I headed west into new country simply because it was new country.”
–Louis L’Amour (Passin’ Through)
“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.'”
–Genesis 12:1 (NLT)
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I thought I’d give you something light yet very thought provoking; some humor with a lot of truth thrown in. It’s by Waddie Mitchell, titled “Come Don”. Some of you will not get the situation because these kind of stores really do not exist any more.
I saw emotions well up in him as she pointed with a grin
Sayin’, “Sign here at the bottom please” while handing him a pen
I could tell he needed venting, or I feared he would explode
So I dug in for the onslaught while he proceeded to unload
His opinions on that young gal, how this country should be run
How lawyers should be something scarce, how business should be done
How you didn’t need no contract when a man’s word was an oath
Which was worth a whole lot more than any paper signed by both
How at one time giant deals were closed by simply shaking hands
Cuz you could stake your livelihood upon the honor of a man
An’ how neighbor didn’t merely mean some people living near
An’ how all could walk the streets at night without a nagging fear
‘Cause citizens could arm themselves an’ crimes weren’t blamed on guns
But on the crimesters that committed them an’ bad ones still got hung
An’ how a shyster’s reign was short lived, ’cause a town would run ’em off
An’ how your thugs an’ thieves would land in jail, ’cause judges weren’t so soft
An’ how divorce was near unheard of, an’ how kids were raised at home
An’ how there weren’t these old folk centers, ’cause we took care of our own
An’ how yer cars an’ tools weren’t thrown away, ’cause things were built to last
An’ how a man would tip his hat out on the street when ladies passed
That young gal’s eyes were glazin’ as she stood there in a stare
I was gettin’ kinda antsy an’ was wanting out of there
But he went on about…fat cowboys, how they once were hard an’ lean
Before they all used trucks an’ goose necks an’ how strikes were seldom seen
An’ how if you were able bodied then you found yourself some work
Because them welfare checks weren’t handed out to anyone that shirk’d
An’ how you didn’t need no resume to land yourself a job
An’ how a public office wasn’t just a legal way to rob
An’ how to visit to your doctor didn’t cost an arm an’ leg
An’ how an appointment with your banker wouldn’t dictate that you beg
An’ how insurance was affordable ’cause folks weren’t out to sue
Because they weren’t expecting ten times more than they were rightly due
An’ how a liberal press weren’t handing us a constant bill o’fare
An’ how yer taxes wouldn’t break ya ’cause we all paid our fair share
But then the public trough weren’t feeding near so many bureaucrats
An’ yes the government was small once, now it’s like a swarm of gnats
An’ how it just keeps on growin’, an’ how the working man can’t win
An’ how the deficit won’t shrink ’til they spend less than they bring in
And where democracy is strugglin’ we must lend a helpin’ hand
An’ how it ain’t right that some foreigners are buying up this land
He’d gone on for twenty minutes ‘fore he took himself a breath
I thought I’d better stop him ‘fore he talks that gal to death
So I said, “Don yer right on all counts, but we really oughta go
An’ if you don’t sign that there contract…we can’t rent the video”
Grin an’ have a good weekend!