New photo, many thanks. (original) (raw)

ne of the unforeseen and enjoyable by-products of writing It's All Trew is I receive requests to present programs and speeches to a variety of groups. I consider the requests a compliment and always try to comply if possible. Of late, I am receiving a bit of flak because today, I look a lot different than I did several years ago when my column photo was taken.

I'll admit the old photo was taken quite awhile back before old age took its toll.

It is probably the only photo ever taken of me that I feel does me justice. You see, my late father and only brother are photogenic. No matter where they are, what they are doing or even if they know you are snapping their picture, the result looks like a John Wayne prepared photo shoot.

On the other hand, my late mother, a beautiful woman, and I, no matter what we wear, how we primp, how we pose or the time of day, a photo of either of us looks like we were just released from jail after a long night of partying. I am amazed that anyone asking to see my driver's license even recognizes me. The only time I ever remove my glasses is during a shower and while sleeping. Yet, there I am, red-faced and without glasses, showing wrinkles, skin cancer scars, baggy eyes and white beard. I guess I am safe from imposters because why would anyone want to look like that anyway?

The complaints about the outdated photo vary from "I didn't recognize you" to "You have aged since you had that picture taken?" or "Have you been taking your medicine lately?" Earlier in my writing career, since I write mostly about past history subjects, I was told I did not look old enough to have experienced the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Today they ask, "Do you receive a birthday card from the president?"

Recently at a Quail Tour at the Boone Pickens Ranch we visited a moment with Garrett Von Netzer, who was the Globe-News editor at the time It's All Trew began. At our first meeting, after a year or two of being published, he asked, "Where the heck did you come from?" I certainly want to thank Dan Packard, the editor who agreed to publish my work. Though I have not met her yet, I want to thank Jenni Sandlin to whom I e-mail my column each week.

So this column will include a new image to see, but will probably contain the same old type of columns you are used to reading. It has been fun, a great challenge to find new interesting items, meeting the readers, receiving e-mails and telephone calls, and recalling the past.

At 77 years of age, my wife Ruth and I are in excellent health, still work every day, carry lists of "to do" items, enjoy our four sons, 16 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren with another on the way, and look forward to more years of the same. God bless all of you as we begin another chapter of It's All Trew.