~Memories of a Man named Troy~

[wildhorses]

Its odd how something as simple as an email can put soooo
MUCH joy into your heart.

I started thinking of an old black man (Troy was his
name)
that lived not far from me through the woods. He was always so happy to
see me
walking up the old dirt road coming to see him that even though he was
probably 80 or so years old at that time he couldn't wait on the porch
instead he would get up to come and meet me halfway. He would tell me
stories that his parents told him about life as slaves and the hard
times he
had growing up. He plowed his fields not with a tractor but an old mule
that
seem to understand every word Troy said and as he would plow I would
follow
behind him looking for arrowheads that the plow turned up. If I wasn't
there
when he was plowing he would lay any arrowheads that he found beside an
old
oak tree for me to find the next time I came. Well, I grew up and moved
away
and didn't visit or see Tory for years. My mother called me one day
when I
was living in _____________ to tell me that Troy had died. He was 101 years
old at
that time. I left the next day to attend his funeral and after drove
back out
to the house he lived in when I was young. As I stopped to just sit and
think under that old oak tree I looked over and there under one side of
it
were probably years of arrowheads that he had continued to pick up and
place
there for me to find one day. Houses had been built all around the
place but
the tree hadn't been touched . It was still there in the middle of the
field
that you could tell hadn't been plowed in years. Picking up the 40 or
so
arrowheads made it seem like I was back to being a child again and all
the
joy I had listening and visiting with Troy. In a BIG WAY I see how his
kindness and caring made an impact on my life even to this day.

[billyskank]

1. wildhorses!!!!

:hug:


:loveya:

[wildhorses]

2. Hiya my sweetness

:loveya: :hug: :hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear wildhorses.......

What a beautiful story!

I can so vividly see the field, the house, the tree.......

And all the arrowheads waiting for you to claim them, too......

Thank you for taking me back to your childhood.......

It explains your sweetness and great spirit to me......

:loveya: :hug: :loveya:

[wildhorses]

4. CalPeg, thanks so much for the kind words...

I wish I could take the credit. My boyfriend sent this to me in reponse to an e-mail I had

forwarded to MOST of the people on my list. When he sent me this, it brought tears to my eyes.

I wanted to share it with my friends here. You all can get a glimpse of why I am attracted to this

man. We have only been dating for 3 months but, with each encounter I am more impressed and

endeared to his gentle soul and sweet nature. Everything you just said I appreciate and hope to

live up to those kind words but, it is my friend who encompasses all those qualities. I am glad

that you like his essay. Maybe one day he will let me introduce him to the DU Lounge and my family

here. I have come to love and repect everyone. Even when we disagree it is done with love. I have

learned so much and am proud to be considered a Lounge Lizard.


Thanks, for reading this post and your kind comments. I am proud to call this man...FRIEND.

:loveya::hug::grouphug::hug::loveya:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. My dear wildhorses.......

Sounds to me as though he's a keeper....

What a beautiful and gentle soul he possesses........

And I believe that true love ideally starts with friendship....

I hope we all get to meet him too.....

:loveya: :hug: :loveya:

[wildhorses]

6. what amazes me is how fast the time as gone...

when I am with him it is as if time stands still. We do nothing impressive...I mean I guess if we wanted to we could go out to fancy places but, we don't. We eat at local restaurants (chains, even) and take in the occassional movie (last nite we saw The Black Dahlia). Mainly, we just sit and talk and listen to music on my deck out here in the woods. Love of the land is one of the first things I noticed that we had in common. It has grown and though 3 months is really no time at all, I feel like I have known him for a long time...

thanks for taking the time to read this post

hugs,
wh

[wildhorses]

7. early morning kickety-kick...

:kick: