Reflecting back...Sometimes you choose your friends, and sometimes they choose you....Its nice to have a friend who is slightly better than you are at things...even keeled, steady, not apt to get in trouble, good at fixing things...Somebody who helps a fellow become a better person and not the other way around...
My one good Buddy and me are complete opposites, we met at work, 25yrs of travel, and between the two of us there was nothing that couldnt be done..We had each others backs and helped each other succeed in Life and Family...He is a much better Man, and I am the better for it.......reminds me of a poem written and posted by a Detectorist back on 1/27/12 Guys name is John L (Rusty) Smith...
Jake and Jim
My Grandpap was a sharecropper, he lived on a sharecrop farm. He worked the fields all his life raised a family through the strength of his arm.
Most farmers have a team of mules or horses to pull the plow, Grandpap had only one of each but he used them anyhow.
Jake the Horse worked on the right was getting on in years. A big all purpose Jack of All like those used by Pioneers. Jim the Mule was younger, worked on the left you see, provided the strength of this working team chained to the doubletree...
Together they worked, side by side through all of their trying times, pulling wagons and plows and harrows and such while Grandpap worked the lines. Never apart did these two work, they only worked as a team! Jake on the right to make the speed, and Jim to make the steam!
One day the years caught up with Jake, he was old and sick and weak, so Grandpap decided to use Jim the mule, because of his grand physique.
But Jim would not move out of the stall and leave Jake standing there alone, Grandpap had to whip and tug to get Jim out on his own.
He led him out to the barnyard, and hooked him up to the rake, but when he tired to make him work, he stood like he wasnt awake? He finally moved but wouldnt go straight, though Grandpap pulled hard on the reins. He couldnt control or make him work, so he unhitched the chains...
He led Jim over to the barn and checked him from stem to stern, then...shaking his head, walked up to the house to tell Grandma what he just learned....This is the reason he told her, why Jim wouldnt leave Jake behind, they only worked as a TEAM you see...'
'Cause Jim the Mule was blind...
