Faith in younger folks

Like most old curmudgeons my age I have little faith (or?ÿtolerance for that matter) in young folks.?ÿ And I firmly believe this is from learned experiences and not?ÿpredisposed forethought.?ÿ This is a college town. I have grown accustomed to having my prescriptions filled at Walgreens by a purple-haired mouth-breather that is incapable of?ÿeither eye contact or conversation.?ÿ The tats and piercings are just an added distraction.

Although I no longer manage multiple survey crews I did my time dealing with young bone-heads that felt gainful employment was an afterthought.?ÿ I still painfully remember firing a field hand that refused to get out of the truck at the job site because "he didn't feel so good"... Although he threatened to sue me because I wouldn't give him a ride back to the office he never did. But I digress.

When I started surveying here in Norman in the late sixties the population was around 30k.?ÿ And although the population has more than tripled since then Norman's city limits still has vast rural areas that are within its limits.?ÿ And in Oklahoma rural usually means cattle.?ÿ

I topped a hill this morning to see a patrol car and a city truck blocking?ÿthe section line?ÿintersection.?ÿ The patrol car was lit-up and the officer was out in the road stopping traffic.?ÿ At first I thought it night be a car accident, but as I got closer I realized a downed fence had allowed about a dozen head of black baldies (Hereford/ Angus mix cattle) to wander into the road.

At the officer's urging I stopped.?ÿ I rolled down my window to chat with him.?ÿ He said he'd rather conduct a felony arrest than chase cows, but he had good help.?ÿ It was then I noticed the City truck was Animal Control.?ÿ And rounding up the herd was a (probably) early twenties aged young lady with her City uniform.?ÿ I could tell immediately she had experience with cattle.?ÿ She single-handedly kept the herd along the ditch, out of the road and headed back toward the hole in the fence.?ÿ I've watched herding dogs that could not have kept up with her and the?ÿ100 pounds of blonde determination she exhibited.?ÿ I could tell by?ÿher intensity no cows here going to escape her efforts.?ÿ I had some fencing pliers in the back so I pulled over and helped her and the officer stand the fence back up.?ÿ I had to tell her I was in awe of her herding ability.?ÿ She just laughed and said 'thanks' without even looking up from her bare-handed grip full of barbed wire.?ÿ

Did my heart good to see at least one young person that knows how to work.