I heard Michael Martin Murphey’s song “Cowboy
Logic” on Facebook, and the same day saw a quote from the booklet Live and Learn and Pass It On that
expressed the same idea. The smart place to ride in a truck is in the middle:
you don’t have to drive and you don’t have to open the gate.
One of the things I loved about Jim was his sense
of logic. We had our share of monetary problems when we were first married. One
time when I was stressed over a mistake I had made with a payment, Jim put his
arms around me and said, “Honey, anything you can fix by throwing money at it,
isn’t a real problem.” That changed my entire way of thinking.
He was right. The real problems of life can’t be
fixed with money.
On one of our trips to Colorado, Jim played a
steady stream of Michael Martin Murphey tapes, including “Cowboy Logic.” Mom
and I decided that we never wanted to hear Michael Martin Murphey sing again.
Time heals all wounds, and when I posted “Cowboy Logic” on Facebook, we both
listened to the song and expressed our nostalgia for the Colorado trips.
On that trip to Estes Park, Jim was experiencing
more symptoms from his dementia. Mom and my nephew Jason were with us. I think
they were worried that I couldn’t manage Jim alone. An excerpt from Indelible:
Jim insisted on eating cottage cheese
and pineapple with every meal, including breakfast. We fixed most meals in the
cabin, so he could have the food he wanted.
The cabin was a new environment, and
Jim couldn’t figure out how to work the water in the shower, so I helped him.
Then, I helped him dress. One morning while I took a shower, Jim walked out the
door and down the road.
“Jim’s gone out the door,” Mom told
me.
I shut off the water, “See if Jason
can catch him.”
By the time I got out of the shower
and dressed, Jason and Jim came through the door.
“I didn’t know what to do, so I told
him you needed to talk to him,” Jason said. “When I told him that, he turned
around and came back.”
We spent our evenings on the river
walk drinking large cups of flavored coffee from MacGregor Bookstore. Jim’s
favorite entertainment in Estes Park was the Lazy-B Ranch Boys’ dinner show.
Jim was enthusiastic and happy.
In his hesitant speech he talked to
one of the performers before the show. The man invited Jim to come behind the
counter and play his guitar. Jim eagerly picked up the guitar and played a few
cowboy songs. Jim sang the song I’m
Tellin’ You Friend, I Ain’t Had a Good Day.
I believe that this world could use “Cowboy” or
any kind of logic now. Maybe then, we wouldn’t have so many bad days.
Copyright © October 2025 by L. S. Fisher
http://earlyonset.blogspot.com
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