Country Music is alive and Well, or is it

I have been stuck on midnights this week and next, so for the next two weeks , i will just choose what four hour period ,I want to sleep and do that, because that is the normal average sleep for midnights.Since I posted last, I attended another funeral,this time was in Guymon Oklahoma, that place has special significance for me,One , my number two son was brought into this world there,another I became acquainted with Duane Boren ,the then chief of police ,one of the true wonders of the law enforcement world,If you missed knowing and spending any time with Duane,you missed a real adventure.
I talked to one of the police supervisors at the funeral in Guymon, for about an hour, a detective,in uniform,very nice guy,we knew some folks in common, and were half expecting the cretins from kansas to show, Oklahoma knows how to show respect to our fallen,not that others dont, but these folks werent messing around,when it comes to some one trying to disrespect one of our fallen hero's, and being a Guymon native, they pulled out the stops,OHP had responded their East and West emergency response teams,which were in riot gear when we rode in.
It wasnt long after we showed that the riot gear came off,the temperments of the officers softened ,the pace changed,and we went about our mission of respecting this fallen hero and providing support for his family and friends in any way possible.
As the detective and I stood and talked I noticed an OHP Plane in the air , had half expected to see a helicopter but was told the plane would appear less obtrusive,which i agreed with, cause it is not at all uncommom to see ag planes loaded to the gills with spray chemicals, or sport pilots out soaking up some of the beautiful afternoon's rays , we encountered some wind, but felt right at home,When I had lived in Guymon, it could be and was a very similar day to what we would encountered during my stay when I worked at the Chevy dealership.
Some one had been thoughtful enough to provide flags on ten foot poles, that we held on both sides of the entrance street to the church,a truly beautiful sight.
We lined up along the barditch sides close to the asphalt and watched it all unfold infront of us.I was truly overwhelmed at the funeral of Lt Britt in Wheeler, my first mission with the Pgr,think you are tough, come join us , spend a day at a funeral , seeing friends and loved ones comeing and going, You wont leave the same as you came, or at least i havent.While we stood lined up , the guymon radio station was located right behind us to the west, made several trips up and down our ranks where we were holding the flags,and gave us cold bottled water , and even picked up the empties,I know of at least three times they went up and down our line providing cold water for us.
It always amazes me , the extent of kindness that is always given at these funerals.
I am as tough inwardly as any one i know, have always been a loner, and things like funerals never did much to me.
Well Let me tell yall,that has since changed ,when I started going to the hero's funerals, I have found these to be emotinally draining,in a very good sense of the word.I was raised in the "men dont cry age",This man cries, I had tears in my eyes more than once during my time holding that flag,cant tell you why,i didnt know the soldier,had never seen this young man we were honoring and that is ok,but if you can go and stand there and not feel anything,then chances are , you are in the wrong place.
As friends and family left the funeral, they came thru our flag honor guard,i saw smiles with tears,waves,women and men alike, choseing their own way to say, thanks for being here.I saw Troopers, police officers, and civilans ,stand at attention and salute as the hearse came in,andwhen it went out.
I can see how much God hates america, in the faces and eyes and salutes, and kindness of the folks i encounter every time i become involved in a mission.What the cretins never realized , that in spreading their vile contempt and hatred, this group of partiot guard riders have risen,with purpose and clarity,knowing in our hearts,that God is there Smiling on the fallen soldiers and their families,as he holds them to his chest,in his infinite tenderness and mercy.
This morning as we sit here at work,one of my cohorts made mention that the tickets for the Brooks and Dunn concert are 120.00 a pop.We used to go see the likes of Charlie Pride , Merle Haggard, Willie nelson , AreoSmith
Roy Clark, to name a few , in the civic center auditoruim,not sure what the seating was, but i am guesssing around
5500 people,but in the greater wisdom of some one, Brooks and Dunn will have their concert in the newer entertainment portion of a new performing arts center, with much less seating, so up the prices go,dealing out a huge number of folks that would normaly go to see them,and almost like a special showing for the upper crust , if you have the bucks,you get to go,now i have always been a fan of theirs, but 120.00 to see them, i think not.Got a lot better place for that money,let the blue collar crowd go,that will buy a lot of fuel for trips to Dallas,and i can see them cheaper there anyway.