Swimming in the old pond

Nowadays (that has to be a word) folks just don't swim unless they can see the bottom of the pool but in the days growing up in the Osage we swam with the fishes.  In particular I remember in the heat of summer mom would rally the troops and we took off through the pasture to the pond east of the house.  It was a catfish pond because it was too muddy for a bass pond and when you walked into the pond you could feel the mud squeeze up between your toes.  In fact I bet the mud was over a foot deep because when you would take a step there was a suction around your feet making it hard to walk much less run into the water.  This is the same pond I wrote about where Larry and I went to play hockey during the winter.  Anyway generally Debbie, Larry, Mom and I would go but it seemed more often than not another family would be with us or at least their kids.  I can remember Mom would always be wearing a brown swim suit and Dad never went swimming.  Many times you could feel the fish bumping into your legs and occasionally trying to nip at your toes and fingers.  Maybe we were noodlers and did not know it, HUM?  The other great part of the swim was the water was soooooooo cool but the cool water was generally about 1 to 2 feet below the surface.  The surface water was quit warm like bath water and the air temperature was normally in the 90's.  Isn't  is interesting how water just a few feet below the surface can be so cold to down right cold?  I don't know why but I guess it was just that I trusted my folks judgement but I never had a fear of swimming in that muddy water and I gave little thought to when I saw a water moccasin (snake) in the pond.  

Now back to Dad, it was interesting that he never learned to swim but what folks did not know is Dad's oldest brother (Arvin as I recall) had drown when he was about 18 years old and my grandad was so torn up about it that he never let the boys go swimming again and the young ones never even got a chance to learn.  I guess it might have been Grandma Olson that stopped the swimming but after losing one son they were not going to take a chance again..  Tragedy can change a families life.  Speaking of being over protective there were five sons still living and all five were in WWII at the same time.  Now that is what I would call stressful.

Back to swimming.  We also would go swimming in the creek behind the house (west of the house) but generally it was too shallow of water to swim in but you certainly could go wading and there were a few small pools of water but not enough room to swim in.  Now that was true for Beaver Creek but the old Salt Creek had plenty of places to swim and when in high school we boys found ourselves in the creek often.  In fact there was always a contest to see who would go swimming first after the new year.  As I recall it was either Rick Cottle or Steve Chrisco who generally would win this one.  If I had to pick the most daring person it would have to be Hugh Allen Jones as he could never risk a dare and in fact if you wanted to suck him into some deal all you would have to do is challenge him by suggesting that he was chicken (scared).  He always had guts and again that is why he was a Marine.

Oh well, I gotta go as I am on the way to Texas for a little work.  Yes I still work and if you want to know more look at www.garylolson.net.  

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• Fear exists if someone around you teaches you fear - 
• Sometimes there is a snake in the grass metaphorically speaking 
• Tragedy is not what defines you/me but how you react is what defines a person

Thanks for listening,

Gary@thepioneerman.com

T-Ball and how it changed my life

I have told many a story about Preston, our son with Down Syndrome, but there is a story I would love to share because it will show you how you can make a big difference in more than one person's life.

When Preston was about 7 years old and really behind kids his age in physical and mental ability there was a lot going on in our lives raising two other children and trying to make a living.  We had noticed that Preston did not get some of the luxuries other children got like playing T-ball and thinking about playing football and wrestling with his buddies and getting into fights with his big sister and big brother.  He did not get some of the independence other children get automatically in life.  He especially missed out on having "buddies", friends who asked him to play.  Now of course Wynter and Chase his sister and brother played with him but he did not have that pier group of friends at school and church.  He was not invited over to kids houses to play nor was he invited to their birthday parties and especially he was not wanted on the regular kids sports teams.  But there was one exception which will resonate in my entire being for the rest of my life.

One evening I got a call from a friend from church named Dennis Hale (wife Shelly).  They had a son who was about 5 years old and Dennis was one of those dads who had a passion for life and a passion for sports.  Dennis loved to hunt and fish and do about anything for his wife and son.  He had and has an enthusiasm for life that is tremendous.  I remember when it was time for trick or treat, he was one of those who really got out there and decorated and got ready to have a great time.  But this one time he did something that just brought me literally to tears.  He asked me if Preston could play on his baseball team!  I was speechless and of course we said yes.  But that is not the end of the story.

Dennis worked with Preston over and over again.  Preston would hit the ball and take off running and you could not be sure which direction he would go but he knew to go somewhere.  Everyone would be yelling and Preston would smile and run but he might run to 3rd then home or to 2nd then first.  It was wild.  And when Preston was playing in the field (always the outfield) Dennis would stand proudly with Preston even though there was tremendous lack of understanding on both of their parts on what the other was thinking.  Somehow Dennis's expectations were not to score runs or catch the ball but his was about including a kid who was never asked to be friends with normal kids.  Dennis talked to the other kids about encouraging and helping Preston.  The game was about the person and not the rules.  It was not about winning the game but winning the game of life.

Again the story does not end there.  When we played other teams I saw kids intentionally not tag Preston out or intentionally drop the ball and I saw opposing coaches go to the umpire and tell them Preston was not struck out or tagged on a base.  Did you hear me?  The coaches of the OTHER team.  On top of that I saw fans who typically would be screaming at their children or their own coaches cheer for Preston.  I saw stands full of folks standing and cheering as Preston would cross home plate.  Preston is now 26 and it still makes my eyes water as I recall the stories of heroism of the fans, coaches, umpires, and players from the OTHER teams cheer for the success of a 7 year old boy with down syndrome.

I wish I could say it has always been that encouraging and no one ever hurt our feelings on how they treated our son but I can say that Dennis Hale got his Angels Wings a little early and that God blessed him in a special way that no other person can replace.  I doubt that Dennis will ever see this as we have lost touch with them but there will always be a special place in my heart for a guy that filled my son with joy.  I could say it another way and that is Preston might not realize what a special deal this was but Dennis blessed my family like no other.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• An act of total unselfish love is absolutely unmeasurable
• An act of kindness resonates far beyond the one simple act
• Do something for somebody without any selfish motive and you might earn your Angels Wings a little before it is time

Thanks for listening,

gary@thepioneerman.com

Mrs. Whitt

Mrs. Whitt was always very nice to me and I never had her in class but she really had class.  She cared about people and you could feel it when you were around her.  She would always ask questions of you and speak like you were important.  But most of all I have to give Mrs. Whitt and "A" for her legacy and that would be her boys Jim and Mark.  Of course there was another brother which I never really knew and then Mr. Whitt who always garnered your respect but Mrs. Whitt was something very special.

She had class both figuratively and literally meaning she was a lady of ladies.  I really liked what Virginia Chrisco Springer said, "I learned so much from the woman she was. She taught me how to be a liberated woman without being a women libber. You could have your independence and still be a wonderful Christian, mother and wife."   When Mrs. Whitt found out about my blogging she began to write me and send me her kind thoughts of encouragement and material which I might give thought to and write about.  You will find sprinkles of her inspiration in my writings (only the good ones).  She was a teacher to the very end and what I would call a REAL teacher because she taught you/me by mentoring not criticism.  The interesting thing is she was never my teacher in school but by her example and by her most recent mentoring.  She taught you even through her boys.

If you have never met Jim or Mark you are really missing out.  Jim is a motivational writer and speaker and if you don't have his books you should find them or contact me and I will tell you how to find them.  Mark is a decorated and retired servant of the America we love, he was and is always a Green Beret (I stand corrected) who served until just a couple of years ago when he finally retired after serving in Iraq a number of times.

Finally if you have to ask, "what did Mrs. Whitt accomplish in life?"  The answers are easy.

• She was a lady
• A teacher 
• A mentor
• An example
• A wife
• A servant
• A mother
• She raised two successful young men  and when I say successful I am speaking of men of character and principle and honor

I suggest each of us ask ourselves, "what matters most?"  and each of us will come up with answers that describe the life of Mrs. Peggy Whitt Asher and her legacy.

Thanks to you for listening but most of all thanks to, as Jim Gaskell says, Mrs. Whitt!

A life well lived, by Mrs. Whitt.

gary@thepioneerman.com