MAYOR'S REPORT
July 2003
In general, the freedom of any people can be judged by their laughter. The
day you grew up can be marked by the day you were able to laugh at yourself.
People whose hearts and soul's are free reflect it in joy and their ability
to, laugh. Those crusty souls who are always grouchy, complaining, in a bad
mood, whining about everything, sporting a sour look, and swimming in the
deep end of the negative pool are not free. They're chained to problems they
allow to dominate their world. They're slaves to depression, rising in the
morning with little or no hope and walking through life with a dark storm
cloud of gloom in tow raining on others. Pray for them, they need the prayer
and we need the practice.
The Forth of July is America's Independence Day, a day we celebrate our
freedom. Let people judge our personal freedom by our joy. Our sleepy village
comes awake with a parade and rodeo that's just too much fun. We let our
hair down and have a great time, never at the expense of others. Ride your
horse, drive your wagon, walk, skip, drive your old car but show up and have
fun. Laugh, talk to your neighbors, smile, it really feels good. Don't be
a slave; show the world no matter if our roads are dusty or Fish just captured
your dog, we're a free people that can laugh.
The enjoyment of our freedom comes at a high price. Freedom can't be bought
by politicians, nor paid for with diplomacy, and it can't be leased by compromise,
it's paid for by a willingness to stand up and if need be to fight. Independence
is the privilege granted to the strong and held onto by the willing, with
blood as its currency.
That motivation to give your all, comes only from love, the love of country,
the love of freedom, the love of your fellow man. "Greater love hath no man
than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13.
Those who paid that price did it in order that we could remain a free people,
and show that freedom in our laughter. Enjoy the gift of freedom, for a gift
that's not enjoyed is worthless.
We have the best government thus far invented. We have the freedom to complain
about our elected officials (I do it often). But we should keep in mind that
bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. We strive to vote
for the best person but most of the time they're not on the ballot. When
we elect bad officials our government becomes a big baby, with a huge appetite
on one end and lack of common sense on the other.
Come have fun at the 4th of July, parade and stampede and put July 19th
on your calendar also. I know you've been hearing about the chase for Billy
the Kid. It made the front page of the New York Times and from there went
around the world. It's a serious investigation with a fun twist. Sheriff Sullivan
and I want to invite you to White Oaks on July 19th at 10 AM. We're going
to have a service for J.W. Bell, the first deputy shot when the Kid made
his escape from the Lincoln County Jail. After 122 years the New Mexico Sheriff
s Association have bought a headstone for Bell's grave. Father Dave Berg
will hold a graveside service. The Father will arrive by buggy and we'll be
on horseback as it would have been in Bell's day. The rest of the day will
be spent having fun in White Oaks. Those folks in White Oaks know fun.
Let people know we're free, come out and laugh and have a good time. Or
as Mayor I'll be forced to step in and fix the problem. Don't force me to
appoint a committee, chaired by George. He'd spend months searching the Internet
researching "happiness laws" printing out reams of paper on what he finds.
He'll set up an office for telephone calls, with flow charts pinned to the
walls. He'll write bylaws, lengthy manuals, standard operational procedures,
crunching the numbers to ensure it's cost effectiveness, appointing a color
guard, countless hours of discussion, and forming sub-committees and sub-sub-committees
selected from the pool of morning coffee drinkers at the Barbecue Place. For
months Doris will pen articles appearing in the Lincoln County News telling
readers, "true happiness can only be found in embracing Lincoln County Solid
Waste". Ruth will ink secret messages in her "Thoughtless" column declaring
the "oppressed people" can not laugh as long as the Capitan Mayor, who she
refers to as "certain people", is allowed to remain in office irreverently
making light of everything. After months of study, open arguments we call
public hearings and near fistfights, George will call meeting after meeting,
to discuss how to legislate happiness. Leroy will refuse to vote, no matter
how the ordinance is worded. We'll have long discussions on grandfathering
in old grouches who refuse to smile no matter the law. Lonnie and John will
be giving each other the stink-eye and cussing, Doris will print their colorful
verbiage verbatim on the front page in 32 font. The process will drag on until
the people are so angry the police have to enforce strip-searches at the
door of all meetings, seizing weapons. George will then present a well-drafted
five hundred page ordinance. At which time there will be eight to ten hours
of boring discussion. Leroy and I will be fighting sleep, while John draws
on every sheet of paper he has in front of him until he starts drawing on
the desk. This will be my cue to end the meeting, beg for some kind of motion
or fake a heart attack. At some point Bobbi will have her fill of it and make
a motion "to accept George's ordinance, no matter what!" The motion will
die on the table for a lack of a second, forcing another meeting and I'm
wishing shooting a Trustee was only a misdemeanor. All the while, Debra will
be campaigning current trustees to hide a price increase in the "humor ordinance"
to cover an over inflated land purchase. John will ask which way I'd vote
if I had a vote, and I'll lie as usual knowing he'll then vote the other
way. About 3:00 AM, Leroy's head will hit the desk and tell me he has to
work the next morning. I'll not be listening because I'm thinking about burying
John next to Billy the Kid. Bobbi will take charge by standing up saying,
"I make a motion that we just have fan." George, remembering he has school
in an hour and a half, will second the motion. Not knowing what's going on
because John just punched me and woke me up, I'll call for a roll call vote.
Bobbi "yes", Leroy "No", George "yes", John "No", then the clerk will look
to me to break the tie ... The only thing worse then all of this is if I
had to deal with Leo Martinez, I'll let the Sheriff do that. So now you understand
why it's so important for you to go out and have fun and not force me to
work through the muddy waters of having board meetings?
All was said in fan, all good humor has a thread of truth through it. Scary
isn't it?
Happy Independence Day
Adios,
