Jacksboro Gazette-News (Jacksboro, Tex.), Vol. 133, No. 37, Ed. 1 Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Page: 4 of 8
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Opinion
Page 4 • Jacksboro Gazette-News_WWW.IACKSBORONEWSPAPERS.COM_Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Time away is
always good...
I had some interesting experiences this week.
First, I attacked our tax filings. I do mine and
husbands joint return, four adult children,
e of whom are in college so it includes
the FAFSA, and a friend of my husband. They
have to be super simple before I will do it for
anyone else, so don’t come knocking.
I discovered a few things this year. My cu-
riosity always compels me to use the “com-
parison” button to compare filing “joint” and
“married, filing separate.” That way, I can rib
my husband about all the exemptions I gave
him! I found out you can not claim the educa-
tion credits when filing “separate.” I thought
that was really odd because if you’re a mom
with kids in college who separated from her
husband, who would need the college credits
more than that?
Also, every year, I think it’s unfair that kids
have to file for financial aid based on par-
ent’s income when some parents are not able
to help them at all on their college expenses.
If our kids don’t get grants, scholarships and
loans, they don’t go. So, they get less finan-
cial aid if we make a little more money, which
requires them to borrow more to pay back the
rest of their lives. There has to be a better way.
I also was told by a college financial aid rep
that we could claim our son Dustin, who went
to college some after high school and then
went into the military. After the military, he
went straight back to college, so we are sup-
porting him again with room and board (col-
lege breaks and summers). When I tried to
Pam's
Perspective
By Pain Hudson
Managing Editor
claim him, I couldn’t because he was over 24.
It’s like our government is punishing those
who interrupt their college to serve our coun-
try. There should be an exception for those
veterans and families.
Then, I was able to get away for the week-
end, which was spectacular. Everyone should
plan a weekend trip occasionally to “clear
the mechanism” as Kevin Costner says in the
movie, For Love of the Game. Time away
takes out all the “noise” in our lives.
Friendly Pines Cabins in Hochatown, Okla.
near Broken Bow is a great place to stay.
They have several cabins in different sizes
and they sit at the back of a pine forest, some
of them on a hill. There are two ponds where
you can fish (and release) and they are close
to Beaver Bend State Park so you can drive
through the forests and go canoeing or horse
back riding. There are also some houseboats
at Beaver Bend Marina where you can stay on
the water. That might be fun on a repeat trip.
We found a taxidermist museum where the
scenes had been set up and it was fascinating
how they can do all that.
My husband and I take turns planning an
anniversary trip this time of the year (which
isn’t always the best weather) and we surprise
the other one. He wanted a cabin in the moun-
tains and it was really beautiful.
So get away when you can. It helps.
Being an expert, lots
of responsibility...
I’m really not an expert at anything. I can
sew, sing, draw, punctuate a complex sen-
tence, and recite the first few lines of “The
Highwayman” if given time to practice.
Those are, of course, not my only skills sets,
and we will not go into detail about the degree
to which I can accomplish said tasks.
Being knowledgeable, maybe even an au-
thority on a subject, is a good feeling. Al-
though this carries with it some responsibility,
it also gives one a feeling of accomplishment
and self-worth. Everyone should be able to
do or to know something that someone else
doesn’t.
I remember that one of my former students
knew a great deal about the Presidents of the
United States. The assignment was to memo-
rize their names in order.
I came up with a rather ridiculous memory
aid that would help some, confuse others, and
would have probably resulted in the failure of
any of my students getting the final Jeopardy
question right.
“One” rhymed with “run:” George Wash-
ington ran down the road carrying a wash-
ing machine. Two, shoe: John Adams had a
“dime” in his shoe. Very visually odd, but it
helped me, so I thought the kids would love it.
I wandered around the room listening to them
come up with other “clues” to help.
Then I came upon my Final Jeopardy Candi-
date. He was reading his Math book.
When I asked him about the Presidents, he
looked up and immediately recited the list,
then he added, “George Washington was in-
augurated in New York, John Adams’ wife
hung laundry in the East Room, and Taft got
stuck in his bathtub.”
I came to understand that he knew a lot
about these men who had led our country. I
was impressed.
He said that someone once told him he
should learn a great deal about something that
interested him. So he did. Obviously, he’s a
smart guy. He could have probably gone on
to add his own name to the list, but I think he
went on to be an engineer. I’ll bet he can still
name the Presidents.
Back before dementia started to slither into
my synapses, I could remember a lot... about
a lot. I knew many things. I remembered de-
tails and was able to impress relatively me-
diocre people ... some of them relatives. I
got use to speaking up at gatherings ... think-
ing that people really needed my opinions
and wealth of knowledge. Teaching school
will do that to you. When the noise level in
a room drops, it is your cue to stand and help
the ignorant.
The thing is that with dementia comes matu-
rity, and I’ve taken on a new learning experi-
ence. I’m trying to learn to keep my mouth
shut. It’s OK to forget things. It’s OK to get
things wrong. But, I think it’s probably bet-
ter to just sit there quietly than to open your
mouth and make sure everyone knows you
can’t remember.
I read all the time, try to learn something
new every day, and do crossword puzzles and
Sudoku to keep my mind alert. I watch the
news and read the newspaper. But, as I said,
I’m trying to listen more, observe more, and
give others a chance to speak up.
And as I do ... I realize ... they don’t know
much ... either.
Jacksboro Gazette-News
212 N. Church St. • (940) 567-2616 • editor@jacksboronewspapers.com
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Jacksboro Gazette-News, P.O. Drawer 70,
Jacksboro, TX 76458-0070.
Pam Hudson
Managing Editor ' "*
Robert L. Krecklow
Publisher/Vice President
William Dean Singleton
President
Elaine Osteen and
Melissa Rowland
Advertising Manager
Sandi Argo
Staff Writer
Kristi Jones
Office Clerk
Member Texas Press Association, West Texas Press Association, North and East Texas Press Association and Newspaper Association of America.
- •iff/.
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Horses and
Comanches
Getting horses was a lot like winning the lot-
tery for the downtrodden Native Americans
whose name would be changed to Comanche.
It’s true horses were available to other In-
dian tribes, but Comanches (first known as
Shoshones) “hit the jackpot” when horses
rode into their lives.
Before horses and their migration to the
Southwest, Shoshones eked out a miserable
existence in the cold high plains of Wyoming.
They hunted small game and often could
not find enough to prevent starvation. With-
out horses, big game like buffalo, elk or black
bear was almost impossible to hunt. Their
primitive existence of wandering and gather-
ing food aged women by their 25th birthday.
The birth rate was low, and babies and chil-
dren were at terrible risk from exposure.
But once on the plains with horses, these
former poor, hated Shoshones of the moun-
tains became known as Comanches, “people
who would never trap or grub again.”
Historians agree that Comanches had more
horses and more “horse sense” than any other
Indian tribe. Most Comanche men were only
about 5-foot, 1-inch tall, so they were not im-
posing before they had horses.
Riding on a horse, they turned into the “ter-
ror of the Plains.” As George Catlin, a western
artist known for painting hundreds of Indian
tribes, said, “While others rode, Comanches
managed to live on horseback.”
These horsemen of the plains adopted their
whole horse culture wholeheartedly from the
Spanish, fashioning bridles, saddles, lances
and other equipment to be lighter and suited
to their guerilla-style warfare.
They became the most successful horse
breeders on the plains. They were highly flat-
tered that other Indians considered them the
best “horse-stealers.”
North
*7-
Texas Tales
By Gay Schlittler
. i
Storms
_
In their heyday, one warrior alone might
own 250 mounts, and war chiefs might have
1,500 horses.
The early Comanches fought other Indians,
including the Utes and Osages, for their ter-
ritory and would harm anyone who blatantly
trespassed.
However, at first, they gave Plains Indian
tribes safe passage into their territory to trade
for horses. Other tribes respected these aris-
tocrats of the plains and were awed by their
wealth. They proclaimed them exceptional
horse traders, generous with a high sense of
honor.
The Comanche language actually became
the trading language of the plains as well as a
universal language of their world.
Horses gave Comanches incredible freedom
and opportunities to pursue leisure pastimes
such as racing and gambling. Unfortunately,
horses also gave them free rein to go on long
raiding sprees.
They rode from Kansas to southern Texas
clear into Mexico where they terrorized set-
tlers and brought home stolen booty. Al-
though buffalo could have sustained them,
Comanches rode 1,000 miles in search of
scalps, horse herds and captives.
By 1820, the raiding pattern was set. Co-
manches considered it normal and their right
to raid throughout Texas.
During the time Texas was declaring inde-
pendence from Mexico, Comanches num-
bered about 20,000-30,000 and were at their
peak of power.
The inevitable clash between Texan settlers
and the Comanches would be the stuff of ter-
rible tragedy.
Bring back lay-
away plan? ...
He was as solemn as I’ve ever seen him. My
Uncle Mort, looking down the gun barrel at
his 101st birthday, was pensive, his thoughts
filled with yesterdays and the snows of many
winters.
“Our country’s in a heap of trouble, neph-
ew,” he began. “There’s plenty of blame to
spread around, border to border, but I think
I can pinpoint when our gradual demise be-
gan.”
Tears welling, he continued. “It started when
folks abandoned lay-away plans.”...
*****
Mort thinks when the “we-want-it-now”
craze won favor, lay-away plans crumbled.
“Buying on credit—getting stuff now and pay-
ing later—became a way of life,” he moaned.
He says we now pile debts upon debts, “try-
ing to keep up with the Joneses—just when we
think we’ve caught them, they refinance.”
My uncle claims debt to be at the root of
many problems—from “our house to the state
house to the White House.”...
Not many of Mort’s remarks end in question
marks. This one did. “In your memory, who
stands out as Texas’ all-time greatest Chris-
tian statesman?”
Without hesitation, I answered, “Congress-
man George Mahon (1900-1985). He served
Texas’ 19th District for 44 years (1935-1979),
was never defeated for public office, endeared
himself to the masses and never lost the com-
mon touch. He was passionately ‘sold out’ to
public service.”
I told him about several visits with the con-
gressman during his twilight years and my re-
membrances of his sparkling eyes, deep faith
and unwavering optimism. Even as dementia
took a stronghold, he ended every visit with
Idle
American
By Don Newbury
this reminder: “There is no hope
without the church and educatii
ways been that way.”...
for the world
on. It has al-
“Congress must’ve been special with George
Mahon and Kentucky’s Second District Con-
gressman Bill Natcher up there,” Mort said.
Indeed, Natcher (1909-1994) and Mahon
were cut from the same cloth. Both were
revered conservatives and southern gentle-
men. Both held law degrees, and both spent
collegiate years at then-young educational
institutions—now named Western Kentucky
University and Hardin-Simmons University.
Both men were passionate about serving
their people and always committed to doing
the right thing....
Mike Stephens, longtime Natcher associ-
ate, recalls their mutual respect and their oc-
casional breakfasts together. “They usually
came down on the same sides of issues during
their 26 years together in Congress,” he said.
Many Texans have rich remembrances of
Mahon—including his careful budgeting of
time that called for squat-thrust exercises
while on elevators—few know little, if any-
thing, about Kentucky’s late congressional
leader. Natcher never missed a vote during
his 40-year tenure—a record likely to endure.
His last vote—#18,401—was cast from a hos-
pital gumey a few days before his death in
1994.
His name is worth researching. You’ll find it
refreshing and may draw additional Mahon/
See IDLE, Page 6
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Hudson, Pam. Jacksboro Gazette-News (Jacksboro, Tex.), Vol. 133, No. 37, Ed. 1 Tuesday, March 12, 2013, newspaper, March 12, 2013; Jacksboro, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth707828/m1/4/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Gladys Johnson Ritchie Library.