Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Struggle

There's a big rock in the middle of Jake Roberts field. If you sneak up on it in early spring, chances are that you can spot a rattler sunning. When I was building my place over here I stopped by Jake's on a hot August day.

"Say Jake, why don't you take a couple of sticks of dynamite to that thing? Get rid of it."

"I kind of like it. It reminds me of who I am."

"If you say so but it's in the middle of your field. You have to drive your tractor around it and it throws shade on part of the ground. Nothing grows there."

"Yep. But you know, there are a lot of things in life that get in our way. Can't change a one of them without a lot of work and effort. Even then it probably isn't worth it."

I think of Jake's words when I read the letters to the editor. Folks wailing on about wars and poverty and folks they don't like. Like they can change things. Heck, Jake coulda blown that rock sky high but he still woulda had to drag the rock pieces to the side of the lot.

It's a struggle for me not to get all uppity with everybody. A real struggle. Heck, if I blew them up they'd still be in my way and I'd have to stoop down to move them.

Maybe I'm trying to hard to change folks that just can't change. I could wear myself out with the effort. When I'm through, I'm just planted under a big rock.

G