Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

One of our Texan porchers writes in with a story from his neck of the woods. Cliff has a new neighbor named Ward, a retired business man who has now accomplished his life time dream of moving to the country. Ward bought a nice-sized ranch with good head of cattle. He’s given up his suits and briefcases in favor of blue jeans and work shirts. Cliff says it’s a good thing Ward kept the foreman on the payroll to run things, because he doesn’t seem to know one end of an animal from the other, although he adds Ward does seem determined to get up to speed.

Cliff has tried to drop in on him several times, to shake his hand and welcome him to town, but each time the man’s wife said he was off riding around the ranch with his foreman. Yesterday Cliff was coming back from town when he decided to try again. Ward’s wife said her husband was in the barn, so Cliff strolled out to the rambling old structure. He found Ward inside, trying to harness a horse. It looked like he may have been at it a while.

Cliff introduced himself and the two men engaged in some uncomfortable small talk while Ward continued to try and get the horse to open his mouth and take the bit. It wasn’t happening. Cliff didn’t know if it would embarrass the fella more if he offered to help or not, but he just couldn’t stand it. “Look,” he said. “I’ll be glad to help you get that bit set.”

The ex-business man smiled but shook his head firmly. “No, thank you, friend,” the man said. “It’s become a matter of principle now. I’ll just wait here till he yawns.”

~Shellie