Prejudice in the Osage

Now you are probably wondering where there was prejudice in the Osage and for the most part I did not know it existed.  Primarily the reason I never thought it existed in the Osage is because I was either too busy doing something or it was because it did not matter to me what color you were.  I guess there might be another reason and that is I am part Indian just like about everyone else I grew up with and no one in our family talked about folks in terms of their color.

 But there is one prejudice that I have found myself talking about over the years and now I want to bring it out in the open. Larry Wayne, the little boy in the real cool cub scout uniform sitting in the picture, also known as my older brother was favored by my mom and dad.  Now this is the one reason that I have such a complex today and  am unsure of myself (just kidding).  You see my mom was the scout leader for Larry, Kenny Kelsey, Joe Conner (later to become the only Eagle Scout out of Grainola), Neal McConaghy, Larry Joe Stephens, Glen Jones, and who knows who all else.  Don't forget Pat Conwell who was the one that threw the rotten egg at the barn roof only to come down on my favorite sister's head (Debbie Schaefer).  From my perspective it was one of the coolest clubs you can imagine.  Dad would cut down trees and build giant bonfires for cub scout parties and he even built a cub scout house just for the boys to meet in.  They had a deer head in the club house and all kinds of stuff they made and they would meet there every week to work on getting new badges.  Also about once a month we would go to Webb City (that is where Uncle Bill Heath was principal for one year) and meet at the Phillips Men's Club for presentation of badges and awards.  Too say the least I always wanted to be a Boy Scout.  Did you know that Boy Scouts of America was founded in Pawhuska?

Can you see why I loved it?  It was the recognition of accomplishment and the disappointment of not getting a badge when someone else was getting one that attracted me to the scouts.  Does this sound a little like FREE ENTERPRISE and why America is great and why scouting is a great thing?  Watching what these guys did made me competitive and ambitious.   Now that I think about it the things that have made me better in life are the things I had to work harder for to achieve and the defeats that I had to overcome.  You see I was never in scouts but I WATCHED and LEARNED.  Those guys and the way they achieved influenced me.  Hopefully we all learn that the things we do and say influence those who WATCH us.

Well I love to tell folks that Mom and Dad loved Larry more than me and that is why they led scouting until I was old enough to be one.  But you know what I have learned?  I have learned that as I get older I would like someone else to step up and lead but there are just a lot more folks who would rather not.  I am just extremely proud that my parents stood up and led the charge and made things happen including leading cub scouts and boy scouts for my brother.  They (my parents) were an example of what I want to be and hopefully of what I have become.  For that, I want to say thanks to God for two of the greatest parents I could ever ask for and an older brother and sister who were good examples to follow.  Just a side note:  Debbie was always a servant and loved helping folks and Larry was about the most focused and deliberate person I have ever seen.  They both took after my parents, our parents and they were great examples.

Well, what do you learn in the Osage?

• If you cannot lead, serve, or do something!
• Prejudice is for those who don't have enough to do
• Defeat is an opportunity to learn
• Getting down is normal but getting up EVERY time is what is important
• Be careful, YOU are always an example to someone, even those you don't know

Thanks for your time,

gary@thepioneerman.com

 I had better first tell you that this is a tongue-in-cheek story meaning I have always made a joke of this and there really is no prejudice.  OK, so here goes.