April 7, 2019
Hubris had learned the way to Lefty’s saloon from Howie’s place by heart. So, I was very happy that I could just come along for the ride because my mind was totally occupied by the chaos and confusion I expected to find at Lefty’s. The leadership bunch at Lefty’s had hand-picked a “damaged piece of goods” as their candidate in their 2016 nomination process. Now, because of the craziness and perversity of Jack’s new chief, all they could think about was that they had the wind at their back. However, it looked to me like they still hadn’t figured out why the wind was blowing their way and it was now just over a year until their 2020 nominating gathering. If they were going to put in another “fix” on the nomination process they had to start soon. I suspected that their leadership was as confused and divided as Jack’s bunch. No surprise, because neither of our two big businesses’ leadership had the courage to deal with the real problems our country was facing. If I could find one word to describe which way lefty’s leadership always looked, it would have to be “backwards”. And, if they did that again, they would put good old “Uncle Joe” in the driver’s seat for the 2020 contest. Given what the future of our economic and social structure looks like, I suspected old Joe just might be wise enough NOT to let that happen. Besides, Joe wasn’t exactly noted for his quick decision making.
As we rode up to Lefty’s place, we noticed that the watering trough had gotten bigger than ever, and a new sign hung over the entrance which read:
EVERYONE (no exceptions) WELCOME!
DRINKS ON THE HOUSE!
(for those who $support$ our cause)
I dropped the reins over the hitching post next to the water trough, gave Hubris a pat on his rump and went up the wooden stairs and through the swinging doors into Lefty’s saloon.
I was almost knocked out of my boots by what I was seeing! Instead of the dark and dingy, smoke-filled and stale-beer-smelling, musty room I had experienced on my last visit, the room was clean and brightly lighted, blue and white checkered table cloths were on all the tables, nobody was smoking anything and—the biggest surprise—more than half of the customers were young men and women of so many different races that I thought that Lefty’s place had turned into a meeting hall for the united nations bunch! I had been looking forward to shots of bourbon, cigar smoke, and rough conversation, but—what did I find—table cloths and napkins and strong-minded-young men and women with good manners! This was not the Lefty’s group I had known! At first I was kind of distraught, but then I had the thought that maybe this was the way that business would look like in the future and, perhaps, I was just a bit late in realizing that the future was “now”! Feeling a little sheepish, I sidled up to the bar and was surprised when the bartender handed me a drink menu. Specials of the day were a variety of fruit daiquiris and the featured drink was a “Pink Lady”. When I told him I wanted a good old fashioned shot of “Kentucky’s finest” he asked me, “Bourbon or Rye?”. I settled on a shot of “Uncle Jack’s” finest bourbon. Then I leaned back on the bar and tried to listen-in on the conversations that were going on around me.
I heard bits and pieces that included things I had never heard of, like the “Green New Deal”,
“Fee This and Free That”, “New Monetary Theory”, and “Equal Everything for Everybody”. I didn’t hear one word about anybody being “Responsible” for anything, much less how anybody was going to pay for anything. I felt like I needed some time back at the ranch to think about this new world. I emptied my shot glass, hitched up my pants and did a hasty exit through the swinging doors, un-hitched Hubris and with a hearty Hi Ho Hubris, Aaawaay! –we were headed for our little home on the range.
Copyright, March 7, 2019, Louis J. Christen