end they level the scale and are indispensable.

I’ve often toyed with the idea of ‘dropping out’ by becoming a mountain man. Then it hits me; I’ve got to find a mountain woman first. So far I’ve been unsuccessful.

- Larry

An after thought: I think it was a good idea, attributed to God, to leave the decisions and actions of 'war' to men.