Whall, it ain't just Sunday go to meetin', or BBQs. There really are other events where its proper.
I have a good buddy, and we've been friends for a long time. His daddy used to go campin' with us, back when he was able. I made points with grandpa Reynolds about 1980. We took our 4wds down to the mountains. Then found the right logging roads into our camp site. I had my oldest along with me, and we drug along his dirt bike. As all young un's needed the proper get ups, he had his pads and all along. Around the campfire that night, instead of enjoying adult beverages, I polished up my boots and my kids boots before I embibed. Ole Pop really liked that. He pointed out over and over he wished his offspring would take care of their gear.
But over the intervening years, I did Ole Pop some favors. He turned diabetic. Our candy division had a huge box of sugar free candy (probably 50#), so instead of tossing it in the dumpster, the purchasing agent dumped it on my desk, asking if I knew anyone who could use it. Yep.
Then a few years later, Ole Pop really needed a cane to walk. He had too much pride. So I parted with one of my sword canes. His son, my buddy, took it to him. He just scoffed at it. Then my buddy said "daddy, this came from Dick, and he thought you'd like it." Again, a null response. So my buddy reached over and tapped it against his easy chair. It made the clank as the knife edge hit the tubing. Ole Pop sat up and took notice. He said "whuts thet?" So my buddy said "I tole you who gave it to you, listen up." So when the old man saw the 18" blad come out, he was all smiles. To him, it wasn't a cane, it was a useful instrument. He walked with it till the day he died.
At his funeral, I wore in my best rig at the time. Granted, it was a Colt. But it was in an HH Heiser, had plenty of gold inlay and elephant ivory grips. Some impertinent young jerk asked my buddy why that guy's wearing a shootin' iron to his daddy's funeral. The answer was simple "cause daddy would have liked it."
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Dick Burg
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