TheBanyanTree: My Long Tall Texan

[Dee Churchill]

There's just something about Texans, isn't there? Thanks to the magic of
Internet mailing lists, I've come to know several and they are, without
exception, an exceptional breed. There is one in particular, though, who
holds a special place in my Family of the Heart and that would be Cecil
Talley.

It seems as though I've known Cees forever and, from the beginning, his
friendship has been as comfortable and durable as a favorite pair of cowboy
boots. An inveterate gentleman with a rascally sense of humor, I've never
known Cees to be anything but kind and loyal. As he will assure you, a Texan
never lies. And he doesn't. But he can sure tell some wonderful tall tales.

Cees took to the Internet like a hound dog with a pork chop, always learning
new stuff and trying it out on the rest of us. Part of the appeal of this
kind of communication was the fact that his hearing loss didn't hamper him
on a computer screen. Part of it was his curiosity about the world and
computer technology. Most of it, though, was because he just naturally likes
people and this was a great way to mix and mingle and stretch those little
gray cells.

The neat thing about Cees is that his affection for his friends is totally
genuine. He doesn't ask about you or your family because it's the polite
thing to do. He asks because he really cares and wants to know. The
generosity of spirit that spills out of his big Texan heart is awesome at
times. Need a hug or a chuckle? He's got one for you. Need moral support or
a new perspective on a problem? Cees is your man -- and he doesn't get upset
if you say "Thanks but no thanks," because he doesn't try to foist his way
on you.

Okay, maybe he occasionally foists just a little bit, in a very gentle way.
Like when my old digicam died and he insisted on giving me his, which was a
cool step up in the digicam universe. Every time I pick that camera up,
seriously, I send a happy thought to Cees. I'm not the only one he's blessed
that way but he never brags on himself. That's why the rest of us have to
tattle on him.

Like Texans, I never lie either -- although I've been known to be creative
with the truth. This, however, is the plain, unvarnished bottom line -- I
love Cecil Talley. Indeed I do. Here's huggin' on ya, Cees!