Look and Listen

Biography

I grew up mainly in Schulter, Oklahoma. We weren’t quite small enough to have both city limit signs on the same post but we were really close to it. Our town had one store that was divided in half. One side was the grocery store and the other side was the hardware store/post office. To say there wasn’t a whole lot of things for kids to do in town would be an understatement. The kids back then spent most of their time outside and, if you were boys, a lot of time in the woods. We hunted, fished and dreamed of being mountain men. Our school had kids from three different small towns, Schulter, Pleasant Valley and Coalton, plus all the farm kids. Most of the years, we had less than two hundred kids from 1st thru 12th and sometimes it seemed like I was kin to at least half of them. Most of these stories concern my best friend Stanley and me. The other people involved were all family or friends. We were just normal kids for those days, but for some reason we seemed to find ourselves in a lot of “awkward” predicaments. To be truthful, we never thought about the troubles we had until we were several years older and started reminiscing about the “fun” we had as kids. Stanley is retired now and living in Arkansas. I live in Washington State. Even though we’re miles apart, we’re still best friends. We see each other as often as we can and talk at least three times a week. These stories are part of our lives. I hope you find as much enjoyment in reading them as I do in sharing them.

Inspiration

An amusing slice of Americana, written in an inimitable style. Everyone has great plans and ideas when they're growing up. Some work and some don't. For Stanley and me, our motto could have been "It seemed like a great idea at the time". Unfortunately, judging by the outcome of most of our ideas, our theme song should have been the music from the Three Stooges. We never really learned from our mistakes. We just figured we'd done it wrong the first time and needed to try it again to get it right. If you've ever buried your best friend while he was alive; if you've ever found yourself hanging from a tree limb knowing the only way you were going to get down was to fall; if you've ever had your hand stuck in a hole in a riverbank trying to catch a catfish, then these stories should bring back fond memories. And if you haven't, then welcome to the world of a couple of Okie kids in the 1960s. In the days when kids could still roam the woods on escapades. When they slept outdoors without fear. Those days before 'health and safety' killed imagination and became a watchword for dull and boring. Be warned, if you're an animal lover, some creatures were harmed in the making of this life. Nature in the raw - tooth and claw - and a few bites and stings along the way...