Foxy




		WRITE 2 THE HEART Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart" October 24, 2001 Volume 1, Issue 41 Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com -------------------------------------------------------- By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of "WRITE 2 THE HEART" You are receiving this FREE newsletter because you requested a subscription or a friend generously forwarded their copy to you. ----------------------------------------------------- Write 2 the Heart is continuing to give away mouse pads to writers whose submissions are published. Only one per writer. You will qualify even if you had something published in the past. ----------------------------------------------------- Hotmail users, you will need to hit the save address button on your account. The filters that MSN has implemented keeps you from receiving your e-zine in a timely manner. I discovered this after one of my sons complained that I took him off the list. His filter was throwing it away. ------------------------------------------------------ Paul had gotten into trouble. His wise father realized that he not only needed discipline, but needed to learn responsibility. The lessons Paul learned that summer helped shape him into the man he has become. ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Foxy and the Horses By: Paul J. Leadem --------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- When I was fourteen and a smart-aleck, I got into some trouble with the law. My two buddies and I used to "borrow" cars and joyride around town, checking out the girls of course. Our luck ran out and we got arrested. My mother was appalled at my behavior and wouldn’t speak to me. My father, on the other hand, remembered his own teen years and had other ideas about me. So that summer he got me a job, away from home. I was "shipped out" with the horses, a harness-racing stable that followed the circuit of racetracks in our region of the country. In the pecking order of this particular group, I was the lowest of the low, a stable boy. I literally lived with the horses, and even slept next to them in the tack-stall. However, the horses had a much better life than I did. Anyone who has cleaned out stalls knows what I’m getting at; the horses and the drivers had all the fun. Forget "Black Beauty" and all that stuff. The guy in charge of me, and the only one I saw all the time—all of my waking hours—was called Foxy. We even slept in the same tack-stall. I never did learn his real name. When he spoke to me at all, it was to tell me what to do and how to do it. He talked with the horses more than with me, and there were six of them on the circuit with us. Of course, I thought he was a little nuts. When he was showing me the proper way to "bathe" a horse, which was to be another one of my jobs, he conversed with the horse (one-sided of course). Oh well, I thought, he has been living with horses too long. The first time I tried this alone, the horse (cross-tied) kicked me so hard I thought I would never walk again. I tried to hide my excruciating pain, but not for long—I thought I had a broken leg. When Foxy got back from jogging one of the horses, I reluctantly told him about it. He took a look at the huge black-and-blue mark on my thigh and said, "cudda ben worst." He checked my leg the way he would examine a lame horse. "Nuthin’ broke," he said. Then he got out the horse liniment, some kind of dark purple stuff, and rubbed it on my leg. It hurt, but I didn’t say anything. Foxy let me rest for a little while, but we had work to do. For the first time, however, he actually talked with me. “Next time,” he said, "you ought to tell the horse who you are and what you’re gonna do. Let him get used to your voice and your touch. How would you like a stranger givin’ you a bath!" I learned a lot from Foxy, and began to understand why the horsemen called him Foxy. By summer’s end I was helping to train (driving) expensive and high-strung harness horses. Better than joyriding cars, and I got paid for it. Paul J. Leadem PLeadem @ msn.com -------------------------------------------------------- Paul has just been added to our Writer's Profile page. Go to www.write2theheart.com to see his picture and read more about him. Paul wrote the romantic story "The Reunion". He manages a MSN site called Senior Writers. -------------------------------------------------------- FROM OUR READERS ------------------------------------------------------ I really enjoyed reading Mark`s tale of his experiences at the age of eleven. It made me think of the Chirstmas Story that comes on the television every year at Christmas time. The tale of the young boy who wanted a Red Ryder BB gun. Very good-Mark. Maggie ** Cheryl, What a great name! "Bringer of Light" is the meaning. :-) Tammy ** I enjoyed the glimpse into Marks childhood. A lovely reminder of the innocence of childhood. Hope we hear more from him. Jill -------------------------------------------------------- <>< Prayer Request For Those In Service To Our Country ><> As you read over this list of names, take the time to pray for each one and their families. If you have a prayer request to add hit reply and send me their name and I will be happy to add it to our list. Trey, Chris Speir, Tim Speir, Emmett Summers, Jessie, Ken and Eloise asks for prayer for her family members and extended family in the Armed Forces. --------------------------------------------------------- Cheryl's Corner My sister-in-law gave me a Women's Devotional Bible for Christmas last year. Only, it didn't get to me till a few weeks ago. It was a gift that arrived at just the right time. I had finished reading through my old Bible for the umpteenth time and was praying, "Where do I start now, Lord?" I keep it in the Living room so it will be handy in the morning. In the front cover I have my written prayer list. It is so nice and cozy to have my coffee with the Lord. When the boy's were small, I read my Bible at night before bed. It was the only time I could call my own. That became habit which I kept up for years. One Sunday morning, my pastor challenged the congregation to examine our habits. Were we doing what God led us to do or were we following old habits because they were comfortable? I realized that I had never asked God when did he want me to read and pray. It is not comfortable changing habits, but it is well worth it. God Bless, Cheryl --------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- © 2001 Write 2 the Heart Nothing may be reproduced or published without the written permission of the individual author or copyright owner. ------------------------------------------------------------ All subscriptions sent to your email free of charge.