2018: A Retrospective

 

Well, another year is drawing to a close, and both A Different Drummer and I are another year older.  A lot has happened in those 365 days.

But what does it all mean, or does it mean anything at all?

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In the last 12 months we’ve talked about a creature of the night that visited me a few times.  It gave me something to think about and something to write about, and I gave it a little more life to live.

We talked about the demise of the Delta News-Citizen and how some told me they knew it wouldn’t make it after I chose to leave.  I pointed out that the paper wasn’t really going away, just moving and changing its name, and how I wished it only success.  After a few months of the changes, the jury is still out on whether they were for the better or the worse.

I told you about Patrick’s car breaking down on a cold winter day with a rainstorm coming in.  We got it running using one of my tools for something it was never intended to do.

The 2017/18 deer season was a big topic for A Different Drummer.  I had some good luck and some bad luck, but not nearly as bad as “Francis Buckomber”.  His luck was really bad, and not because I ended his life.  That may have been a stroke of good luck for him.

It ended up being a great deer season, and the 2018/19 season has gotten off to a good start so far.  I’ve been enjoying it despite having much less time to go hunting than last year.

Does it end well?  You’ll have to keep reading A Different Drummer to find out.

Unplanned pregnancy and bad decisions were a topic dear to me, as well as to some of my readers.  We didn’t all agree but I think most of us did…at least on the most important aspect.

We took a stroll through a snowy day on my farm as I enjoyed my dogs frosted in white and thought about days gone by with Annie and the boys as we skated on an icy pond.

A cat named Max and his love of the library came up.  The problems it caused were bigger than one might think, but I believe the solution I came up with could make everyone happy…well, almost everyone.

The “Big Chill” of 2009 taught me a lot, and proved educational for my sons too.  I hope my discussion of it all will help others in the future.

We talked about a tall, slender kid called Skinny, his huge curly-haired Airedale Terrier, and some firemen who helped the boy learn to deal with the problems he had with a bully.  If that combination hadn’t occurred, the boy might not have grown up to be one of the most beloved household names in the U.S.

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A friend of mine is almost the exact age as me and grew up in Southeast Missouri when I did.  His childhood experiences paralleled mine, except that he wasn’t allowed to do some of the wonderful things I was, and just because of the color of his skin.

We recognized the 20^th anniversary of an event that changed the lives of many people forever.  We contrasted the lives of a hero and the man who murdered him on February 6, 1998.

We took a light-hearted look at boredom and the extremes people will go to trying to escape it.  Not everyone has a sense of humor like mine, and that came up too.

I told my readers about the night when Canadian Robert “Bud” Jardine came home to find a bear ransacking his house.  His courage throughout the situation may not be the stuff legends are made of, but they are definite fodder for stories told around a campfire.

I shared a few stories about two of my sons and their trouble “keeping it between the ditches”.  Oh, and I mentioned how my friend benefited from their bad luck but was ready for a break before it was all over with.

Perhaps the greatest wild-west hero of all time was Bass Reeves, who lived in Arkansas in the late 19^th century.  His true-life adventures fueled movie writers’ imaginations for heroes like Rooster Cogburn, except that they were all white, and Bass was not.

I introduced my readers to the Broken Plow Farm’s resident dogs and cat and explained how each was a distinct personality, and how they all came to be part of our lives.

In another post I explained why Zorro is the luckiest unlucky dog I’ve ever known.

Together my readers and I mourned the passing of a great sports hero, a man who broke ground by doing something many thought could never be done, but he was so much more.  In this day of athletes and their multi-million dollar contracts, it’s hard to believe that he never turned pro, instead earning a distinguished career as a healer and living a life centered around his loving family.

With gun control more and more a part of the news I was aghast by how many people compared the right to bear arms with the right to get an abortion.  I said that, if their comparison was accurate I would be a strong proponent for gun control.

And there was so much more.

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I told about my friend Wendell and his adventures with a poopsicle, a frozen tire, and a speeding train.

We discussed Terrell Rico Relz Crawford and his daughter Ari, who threw a fit in an Ohio Wal-Mart.  His solution was both simple and a great example for parents everywhere.

Orville Rogers was born in World War I, and served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War, but that was only a small part of the adventures he has experienced.

I shared my experiences with battery-powered tools and which ones I own and why.

We talked about Bloomington, Indiana’s problem with an overabundance of deer and how they chose to throw money at it instead of choosing a simple solution that could have put money into the public coffers and fed hungry people too.

I recounted the story of Josh Tatum and how he had an impact on everyday conversation because of his legal-at-the-time Midas touch.

We cried together as I shared my family’s pain at the untimely loss of our grandson, Adam.

Another incendiary topic came up when I shared my opinions on illegal immigration.

I hope you were able to laugh with me and not at me when I shared some of my adventures with flatulence…and not even mine, I swear!

Dylan McWilliams had some adventures too, but his were not funny at all, and the fact that he not only had them but survived them defied incredible odds.

Stories about my friends the hummingbirds, mockingbirds, squirrels, and even exploding dogs were the subjects of other posts.

I told about two very painful games of air hockey.

Hunting flies, wasps, and carpenter bees was much more successful than my deer hunting, and I used a salt weapon to do it.

We “got our Mommy on” with one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.  But where did Donny Osmond fit in?  In back.

I said good bye to Jim Heimer and talked about the positive impact he had on me.

I recounted my adventures at the newly opened Bass Pro Shops Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, Missouri and encouraged you to visit it.

We discussed the impact the buck has had in our history, both financial and literal.

Movie stars are known for portraying heroes of all kinds while being absolutely fake, but I told about one long-time actor who not only portrayed heroes in the movies but was one in real life, by not giving up his “day job.”

We talked about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the fact that it’s not just for soldiers.

Paulie and the code brown gave me a much greater appreciation for my job and an understanding of the impact a positive outlook can have on life.

We said goodbye to a Hollywood star who got his start because of a good deed he did despite the fact that he thought it could ruin his chances of success.

I talked about some of the wonderful adventures I’ve had living in the country and how I hope I never have to give up the country life.

I shared the adventures Annie and I had when our grandsons and granddaughters came to stay with us.  I also admitted to feeling my age by trying to keep up with them.

I finally admitted something I’ve tried to avoid for nearly 40 years.  Yes, I finally revealed who my favorite son is.

David was a big Teddy Bear of a guy who only wanted one thing – to get back to California, but when he got there he quickly discovered that he couldn’t escape his own demons.

Speaking of Teddy Bears, where did they come from and where did they get their distinctive name?  Yep, I explained it all.

We talked about bikers with a death wish and how I narrowly avoided being the engine of their demise.

I talked about the fourth of July and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but it’s a little more complicated than that.

Leonard Slye was a hero to millions of children in the United States, but he didn’t ride into our homes by that name, and he had a more impactful life in reality than he did on TV.

Dakota Meyer showed us what true courage is when he earned the Medal of Honor by ignoring his fear to help his fellow Marines.

Another courageous man is Ken E. Nwadike Jr. who braved frightening conditions and gave out free hugs along the way.

I told about a time when Mr. Lincoln met Mr. Booth, and the result was not the one you think.

This year Annie and I celebrated our 35^th year of marital bliss and my love for her grows stronger every day.  Yeah, I talked about that too.

We discussed the backlash the Disney Corporation endured by introducing an openly gay character, and it wasn’t for the reason you probably think.

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I’m sure I am boring some of my readers so I won’t continue this way, despite the fact that I haven’t talked about the Wonder Weiner; Cruisin’ with Crusoe; or Howard, Howard, and Fine Home Remodeling.  Nor have I mentioned The Smartest Dumb Blonde or The Ghost in the Vestibule.

As you can tell, I have covered a lot of different subjects here on A Different Drummer in the past year.  So, what do my readers have to look forward to in the next 12 months?

Well, the fact of the matter is, while I have some idea, even I don’t know exactly what we’ll talk about.

I look forward to finding out.

Won’t you join me?

 

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