The Future of Leon County

I recently was given the opportunity to address the topic of a Crusoe and Black Mountain Energy Data Center’s proposed permit to be built on property acquired in Leon County. Approximately two hundred fellow citizens of Leon County showed up for the meeting scheduled to include several other agenda items.  The meeting started with an opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance to both the United States of America as well as to the Great State of Texas. 

(Image courtesy of Shutterstock)

Prior to opening the floor to concerned citizens regarding the Data Center’s potential for negatively impacting property owners, livestock and other interests to include Crusoe and Black Mountain Energy’s request to have their target property given a tax abatement provision, the Commissioner’s Court held a continuing discussion regarding the issuance of a permit to a surveying company’s request to do seismological testing on property owned by Leon County, land currently used for grazing of livestock by various Leon County property owners.

There were serious questions asked of the representative of the surveying company having to do with a multitude of holes to be drilled down in the ground 80 feet for equipment used in measuring movement in and around those holes.  The Commissioners were concerned about how the company would fill those holes, the materials used to guarantee those materials wouldn’t compact or compress later, leaving dangerous holes for livestock to trip over and damage legs.  The company would need to satisfactorily address each challenge both short term and in years to come, including their responses as part of the proposed contract and permit application.

I was impressed with the thorough insight of the Commissioners’ Court as they considered the safety and well-being of property owners and their livestock. When it was my opportunity to speak before the Commissioners Court, my name having been called out by County Judge Bryon Ryder, my remarks included an expressed hope that the Commissioners would have the same standard of requirements to be met by the folks planning to build the Data Center in Leon County.

A short list of the concerns that Leon County property owners brought to the meeting would be: vast amounts of water needed by the Data Center for cooling, possibly depleting the county’s supply of water from the already stretched aquifer, taking into consideration water already being drawn away by the Dallas/Ft. Worth pipeline which has already caused some local water wells to become useless, the possibility of contamination of the water supply from the Data Center as it reenters the environment, excessive demand on the electrical grid, the cost to property owners to pay for power lines that will serve the Data Center, noise levels which would disturb the peace and tranquility of property owners as well as the potential disruption of livestock within miles of the Data Center.  Health concerns that have yet to be addressed or recorded in sufficient abundance or made available to the public would have to be added to this list.

Daniel McCoslin recently wrote, and his insightful line was quoted in the Commissioners Court Meeting held on Monday July 13, 2026, “Property rights keep coming up over the Data Center debates. Have you ever heard the old saying, “Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins?”  While continuing that thought he further wrote:

“Lately, I’ve been thinking about how that perfectly explains the Harm Principle, especially when it comes to property rights.

​Think of it like this, your property is your castle. If you want to paint your house neon pink, plant a jungle in the front yard, or build a massive deck, you should be completely free to do it. It's your land, your investment, and your right.

​But there’s a flip side. That freedom stops the exact second your actions cross the property line and start hurting your neighbors. Whether it’s dumping toxic chemicals that seep into the local water supply, or building an industrial project that drains the community's shared resources, noise and lighting pollution that destroys others abilities to enjoy their land. You have crossed the line from enjoying your property to harming someone else's.

​True property rights aren't just about the freedom to do what you want on your land, it's about the responsibility to make sure your actions don't ruin the life, health, or livelihood of the people next door. Something these massive companies don't understand, they just see dollar signs and don't care about the people around them.”

As of July 14, 2026, Daniel McCoslin mentioned in his writings, “County Judge Byron Ryder continues to stand like a wall, rightfully declaring that these projects are a bad deal for our home.”  May right prevail regardless of monetary compensations presented as “Community Improvement”.

County Judge Byron Ryder and Commissioners Paul Bing, Joey Sullivan, and TJ Foley need to know they have the support of property owners in Leon County, as long as they provide necessary safe guards for health and prosperity for those living in Leon County. Limitations placed on County Commissioners and Courts through Texas legislation regarding Zoning are not in conflict with local government entities mandating meaningful contractual agreements with companies expecting to do business within the boundaries of their jurisdictions. 

 

 

 

A New Toolbox

 

This past month the latch on my old toolbox decided to give up the ghost.  Since I’m retired and no longer depend on having my toolbox wherever I go, it stays in the general-purpose closet until such time as it’s needed.  But, even then it would be nice to be able to pick up the toolbox by lifting its handle rather than scooping it up with both hands to prevent everything from falling on the floor.

Friday, while in Huntsville doing our grocery shopping, it occurred to me that it would be a good time to visit the Academy store that’s in the same shopping center.  I should mention that I prefer using plastic tackle boxes rather than metal toolboxes; a habit gained from knowing a plastic tackle box with my tools in it didn’t leave marks on a customer’s front seat while working on their vehicle as a locksmith. 

Academy had a nice selection of medium sized tackle boxes.  The one I picked was basically the same as the one it was replacing.  While standing in line at the cash register, I mentioned they just don’t make tackle boxes like they used to, mine only lasted twenty years and the latch broke off. Nobody flinched as the weak attempt at humor evaporated into thin air.  I paid cash, got my receipt and exited Academy with my new toolbox.

There’s an oval brass identification band that had been fastened to Max’s dog collar.  One of the fasteners had disintegrated so the band needed to be reattached.  I couldn’t find the pop rivet gun, the one I’d used as a locksmith.  It’s in the house somewhere, maybe it’s in the storage unit; doesn’t matter if I can’t find it.  I figured I could place a small bolt and nut through the hole instead of a pop rivet.  I picked up the old toolbox, took it to the kitchen and got to work.

With a little effort and creativity, the brass identification band, the one with the veterinarian’s phone number, had been restored to its location on the dog collar. A couple of drops of Superglue would work as well as Loctite to keep the nut from backing off.  Since we were about to head into town, I left the toolbox on the counter, figuring today was a good day to switch out to the new toolbox. 

It occurred to me that switching out an old toolbox with its replacement is similar to obtaining a brand-new wallet.  You get attached to these items, a personal relationship of sorts that’s difficult to abandon. I put off the inevitable transfer of tools until a while ago when we got back from a trip to the post office, Tractor Supply for some dog food and a haircut.

After placing screw drivers, plyers, drill bits, Allen wrench sets, hammer, chisel, pocketknife, extraction wires and other assorted tools into their respective slots, it became obvious there was a lot of junk that didn’t need to be transferred into the new toolbox.  Small specialty lubrication packets for ignition switches I’d never need now that I’m retired, hundreds of automotive style lock wafers for matching up car locks to existing key combinations, springs and things like that would remain in the old toolbox; an old toolbox that would become a permanent part of the closet, something my kids could do with it as they desire after I’ve left mortality.

 

Two Adventures in One Day

Upon getting home from church yesterday, Lucy noticed the Crock Pot that was supposed to be cooking the Spaghetti Sauce we were going to enjoy when some of our kids and grandkids came up to celebrate Father’s Day, the Crock Pot wasn’t working, no heat coming from its base.  It’s an older Crock Pot and we thought, perhaps, it might have given up the ghost. Fortunately, we have a newer, even bigger Crock Pot so we poured the Spaghetti Sauce into the newer version.

We plugged it into the same outlet in the kitchen; but it didn’t work either.  Maybe the problem wasn’t with either Crock Pot, maybe the outlet in the kitchen had blown a trip breaker.  Not a big deal, as I walked back to the electrical circuit breaker box; none of the breakers appeared to have tripped.  Rather than spend a lot of time hunting down a short in the system, one that wasn’t showing up at the breaker box, we plugged the newer Crock Pot into a different outlet on the other side of the kitchen.  Problem temporarily solved until I could go into it on Monday.

Monday morning arrived and I rechecked the breakers, nothing appeared to be tripped. I ran an extension cord from the suspect electrical outlet in the kitchen, hooked up a plug in battery charger and figured it would make noise and flash a light the moment electricity had been restored to the kitchen outlet.  Each breaker in the box was then turned off and on, going through the entire panel except for the double breakers that control the AC, Heat and Electric Stove Top; no change which meant the loss of power to that outlet was localized.

It was then Lucy suggested I try the fancy blender that was on the other end of the kitchen counter.  I plugged it into the same outlet, nothing happened.  Except, that’s when I saw there was another outlet on the wall behind where the blender was stored.  It had one of those modern reset switches built into it.  After pushing the reset button, power was restored to both outlets. We had solved one mystery; one was still on the To Do List.

This past week I noticed there was a slight dripping that came from the AC overflow pan that landed outside our bedroom window.  Being half deaf, it may have been dripping for weeks and I hadn’t noticed.  I’d planned to go out to our storage unit on Saturday and retrieve the wet/dry vacuum which would be needed during the maintenance process. A solid plan that was interrupted by a line of thunderstorms that left over 8 inches of rain on Saturday.

That was a good idea since I’d paid a tidy sum to the AC repairman one time in the past to fix the problem.  I’d paid good money; but more importantly, I’d paid attention to exactly how he solved the problem.  But with so much rain and my not wishing to run back and forth to the storage unit, the AC dripping would have to wait until Monday.

What’s the line from the insurance commercial, “So simple even a caveman could do it”?  He’d unhooked the P-trap plumbing under the sink in our bathroom.  That’s when I learned the overflow from the AC in the attic drained into the bathroom sink.  He hooked up his wet/dry vacuum to the open end of the drain and sucked out a clog that had formed along with draining the AC collection pan of its accumulated water.  I can’t remember how much he charged for this service; but it was enough for me to take notes on how to do it the next time.

My knees don’t bend like they used to, sitting on the floor while taking apart the plumbing under the sink was challenging.  We’d been resourceful in placing items under the sink, making trays that were easily removed and replaced for just such an operation.  Having gone out to the storage unit and brought the wet/dry vacuum into the bathroom made for an easy job.  And it would have been had I not decided to rinse out the hose by attaching it to the sink’s faucet. 

That’s when I learned that the plastic hose had a small hole in the middle of it, spraying water and loosened gunk out onto the bathroom countertop.  That’s the gunk that had been sucked out of the pipe only a few minutes earlier.  That was my inspiration to clean the bathroom countertop along with each item that normally is found on that countertop.  Sure looks nice now, putting the wet/dry vacuum back into the storage unit. 

After a while I’ll take the plastic trash bags that have been sitting in the back of my truck over to the dumpster.  That was another item on the To Do List from Saturday, the day all that rain fell.  Right now, I’m enjoying a breeze from an old fashioned fan while sitting in the office recording my thoughts. 

The Declaration Means What It Says

 

Today officially being Flag Day, I was asked to talk about the Declaration of Independence as we approach our Independence Day, recognizing its Two Hundred and Fiftieth celebration. So many thoughts sprang into my mind, wondering how could I possibly attend to each without having at least an hour.

Back when I was living at home as a teenager, my folks used Independence Day as a way to have a family picnic of sorts, all of this carried out in their backyard by the pool with all manner of food spread out on the table.  We had a sliding glass door that separated the inside from the yard, one dog in the back while the other inside kept them apart as well. 

As a precaution to occasional ‘dust ups’ between the dogs, we kept a full size Little League baseball bat near the back sliding door which the dogs came to understand meant business. Mom was about to take a bowl of potato salad out as she pulled back on the sliding door.  That was when the Independence Day Dust Up started.  Two dogs met underneath her pioneer styled dress without regard for proper etiquette.

While holding the bowl of potato salad in one hand, mom grabbed the bat handle and started bopping dogs that were entangled under her dress.  Eventually the dogs got the message and broke up, but not before she’d gotten a nasty bruise on her shin.  Mom claimed it was from one of the dogs; however, upon closer inspection we could read the name, “Louisville Slugger”.  Mom had accidentally bopped her own leg.

That was one heck of an Independence Day celebration; but that’s not why I decided to include it in today’s talk.  No, my folks wanted their children to understand the importance of what we were celebrating.  It wasn’t about the hamburgers, the potato salade or soda pop we’d be enjoying.  The Declaration of Independence was a thought issued to the world, a thought that needed to be handed down from one generation to the next. 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”

Ezra Taft Benson recorded, “I believe with all my heart the words of the American patriot Patrick Henry, who, on the eve of the American Revolution, said, “There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.” Further, it is part of my faith that no people can maintain freedom unless their political institutions are founded on faith in God and belief in the existence of moral law. God has endowed men with certain inalienable rights, and no government may morally limit or destroy these.”

 “In a footnote in “The Declaration of Independence: A Study in the History of Political Ideas” by Carl Lotus Becker, published 1922, we learn:

“The Rough Draft reads “[inherent &] inalienable.” There is no indication that Congress changed “inalienable” to “unalienable”; but the latter form appears in the text in the rough Journal, in the corrected Journal, and in the parchment copy. John Adams, in making his copy of the Rough Draft, wrote “unalienable.” Adams was one of the committee which supervised the printing of the text adopted by Congress, and it may have been at his suggestion that the change was made in printing. “Unalienable” may have been the more customary form in the eighteenth century.”

“Inherent &” never made it to the final draft and we can only wonder if it was pulled due to some politically correct discussion or whether it simply sounded redundant to those issuing the declaration.  The Founders used words sparingly and with great accuracy for the most part; they likely concluded “inherent &” was unnecessary to complete the thought; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are unalienable rights from our Creator.

The root word Inherent carries with it the idea that might be read at the reading of a will.  If we are to inherit, from whom do we owe that inheritance?  Perhaps understanding the gift of rights would make more sense if we accept that unalienable rights could only come from our Father in Heaven. 

Now, if we look at inheriting those rights and using them, taking into consideration that we’ve accepted our inheritance while our Father lives, then the parable of the Prodigal Son means even more.  Are we not all hoping to be accepted by our Father, stumbling as it were, on our way home, having spent, unwisely at times, much of what was given?  How’s that for something to think about…

Of all the issues that bother Progressives, Democrats, Socialists, call them whatever you like, the idea that God, not our government, gave us inalienable individual rights keeps them from moving forward toward their idea of Utopia, a place where the State provides everything equally to those in need.  If they could just get past that sticking point, they could do anything they wanted because then government in all its glory would determine what’s best, not the individual. These folks deny God as the head of our government at every turn; is it any wonder that they scoff at individual rights?

“For shall the work say of him that made it, he made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, he had no understanding?” (2 Nep 27:27)

To understand the mindset of our Founders, it’s important to find out what they believed.  There are some who claim Thomas Jefferson was an agnostic, that he’s responsible for making sure we have a separation of church and state.  They preach this in our public schools, our colleges and universities as a means of indoctrination on the path to socialization.

“Thomas Jefferson wrote on the front of his well- worn Bible: "I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also.”

Does this sound like a man who wanted to establish a wall of separation to keep religion out of government? 

If we do not correct this information, making sure the next generation has a better grasp on our history, how will they know the importance of what was set aside for them, why it’s important to feel this in their own hearts.

Perhaps that’s why they finished with these words, words that mean much as I consider, …each man signed with full knowledge, … the serious nature of such a declaration…

 

“…And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

I may have figured out why some folks just don’t get it; this country we call the United States of America.  Far too many of us have become a First Verse Only people.  Most everyone is familiar with our National Anthem; but how many know there are more verses that complete the thoughts intended? 

“Oh thus be it ever when free men shall stand, Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation! Blest with victory and peace may the heave’n rescued land Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: “In God is our Trust!” And the star spangled banner in triumph shall wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Are we a “first verse only” people now, content with having had our shot, able to sit back and watch as our great experiment in freedom slowly dies? Paul Simon wrote a song about such feelings, An American Tune.

“…And we come on the ship they call the Mayflower. We come on the ship that sailed the moon. We come in the age's most uncertain hours, and sing an American tune. Oh, and it's all right, it's all right, it's all right. You can't be forever blessed…” 

I should acknowledge a story related by Elder Jonathan C. Roberts of the Seventy who attended our Stake Conference many years ago. Elder Roberts had taken his family on vacation to a lake in the Ozarks, boated across the expanse of water to the middle where they deployed a large inflatable deck which they would use as a base. His wife had forgotten to bring along the food, and he jumped on one of the motorized ski contraptions to retrieve it.

Not being familiar with the lake he took notice of key landmarks prior to embarking across the water, making good use of his scouting skills lest he be unable to find his way back. Once he’d recovered the food he headed back, taking note of his position with respect to the aforementioned landmarks. He traveled to where he thought he’d started and had a sinking feeling he might have made a mistake, not being able to see the boat or inflatable deck in spite of having the landmarks lined up as his memory permitted.

He scoured the horizon and saw something far off in the distance and made his way closer, the speck growing larger to resemble the shape of a boat and later, as he got even closer, his family playing on the inflatable deck. Upon arrival he asked why they’d moved from their original spot; except his wife told him, “We haven’t moved.”

Elder Roberts checked the landmarks which no longer matched those he originally had depended upon at which time he realized they hadn’t been on a lake at all; rather, a very slow moving river. They had drifted a considerable distance from their original position.

Here we are in the year 2026 looking for familiar landmarks, landmarks that were left by our Founders to guide us, more importantly, to remind us that we, as a nation, are beholden to our Creator for our very existence. 

The Founders understood the principles which unite God and His children along with the social involvements which prevail, not only among those who acknowledge and adhere to God’s commandments, laws, restrictions and blessings; but with an understanding of those who would stand in defiance of these same commandments, laws, restrictions and blessings. Our Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights are an acknowledgement of the eternal order of things being made of and through Him.

I’ll close with an important thought,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

Who Among Us Are Christians?

I should preface my remarks to include my natural inclination to engage in conversations which escalate toward contention rather than sit back and absorb an opinion which is contrary to my own.  With that in mind, I strive daily to overcome my instincts toward contention, to be more Christlike.

I read yesterday that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is no longer listed as being a Christian denomination. Yes, that’s a red cape being shown during a bullfight.

An article from ABC4, in Salt Lake City,  “The Defense Department slashed its religious designations list from over 200 choices to only 31 — a major reduction in the number of religious affiliations it officially recognizes.

In doing so, the department reclassified The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, listing it outside the “Christian” category.”

I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Much of what is included in this brief essay were part of a talk I gave at a Sacrament Meeting back on January 11, 2009.

Elder Causse’ explained in his General Conference talk, Even A Child Can Understand, back in October of 2008:

“The Bible has probably been the subject of more interpretations and philosophical debates than any other book. However, a child reading this book for the first time will have at least as much, if not more, chance to understand the doctrine as the majority of those doctors of the scriptures. The Savior’s teachings are adapted to everyone. At eight years of age a child can have sufficient understanding to enter the waters of baptism and make a covenant with God with complete understanding.”

I didn’t join the Church until I was 28, having been baptized when I’d reached a point in my life when I humbled myself and became teachable. The Gospel is simple enough; even one as slow as I can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, even I can understand it.

An individual from another faith was upset because of comments made in an interview by Glenn Beck, radio talk show host and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Apparently, Glenn’s answers had been posted on Focus on the Family, a Christian web site. His responses did not set well with others from different Christian denominations and the interview was pulled.

The reason for pulling the interview was later explained by Mary Wilson, of Focus on the Family; Glenn, and members of the Mormon Church (We prefer to be addressed as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), couldn’t be Christians because our understanding of the Godhead was different.

“To cite a specific and extremely important example, the Mormon church does not subscribe to the doctrine of the Trinity as defined by the early Councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon . In fact, it’s our understanding that LDS believe in three *beings* as the godhead – three *separate beings* that are physically separate and distinct individuals who together constitute the presiding council of the heavens. But this is most definitely *not* the Christian view. Christians down through the ages have always believed that the Scriptures bear witness to *one* God who exists in *three* persons subsisting within a *single* essence.”

I recorded a statement from the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church which pretty much tosses the idea the idea that Christians have “always believed”, as if there had never been heated discussion as to the meaning of scripture.

“To counter a widening rift within the church, Constantine convened a council in Nicaea in A.D. 325. A creed reflecting the position of Alexander and Athanasius was written and signed by a majority of the bishops. Nevertheless, the two parties continued to battle each other. In A.D. 381, a second council met in Constantinople. It adopted a revised and expanded form of the A.D. 325 creed, now known as the Nicene Creed.”

When I was younger, I would be asked to stand and recite the Nicene Creed with the rest of the Presbyterian congregation. I found a reluctance to do so as I couldn’t go along with the Presbyterian explanation of God being invisible, vague and mysterious. I’d accepted the scriptural account in Genesis which explained how man was made in the image of God; not some vaporous Being without form.

The Youth Pastor told me that I didn’t need to know the particulars; I should just leave it alone. I suppose that’s why I quit attending the Presbyterian church when I was 14 years old.  I was able to find the “Mormon Missionaries” when I was 28 and about to start a family and they answered questions which had bothered me for years.

Elder Causse’, through his remarks, reminded us the simple truths in the scriptures are there for everyone, even those with limited understanding.

“What would a child understand from reading the story of the baptism of Jesus? Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. The Holy Ghost descended upon Him “in a bodily shape like a dove.” A voice was heard: “Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased”, Luke 3:22.  The child would have a clear vision of what the Godhead is: three distinct persons in complete unity—God the Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost.”


I’d been challenged by a fairly good friend, a Lutheran, to explain why I, a Mormon, should be considered a Christian. I wrote my thoughts on the council of Nicene quite some time back and posted it on my blog.

The many sects of the Christian world would rather be led by a consensus gained from biblical scholars and politicians rather than concede the possibility that God would rather have His Holy Prophets in charge. It is not up to a committee of Biblical scholars or theologians to determine the truth and meaning of sacred writings or to determine a comprehensive set of beliefs; that is the responsibility of each individual placed upon this earth.

Jesus was on the cross and he wasn’t talking to himself when these words were recorded, , “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

The scriptures make it clear, Jesus was openly pleading with His Father, a separate Being, “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”

Many individuals of the Christian community are unable, or unwilling, to see the plain and simple truths which have been supplied. Perhaps the more important issue might be, why haven’t they asked to have the missionaries explain the simple truths of the Gospel, why haven’t they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?

I believe that Joseph Smith was the Prophet of God chosen to bring about the restoration of the Gospel in the Fullness of Times, to hold all the keys of the Priesthood so that the world would be prepared for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We have his testimony.

“When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”

Joseph Smith wrote a letter to a fellow named Wentworth expressing to him the basic beliefs in such a way that even a child could understand them; we call them the Articles of Faith. I’ve heard many accounts of young children being able to hold a conversation with total strangers while at the same time establishing, in plain language, these simple truths, to such an extent as to amaze learned adults. The Holy Ghost is there to testify of these truths; the child who understands the Gospel need only open his or her mouth.

The Father in Heaven to whom I pray has a body of flesh and bone and I am made in His image. His Only Begotten, Jesus Christ, is my older brother and has provided the means whereby I may return and live in the eternities with Them, this truth is validated by the Holy Ghost; even a child can understand these simple truths. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

A Recognition of Sacrifices Made

 

I'm getting to be one of those old fuddy-duddies who cries at the drop of a hat. I turned on the television this morning to have some background noise while I ate my bowl of cereal.  I hate watching the news, so I channel surfed for a movie, any movie other than having to watch Good Morning America.

The Longest Day had a twenty-minute head start, already into the scene where some guy “has a long mustache” and the French underground knows that it’s time to blow up a bridge. I make light of that, except when I heard that line tears started to flow and I couldn’t explain why. Maybe it had to do with the date, today is June 4th, two more days until the anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Europe to retake what was once a free land

Perhaps the movie, Saving Private Ryan, explained my tears. I remember the old man standing there in the cemetery with his family on the 50th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. All around him were the markers, young men who’d given their lives, their chance to roam this Earth, to have families with children and grandchildren all around them, their chance to enjoy the “good life”. This old man was cognizant of the sacrifices made on his behalf. He knew he needed to live his life in such a way as to “deserve” the opportunity to live out his life based on his having known these men.

I am a generation removed from those events; the War to end all Wars may not have lived up to its billing. There are still oppressors and oppressed, there are still wars to be fought, wars that deprive young men of their chances to roam this Earth, to have families with children and grandchildren all around them, their chance to enjoy the good life. I am cognizant of the sacrifices made on my behalf. I only hope I can live my life in such a way as to deserve the opportunity. Maybe that’s why the tears flow so easily.

 

Leading a Dual Life

 

Many of you know I was a Houston Police Officer and the last eight or so years up until my twenty-year retirement was spent on Night Shift at the Northwest Substation.  My assigned beat was Five Frank Twenty-Six, basically Long Point, Wirt, over to Kempwood, Bingle and Hempstead Road.

During that same time, during the daylight hours, I was a self-employed locksmith specializing in the automotive part of the industry. It could be said I was leading a dual life, or perhaps burning the candle from both ends.  Either way, it made it possible for my wife and I to actually retire, no more mortgage payments, our vehicles paid for and having a chance to live our senior years living in our house out in the country.  As long as we pay our taxes, utility bills and such we are comfortable.

The other day while going by Brookshire Brothers grocery store in Buffalo, Texas, to pick up a single item needed to complete a recipe my wife wanted to prepare, I happened to be walking through the produce department and thought I recognized a fellow doing his shopping.

Not being the bashful type, I asked, “Tell me how I know you”, not exactly a question, more of a recognition that I couldn’t explain.  The fellow looked at me quizzically as I extended my hand as if to make sure I was correct.  When he asked my name, I told him, “T. F. Stern”.  He thought about it momentarily and then, as his memory was triggered, he nodded.

“T. F. Stern, the locksmith.  You drove a red truck.” A smile broached his face as he returned my handshake.  He was correct, I had driven a red Dodge Dakota ever since they came out with a V-8 back in 1991.  Prior to that I’d made use of Ford Vans.  I still have a 2003 Dakota, stripped from all the locksmith benches, we use it to haul stuff around, the camper shell protects stuff even though the side panels no longer function the way they’re supposed to. 

Actually, I thought I’d known him from the police department, perhaps a fellow retired police officer; I couldn’t tell you why I’d known his face.  Turns out he’d worked for various car dealerships and eventually worked in the Tomball area.  We talked for a couple of minutes and parted with another handshake. 

Lastly, the other afternoon I got a call from a fellow in the Houston area asking if I was a locksmith.  I laughed for half a second as I replied, “Well, you’ve reached a retired locksmith”.  Before I could explain I’d retired from locksmith work 9 years earlier and moved out to the country, he apologized, said he’d dialed the wrong number and hung up.  Every now and then I’ll get a call from someone in the automotive industry hoping I still made keys for cars and trucks, my cellphone number remains the same as it has been for a very long time. The best part, I never ever get a call asking me to report for duty as a police officer.