You don't know what you think you know

Well, I am here in South Carolina with my brother Larry who is in the hospital.  You might not be like me, but I bet you are.  

I think of Larry, my brother, as a recluse and not particularly well-known or has any close friends but a great fisherman and OCD about fishing and cattle.  Larry has been in the hospital or rehab hospital since November 1st, 2021, and today is December 14th, 2021.  What I have learned is that he is not a recluse, has a huge list of close friends that love and admire him and that he has been very successful on a national basis in the cattle business.  WOW!  To me, he was just my big brother, and I was proud of the fact he had a PHD and was called Doctor Olson.  I was also pleased to find out he believes in God and knows Jesus.  I am blessed by the time I have been spending with him and what I have learned.

What I remember about him was he loved to quail hunt and he and I would hunt for hours and hours without a dog and of course he was a great shooter.  He also was a great fisherman, and we would fish for hours and hours when we could get away from farm and ranch work.  We would seine for minnows or dig worms or get some liver out of the freezer (for catfishing) and head for the creek behind the house (Beaver Creek).  I should comment that since dad did not like liver it was free game to use it for fish bait.  Mom liked it but no one else did at our house, but that is another story.

What is interesting to me is that all that OCD stuff and love of fishing and cattle has not stopped.  Just in case you don't know what OCD is:  it is a passion for being orderly and very detailed.  His house is the most organized place in America.  Every cabinet and every room and every file are well documented and labeled and organized.  Even his shirts are not just organized but evenly spaced and placed on hangers that are color coded for how they are washed and ironed.  Yes, he does iron his own clothes.  When he was in college he would not let mom iron his shirts as he was very picky then as well.  His socks and underwear are folded and organized in the drawers.  There is no clutter, not even under the bathroom sinks.

OK, back to his friends and South Carolina.  The outpouring of love and admiration for Larry was shocking as I had no idea.  Kevin Yon shared that Larry has done more for ranches across America than about anyone he knows.  Becky Davis worked with Larry for 30+ years at Edisto/Clemson and she talks fondly of Larry and what a good boss he was.  She shared how he always had a list of things to do even when she and her husband Mac ran into him in a Cincinatti airport.  They called out to him and instead of saying hello, Larry talked about what they needed to do when they got back to home.  Very focused!  Phil Perry and David Gasda and Melissa McCleod all shared what a good friend he was and how helpful he was to them and their family.  They may have been blessed, but I was enormously blessed.

So, what does this teach me?  What do you learn in the Osage?

• Write down the stories of your family, NOW
• What you think you know is not the real story
• Remember the best of a person, forget the bad, it only hurts you

If you are mad or upset with someone, you might want to find out what they are thinking because it is probably only half the story, your half.

Thanks for listening, 

gary@mylifelegacy.co

if you need to talk:  405-410-2918 or text