(FEB 8, 2015)

Over the last couple of months, Wendy and I have been going with Wendy’s parents, Blair and MaryJane Wright to Tyler for doctor appointments. I have come to really look forward to these times, because I get to listen to the worlds greatest personal historian and storyteller, Blair Wright.

Here’s one:

” Me and my best friend, Odom, would go hunting. One day, we were walking down a country road near the old Taylor place (outside Lindale, where Blair lived growing up) and a roadrunner shot out in front of us.

‘Odom, I oughta shoot that roadrunner, so we can have sump’n to eat.’

‘Blair, there ain’t no way you can hit that roadrunner!’

So I raised my rifle, looked through the scope, and by this time, it was pretty far down the road. I pulled the trigger, and saw that roadrunner just kinda fall over.

‘You got him!’ Odom hollered. ‘I’m gonna go and get him.’

‘No, just leave him there. I probably tore him to pieces anyway.’

‘No way am I gonna leave him there. You’d probably go back, tellin’ everybody how you shot him right through the eye. I cain’t take that.’

So Odom went down the road to get the bird. When he came back, he didn’t system much. We just started on home.

‘D’you get him or not, Odom?’

‘Yeah, I got him.’

‘Well, let me see him.’

‘Nah, it’s no big deal.’

‘Show me!’

Odom pulled that roadrunner out from behind his back saying, ‘You know, that thing was at least a hundred yards away!’

Randy, I had hit that roadrunner right in the head, didn’t hurt the meat at all.

Odom said,’Oh, man, you’ll never stop talkin’ about this!’