Features
Gamaliel’s Mike has friends in high places - by Mary Fye
t was near the end of a five-hour flight. My normally well-behaved daughters had reached the end of their sitting-still limit.
The flight attendant took pity on me and reassured me that she had seen worse. In an ordinary exchange of pleasantries, I somehow got around to saying my hometown was Gamaliel. Imagine my shock when she not only knew exactly where Gamaliel was, but also asked, “Do you know Mike Chapman?”
Asking me if I knew Mike Chapman was like asking a UK basketball fan if they knew who Tubby Smith was. Not only is he well-known in Monroe County, but Mike’s wife Janice, a distant cousin, has worked with my mom and my aunts at the Gamaliel Beauty Shop for numerous years. Mike is one of those larger than life characters that inhabit every small town. We love their outrageous personalities and their ability to fill the room with stories and laughter.
Gamaliel has had its fair share of these great people, including Betty Ann, Billy Murphy, Genoa, Cletus, and even my grandfather, Smokey Joe. The benefit of living in a small town like Gamaliel is that you not only know the stories, you know the person, too.
Like most Gamaliel natives, I have had the fortune to hear many of Mike’s stories from the horse’s mouth. (Mike is a talented horseman, so that pun was most certainly intended.) Part trucker, part cowboy, and part farmer, he is a stranger to no one and is the subject of many a story, ranging from innocent to shady. Ask Mike about a set of unique luggage and an armadillo and you’ll get more information than you ever wanted. My favorite story is about Rooster.
Rooster was an Australian Shepherd that Mike wanted to work cattle. But good cattle dogs aren’t born; they’re raised (read: lots of training).
Months and months of rigorous work went into making the dog something more than just a four-legged pet, and after more training than any dog (or human) should endure, he was ready for a test (Rooster, that is).
Always the showman, Mike decided to put the skills of his newly trained pup on display. Mike separated some cows, and with his friend Nelson watching, prepared Rooster for his big debut. Mike gave the command: “Get’em, Rooster!”
Now, Mike intended for this innocent sounding command to encourage Rooster to go off and herd the cattle back together. Like they say in Cool Hand Luke, “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.”
Mike recalls that he saw Rooster jump enthusiastically after his command but did not exactly see what happened next. That was probably a good thing because when he landed, Rooster took hold of Mike’s backside. I won’t go into the distasteful details of disentangling cowboy and canine.
Suffice it to say that after that, Rooster was more like a blood brother than man’s best friend. Afterwards, Mike confronted his misguided pup, saying, “Rooster, I think you have the wrong idea here!” It was clear that Rooster needed more training, and Mike needed to stick with horses.
Getting back to the flight, it turns out the attendant was a competition barrel racer. Mike is a world champion when it comes to penning. These geographically separated acquaintances knew each other from horse shows.
When I got back home and shared this encounter with Mike he replied quite simply, “I’d hate to think I didn’t have friends in high places.”
Mary Fye can be contacted at mary_fye@yahoo.com.
- Features
-
-
Patience is key with middle schoolers
Their lives are filled with drama too. Girls crave popularity and boys don’t. Girls never want to go to the bathroom alone and guys want to pull a chair out from under someone or swap licks. They all like to tattle and write notes.
-
The making of maple syrup
Sophie and I are both watching Mark Green skim the sap as it boils in the kettle. We’re in the Greens’ big back yard, near where it meets the woods.
-
Family Affair
When Claire and I began to put our plan into motion we hoped our boys would not only witness a world class sporting event but also expose their young and impressionable minds to different cultures and experiences that would create positive life lessons.
-
The gift of music was well used by family
Not to be bragging, but I come from a musically gifted family.
-
Granddaughter makes a day brighter
Now and again, when my routine seems dull and boredom sets in, I succumb to a rather ho-hum mood. That’s how it was going one cloudy day last week.
-
Homemade is not always best
“Mama, you’ve got to see this,” my grown daughter led me to a colorful booth at a craft fair in Nashville.
-
Losing the ability to be astounded
I’ve never had an urge to howl at the moon. Yet, back mid-way through the past century, I once saw fellow do just that.
-
Not all bumps are a bad thing
You don’t want to take a bump to your head. That’s for sure. And you don’t want your car to get bumped in the parking lot. That’s not good.
-
Valentine’s day brings out love songs
I am going to design a shirt that says, “I Love Love Songs.” I’ll have a heart, of course, instead of love; just like the other I love shirts. Valentine’s Day will bring out a repertoire of love songs dating back to pre WWII.
-
Grandchild sparks flashback
One of the reasons why I enjoy observing the passages of my grandchildren is that, to some degree, they provide opportunities for me to reconnect to my own childhood.
- More Features Headlines
-
Patience is key with middle schoolers
