Page 38 - a-columbia-county-boys-recollections-and-memories-of-columbia-county-florida-(2012)-lenvil-h-dicks

A Columbia County Boy's Recollections and Memories of Columbia County Florida (2012) Lenvil H. Dicks

MA’S UNEXPECTED LANGUAGE

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When I was about to finish the 10 grade, after I had achieved a good position in the Columbia High
School Band under Mr. Carl Roberts, since I was a pretty husky boy at that time I entertained the idea of
dropping out of the band and going out for football.

Now in all of the years I knew my mother, and I knew her all my life until I was 46 years old, at which
time she died at age 86, I never heard her utter one word of either profanity or say anything which was
even slightly vulgar.

But when I told her that I was considering dropping out of the band and going out for football, and she
had become quite a supporter of my band activities, I’ll never forget what she said to me, and this is all
she said: “Well Lenvil, if you want to spend the rest of your life smelling mule farts, then go ahead and
drop out of the band and play football.” 1 will have to admit that I was a little bit shocked, but I
understood exactly what she was saying, and 1 gave up any thoughts of going out for football and stuck
with my music. That was probably the best decision I ever made, because there is no doubt that I
became a much better trumpet player than I would have ever become as a football player.

It is sometimes strange how someone can help you make a decision by saying something so simple as
what she said that day. She would not want me telling this, so that everyone who reads this book will
know what she said, but when I get to heaven I will apologize to her if she still holds it against me.

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