This piece comes from a bad place the shooting of the congress woman in Tucson but I will not let black hearted soulless creatures Win so I choose to saddle up and ride into yesteryear a mask man rides a white stallion with the William Tell overture playing in this Mans portrayal of this western hero we learned and knew what it meant to stand as an individual and that alone we could fight and Win you’re not always able to be surrounded by friends and family battles some time require we strip down carry only bare essentials This was the requirements of the real Texas rangers that Clayton Moore portrayed they were sent out alone with only a horse and a gun And hardship was their constant companions they were asked to do extraordinary feats as we ourselves are now being called to do Civilians at nine eleven were the first Americans to hear and answer the call we all have been served our fighting papers from just a Fictional character we were trained in childhood to now be ready as adults to face an altered world where madness can pop up at Anytime they buried Clayton in the attire he wore so well a true hero who in my thinking laid out a picture perfect formula we are A free proud people our roots run deep in independence walk tall speak softly but be ready at any moment to rush into the breach To fight and even die for freedom we are well represented and rounded it isn’t all about being austere we can enjoy life and have Laughs along the way the next hero when buried had a multiple burial known as the clown prince Red Skelton went to the grave with San Fernando Red, Cauliflower McPugg", a punchdrunk boxer, Clem Kadiddlehopper, a hick who was identified in at least one sketch As being from Cornpone County, Tennessee, and "Freddie the Freeloader even speaking of him brings a smile but he was not just a Funny face he was a principled man he didn’t have to do shock comedy he had talent that kept you laughing and coming back for more This is part of our armor laughter is like a medicine sometimes the hurts linger and make a waste of a life you have to fight back You have to defeat the negative in us all that will accept this kind of prison we must mourn and know sorrow but not as a steady diet Can’t leave Red without telling one funny story the holidays were approaching Red was scheduled for an operation he was sedated Wheeled into the operating room the surgeon probably almost dropped his scalpel he took the sheet down and found a note that said Don’t open until Christmas thanks for all the laughs now for a local hero well two a father and daughter well daughters and wife but here Just one at first Jack Jeffrey is a hero if you knew him it is evident with or without a fez he has a bearing and honorable sureness that Commanded respect in life and carries on into death I am about to do a total selfish act in my mind since I don’t know where the car Is or if it even exist anymore don’t get down on me for this act as I played this first in my head before coming over here to write it I paid with Hard tears and pain maybe that still doesn’t give me the right to intrude but I came back to this country a whipped disabled defeated Person and then Queen Donna lifted her scepter over my life by speaking of this hero I was able to find my writing voice and live once again so any way there is something about a man and a car and a manly drive I would get into this car lovingly put my fingers on the Stirring wheel where his used to be put his put the radio on his favorite station look at the passenger’s seat see this beautiful daughter smiling As they slowly cruise quiet by ways they have known two minds and hearts bonded at the deepest level by love scenes flow by the Windows old realities revisited the car filled with a mixture of vibrant memories then and now textures that only a father and daughter Can know and share by the way I got out back a ways this is their new year’s ride together Happy new year Donna