i have been fighting the evil on the face of the earth, every day, day in and day out.

Damn well every now and then got to remember to stop and smell the roses.

i post story after story, few of my short things, (am under no illusion i am a writer, will leave that to Lewie).

Damn it, time i tell you something which don’t make you think of all the bad shit going on.

The i was about 17, had this girlfriend up on San Antone.

Now, i was smarter than most of them hill billies.

Anyone grew up in a small community knows just what i am talking about.

Now, when the pond is small, any half way decent fish is desirable.

Works the same with girls.

Now, any half decent looking gal in a small pond tends to get the big head. Just natural i suppose, but i always knew that across a few county lines, was a big place, had more good looking, willing girls than i could get to in a life time.

Sides, one of them boys hooked up with one of them local gals, she owned his ass and time, lock, stock and barrel.
Hell, he might as well just put a ring in his nose, hand her a rope tied to it, cause he could not take a leak behind a tree without permission.

Me, i would leave high school on Friday evening, head that car to San Antone.

Around one or two clock in the morning, monday morning, i’d tare myself away from all that feminine warmth of some girl, and head for the hill country and Monday morning classes.

If i was lucky, i’d get a couple hours sleep before dragging my butt out of bed, getting to 1st class late.

Have to go by the principals office, get a tarty slip.

Now, the principle had dated my sister in high school, my father had baptized him, and i got away with murder.

One Monday morning, hung over, tired, but with some very happy memories, i told him.
i just could not think of an excuse i had not used recently, so i just told the truth, (Hell, he knew anyway, game we played).
i just could not leave my girlfriend last night.

He looks at me and says, John, I am going to be forced to give you, an unexcused tarty slip.
Next time help your dad get the cows back in the fence.

I said Yes Sir!

Well, one week end, my girlfriend was going up to a lake, with her father and his girlfriend, (my girlfriend lived with mom and step dad).

I was invited, and spent the weekend up there with them.

With her dad there, wasn’t a real productive weekend.

Oh the swimming was good, the food was good, but her dad was a teenage boy once, and watch my butt like a hawk.
Good Father!

Had a brother and sister, who greatest desire in life, (other than money), seemed to be to take every single thing i did, turn it, bend it, twist it, until they had made it sound as bad as possible, run and tattle to my father and mother.

keep in mind, i am the youngest and the only kid left at home, which means they are Supposed to be grown up.
Hell the sister had a daughter older than me!

Seems they knew there was some kind of special bond between my father and i, and they wanted to be more important than i was to him.

Complete childlike behavior, insecurities.

Maybe that bond was because i was maybe one of two kids, he could have an intelligent conversation with about what matters in life, without the zionist shit injected into the conversation.

Anyway, i stoped by this brothers house, on the way home.

First thing he tells me is, “Mama and Daday are real upset with you for spending the weekend with that girl!

I said, well, i wonder how the hell they heard about it?

Before he could answer, here comes driving up in that old 1964 chevy pickup, my mother and father.

Now, i aways figured it was better taking the bull by the horns, rather than letting his chase you ass all over the field.

Why i have all these scars i guess, but they all in the front, (if you discount one small surgical scar, and the ones on my ass from three wives).

So hung over, but standing straight as hell, i walks over to my father’s pickup window.

i said:
“Daddy, nothing happened, i swear!”
(Thanks to the vigilance of her father).
i would not have lied to him, and he knew that.

So he looks right at me, and says:
“Why not son?
Arn’t you normal?

God!
i loved that man.
Respected him!

If my children and grandchildren, feel half as much loss, when i am gone, as i do, not to have my father here on this earth with me, (physically), i will have been a success as a father and a grandfather.

John C Carleton