TheBanyanTree: Two Days; Two Funerals

[Pam James]

We've been needing some stories around here - thanks Dale, for stepping
up!!!

On Sat, Sep 4, 2021 at 9:30 PM dale.m.parish--- via TheBanyanTree <
thebanyantree at lists.remsset.com> wrote:

> Two Days; Two Funerals
>
>
>
> FRIDAY, at Bobby's graveside service, after almost everyone had told a
> story
>
> about the old cowboy, his horses, his grandkids, and his roping, Joe asked
> if
>
> anyone else had something to say.
>
>
>
> I asked, "What's the significance of the roadrunner on the stone,"
> referring
>
> to the carved roadrunner on the headstone between Bobby's name and date of
>
> birth and the name and date of birth of his wife, who preceded him some
> years.
>
>
>
> Joe snickered.  "You know about twelve-ons and twelve-offs.  For the rest
> of
>
> you, Mama worked them at the hospital, where they'd work a few days, a day
>
> off, then a few nights, and a few nights off, then towards the end of the
>
> month, they'd have eight days and nights off.  Bobby got his shift at the
>
> plant to coincide with Mama's so they'd both have eight days off together.
>
> They bought a Toyota Landcruiser, a cook stove, and two six foot six
> sleeping
>
> bags that would zip together, and put in an ice chest and a sack of
> firewood.
>
> When they had both finished their last night shift before their eight days
>
> off, they'd meet at 05:30 when they got off, drive up to the lake and cook
>
> breakfast over a fire and watch the sun come up.  Then, they'd do the
> dishes
>
> and load up in the Toyota and head out.  Carlsbad, Colorado, the panhandle,
>
> Arkansas, Florida, didn't matter-- they'd be gone the whole eight days
>
> somewhere, running the roads and sleeping in the back of the Toyota.  When
> I
>
> got mine, I had to buy an air mattress, but not them.  That's why the road
>
> runner on their stone."
>
>
>
> Joe looked at Cindy for a minute, and then said, "I'm going to tell another
>
> story about Bobby.  You don't ride a stud horse in a trail ride.  You just
>
> don't.  But Bobby's Morgan horse stud, he let YOU ride in the Dogwood
>
> Festival Parade.  Nobody else but you and Bobby ever rode that horse-- he
>
> trusted you with that horse, but nobody else.  Ever."
>
>
>
> I knew the horse-- Bobby had worked for us as ranch manager when I was a
> kid.
>
> When we'd had trouble with PWRs-- Piney Wood Rooters-- wild hogs tearing up
>
> the pastures, Bobby had brought that stud and his hog dogs down for a hog
>
> hunt.  My horse would never allow anyone to shoot off him-- if you got on
> him
>
> with a pistol or a rifle, when he heard the first click of a gun being
> cocked,
>
> he started crow hopping, and if you did fire a shot, you were in for a
> rodeo.
>
> Not Bobby's horse.  He had an long hex barrel 32-20 pump that I'd seen
> Bobby
>
> stick the barrel right over that stud's head and shoot a hog, and that stud
>
> never quivered-- was still for a second shot.  Enviable.
>
>
>
> SATURDAY
>
> I don't know much about Episcopalians, and my hearing is such that I don't
>
> understand much of what is said when the priests are all wearing masks, but
> I
>
> stood up and sat down with the rest of them.  After the service, there
> seemed
>
> to be a division to the exit-- many were escorted out down front, but it
>
> seemed that was the younger contingent-- those of us younger than 80 were
>
> going out front, and the older congregation members were going out the
> back.
>
> I looked at Cindy with a quizzical look, and we decided that we'd go out
>
> front.  Turns out we were going outside to some kind of outdoor vestibule
>
> where the immediate family gathered, and the rest of us stood out in the
>
> church yard under the live oaks for shade.  I couldn't hear what was being
>
> said by the priests, but then a guy pulled out his guitar case and the
> priests
>
> exited the enclosure and a lady pulled out some sheet music and encouraged
>
> everyone to get in the shade and gather round.  Seems the deceased had a
> sense
>
> of humor, and had requested these offspring to lead the mourners in singing
>
> three specific songs.  I was surprised when I heard the first chords to "It
>
> Wasn't God Who Made Honkey Tonk Angels," but when the vocalist leading us
>
> broke into those words, I had to sing along.  Through all the verses.  The
>
> next one was "Drop Kick Me Jesus, Through The Goal Posts Of Life," followed
> by
>
> "Rock Of Ages."
>
>
>
> Then we all went upstairs to the fellowship hall for punch and cookies,
> where
>
> two Airmen performed the flag ceremony, reverently unfolding and presenting
>
> the colors, then just as reverently refolding the flag and presenting it to
>
> the oldest son.  Brings tears to my eyes every time.  My oldest son had
> that
>
> duty for the last six months of his enlistment, attending veteran's
> funerals
>
> in a two hours drive radius from Fort Polk.  I had PNOKers duty when I was
> on
>
> active duty-- Primary Next Of Kin notification.  I'd get a call at 05:00 in
>
> the morning advising me to head out to the plant and get my orders to
> locate
> a
>
> survivor, which would often have to be tracked down with help of the
> sheriff
>
> or other law enforcement, to deliver the short spiel, "Maam, the Secretary
> of
>
> Defense regrets to inform you of the death of your husband/son/grandson,
>
> etc...." and then inform the survivor that a Survival Assistance Officer
> would
>
> be contacting them for arrangements.  During the Viet Nam War, those came
> too
>
> often.
>
>
>
> But these were the first two funerals we've been to recently that weren't
>
> COVID victims.  Both had led a long and fruitful life.  The kind I'd rather
> go
>
> to.  Week before last was the brother of a friend who had refused to get
>
> vaccinated and died of COVID at 48.  Sad.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Dale M. Parish                                   For All Of Mankind'S
> Supposed Accomplishments,
>
> 628 Parish RD                                    Our Continued Existence Is
> Dependent Upon 20
>
> Orange TX 77632-0264                    Centimeters Of Topsoil And The Fact
> That It Rains.
>
>  <mailto:Dale.M.Parish at gmail.com> Dale.M.Parish at gmail.com
> --Toilet Stall Wall
>
> 409-790-2352
>
>
>
>
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