Childhood Friends

About once a year or so, I'm able to get together with with 2 of my childhood friends and we have dinner together. One of the guys, Daren, is still in the town where we all grew up in southeast Arkansas and the other, Kent, is in Killeen, TX. I actually get to see Daren quite often, when he comes to "the big city", as he calls it, for shopping, doctor visits, etc. or on the occasion when I go back "home" to see family that still live there. Kent, on the other hand, makes it here maybe twice a year to see his parents, who live in a small farming town off of Interstate 30, heading toward Memphis.

For some reason, I don't exactly remember when we all met. I believe that Kent and I got together first, maybe in grade school. Daren joined up a couple of years later. I'll let him clarify on that one. There were other members of our little band but the three of us have really made it a point to stay in touch through the years. We shared getting our first cars, our first jobs (Daren and I worked together at the local Wal-Mart for a while) and several other life experiences. We're all now 43 years old and only a few days apart in that. Tonight we had dinner at Lonestar Steakhouse and then headed over to Sufficient Grounds for coffee and dessert. Our conversation went in and out of Kent's recent stint in Iraq as a consultant for a defense contractor with the Army, to Daren's wife finishing up her cancer treatments to his taking up biking and riding 43 miles a couple of days ago, to my still hating to fly after years of having to do so in my job. We all inquire about each other's parents and I even called my mom on the cell during dinner to let Kent say hello to her. I even tried to get my little sister on the phone and invite her to let us treat her to an after dinner treat. Kent hadn't seen her since he "still had hair". His quote, not mine. But she wasn't home. We cover the same old ground, asking what's new with the other folks we grew up with and Daren catches us up on any local news around town.

After dinner, we came back to my house and my girls played piano for them and then they were on their way back to drop Kent at his folks before Daren made the final drive back home. When they came to the door to pick me up earlier this evening, I was on the phone with Kerry, my brother-in-law and I had to cut our conversation short. I called him back after they pulled out of the driveway and he asked, "how was the visit?" My reply was, "I don't know how many guys still get together with their childhood best friends and are even able to tolerate each other, much less have a genuine visit and interest in each other, despite any differences they may have, and that in itself has to be worth something." He replied, "It's worth alot." I agree.

-The Arkanblogger

My Brother's Birthday

Although I never had the experience of growing up with a brother, I met one just a little over 20 years ago. He became my brother-in-law (we married sisters) Kerry and he is celebrating his 45th birthday today. Over the years, Kerry and I have walked many roads together and it was and is still comforting to have the company of my brother, whether it be in person, as it has been many times, or to hear that familiar voice on the other end of the phone.

Today, on his birthday, I'd like to pay tribute to Kerry with a couple of poems that remind me of him and of the quality of our friendship. And then finally, I want to share a couple of letters between two men, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who in their old age had been close friends for some 50 years. It's my wish that our "brotherhood" will last as long as we do and that it will bear God's good fruit for our generations.


A Time To Talk

by Robert Frost

When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don't stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven't hoed,
And shout from where I am, "What is it?"
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.


The Busy Man

Author Unknown

If you want to get a favor done
by some obliging friend,
And want a promise, safe and sure,
On which you may depend,
Don't go to him who always has
Much leisure time to plan,
But if you want your favor done,
Just ask the busy man.

The man with leisure never has
A moment he can spare,
He's always "putting off" until
His friends are in despair.
But he whose every waking hour
Is crowded full of work
Forgets the art of wasting time,
He cannot stop to shirk.

So, when you want a favor done,
And want it right away,
Go to the man who constantly
Works twenty hours a day.
He'll find a moment, sure, somewhere,
That has no other use.
And help you while the idle man
Is framing an excuse.

From Thomas Jefferson (some four months before his death) to James Madison

The friendship which has subsisted between us now half a century and the harmony of our political principals and pursuits have been sources of constant happiness to me through that long period. It has also been a great solace to me to believe that you are engaged in vindicating to posterity the course we have pursued for preserving to them in all their purity, the blessings of self-government, which we had assisted in acquiring for them. If the earth has beheld a system of administration conducted with a single and steadfast eye, with a general interest and happiness of those committed to it, one which protected by truth can never know reproach, it is that to which our lives have been devoted. To myself, you have been a pillar of support through life. Take care of me when dead and be assured that I shall leave you with my last affections.

A Week Later Madison Replied...

You cannot look back to the long period of our private friendship and political harmony with more affecting recollections than I do. If they are a source of pleasure to you, what ought they not to be to me? We cannot be deprived of the happy consciousness of the pure devotion to the public good with which we discharged the trust committed to us. And I indulge a confidence that sufficient evidence will find it's way to another generation to insure, after we are gone, whatever of justice may be withheld whilst we are here.

Cheers And Happy Birthday Kerry, May You Have At Least 45 More!

Your Brother and Friend,

Bruce

A Tuesday Night In Memphis

As the title suggests, I am in Memphis (for the 2nd night in a row), it is Tuesday evening and I am ready to get back home tomorrow night. Spent all of the morning traveling south to Fulton, MS with a counterpart of mine and it was some kind of hot outside. Did I tell you it was hot? If you're ever in that part of the world, I recommend Comer's Family Restaurant, where they offer homecooked "country style" food that's meant to fill you up and that it did. It's the kind of place where you can actually eat lunch every day and not get tired of the menu. Come to think of it, I've eaten there 4 times now and have never seen a menu. I always opt for the "special" of the day. Today it was Pork Tenderloin (2 large pieces), a large helping of black eyed peas, new potatoes, covered with white gravy, a hunk of white onion on the side, cornbread, salad from the bar and peach cobbler. Our customers that we took to lunch, spend their noon hour there 5 days a week and if I lived anywhere close by, I'd be tempted to do the same. If that's not a testimony to great food and service, I don't know what is. If you've passed through Tupelo, headed south on Hwy. 78, take the exit for Highway 178 at Mantachie. They're at #1733 on the left side of the road. The nice lady at the cash register told me that she was originally from northwestern Oklahoma...the town of Buffalo, if memory serves. We struck up a conversation because I knew of the little town and had actually traveled through there a few times when I covered the state of Oklahoma in a previous job. I don't remember her name, but she was very kind. When you stop in, aske for the lady from Buffalo and say "hi" to her for me and whatever else you do, be sure and order the sweet tea with your meal. If you make the mistake of choosing the unsweet, they'll think you're a Yankee, no matter how slow you talk. But despite that, chances are, they'll probably treat you good and let you eat there anyway. Did I mention that it was hot there today?

p.s. for those of you that know me and are picking your chins up off the floor and mumbling "hypocrite", after reading that I consumed pork, when I am adamantly against it (per Leviticus), I claim the scriptures of not wanting do something to cause my brothers to stumble, when they don't understand. I don't see these folks that often and for them to take me to this place for a meal is akin to them inviting me into their home. So, I thought it better not to offend than to cause them possible misundertanding...for now. I may be wrong there, but if so, it's on me. Plus, I didn't know what "tenderloin" was and assumed it was some kind of chicken or beef patty. For supper, it was soup, salad and unsweet tea at Jason's Deli. Shalom.

-The Arkanblogger

Happy Father's Day

We are busy...Really we are.

Some of you have asked if we've stopped blogging altogether. The answer is, as evidenced by this little post..."NO". We have had family in from Montana, homeschool graduation ceremony and talent show, friends moving back from San Antonio, our oldest daughter's 18th birthday, state homeschool convention, my regular travels, 3 piano recitals (2 were held in our home for Mrs. Arkanblogger's students), a college graduation for a cousin and a mishap with our home laptop that requires us to replace the LCD screen (OUCH!). So, blogtime is limited to my laptop until that last item is taken care of.

We have so many things to write about and we'll continue. Bear with us.

I forgot to mention that we had a great visit with my wife's cousin and her husband, along with their 8 wonderful children. They've started a new blog. We'll be linking to it as soon as I can get Paige to set it up for me.

-The Arkanblogger