Durhl Caussey
Sometimes life becomes a little too fast paced, and the sheer magnitude of the many obstacles simply overpowers me. I welcome the shade of a tree, and the feel of a glass of iced tea in my hand. Life is too short to become so entangled in a particular project that will require so much time and effort. Let someone else do it. I have already done my share.
After all, I’m not as young as I once was. No, I’m not interested in getting involved. Yes, I know Moses was very old when he led the Hebrews from Egypt, and that George Washington Carver made most of his discoveries after middle age. But still, give me the comfort of a friendly book, and the sweet taste of hot chocolate, and just leave me alone.
I look at these paragraphs just written, and am a little ashamed of what was stated. This is not the philosophy that I tried to teach my children each day in class. I tell them to get involved, risk failure, bask in success, and never give up trying to accomplish achievement in a task.
Photo: envato elements
Each day, in numerous ways, we all get opportunities and chances to change people’s lives for the better, thus rendering possibilities to enhance our own self interests. We need to seize the moment and master the act.
This helping people to help themselves reminds me of a time when I was about 10 years old and got hired to work in a pecan grove for a neighbor. My job was to gather the pecans and place them in gallon baskets, and sell them to people from a stand near the road. One day a car pulled up with New York license plates. New York was a long way, even beyond my imagination for people to come to buy pecans. The man and woman got out and said they would like to buy some pee cans. I was confused at first, until they repeated the words pee cans. I immediately felt a type of kinship, as I viewed my own outhouse across the road, silhouetted on the distant horizon.
I scampered back to my house searching under beds, in closets, and behind doors, until I found two large Folgers Coffee Cans. I returned to my stand with an air of success and the blessed knowledge that even folks in New York use pee cans. The couple was rather astonished when I handed the two empty cans over to them. “Do you want us to fill the cans, or do you do that for us, young man?” asked the well-dressed man from New York.
Photo: envato elements
After a short discussion on semantics, they left in a cloud of dust with a threat to call the sheriff. The next day the neighbor told me that he had talked to the sheriff, and he would be selling his own pecans.
I would rather try and fail than to never have tried. Country Music Singer Lee Ann Womack captures the feelings of my philosophy in her song “I Hope You Dance.” Here are the lyrics to the song written by Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers.
Video: YouTube/LeeAnn Womack
I’ve added some of my own lyrics to the song.
May your heart beat a little longer
And my love for you grow stronger
As the wind blows across our existence
Know that without you there are no heavens
And time is captured in an endless glass
Take my hand and glance around the room of life
And dance. I hope you will dance.
Every chance you have to dance, do so. Hold your partner close and catch the rhythm of life and move through the velvet pastures toward eternity. When the thistles entangle your feet, place your lips close to her ear and whisper, “I hope you will dance.”
Durhl Caussey is a syndicated columnist who may be reached at AuthenticTexan.com or TexasHillCountry.com or durhlcaussey@gmail.com.
