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Slow and steady always wins the race
Published July 23, 2009
The title of my column for today is the moral attributed to a fable written by the ancient Greek writer Aesop.
For the last two years, during the Boaz Antique Tractor & Power Show, yours truly has defeated incumbent Boaz Mayor, Tim Walker, in the “slow tractor” competition.
At this year’s AT&PS coming up Saturday, whether I could have attained a “three-peat” will never be known.
The reason, as you read this, is because I will be into the second day of my recovering from a total anthroplasty of my left hip – assuming I survived – as I am writing this a several days before the surgery date of this past Tuesday.
Regrettably, His Honor and I will not engage in what has become a good-natured jousting upon the workhorses of the farm – the tractor.
I recently called the sonorous-tonciled Walker – if you didn’t know, he is a really good singer – to inform him of my inability to participate this year because of the upcoming repairs to my aging temple.
Now I don’t wish to read something into what I believe was a response coming through my phone’s earpiece during that call, but I think I distinctly heard what sounded like a Snidely Whiplash snicker.
Whiplash, for those who might not know, was the arch-villain of Canadian Mounties’ Dudley Do-Right, of Rocky & Bullwinkle fame. If you don’t know who Rocky & Bullwinkle are, do a Google search.
However, Snidely – I mean Tim — assured me my image, or a reasonable facsimile thereof (I’m not certain what form reasonable might be) would grace the seat of his competitor’s metal steed.
Trusting the mayor to be an honorable man, I don’t believe he would place my image in an inappropriate or embarrassing position, right?
I am hoping, perchance, that someone wishing to preserve my image and reputation will step forward Saturday and, like the knights of old, carry my colors into the fray.
Now, Mayor, don’t say they should be black and blue. I was thinking more like the black and white of a newspaper.
My knight, or second, would, I hope, graciously allow him to lead the way to, and across the finish line. A win, would thus provide me with a three-peat win in abstentia.
Although Walker is the political cranium of the city, and the go-to man in the clutches, it is that very thing causing him much personal consternation in our previous two competitions – the clutch!
While demonstrating an adroit ability for tiptoeing around many issues in his political career, it seems the affable politico has a heavy foot when it comes to applying just the right amount of pressure on the brake to maintain a clutch winning position in the slow tractor race.
Well, Tim, if you manage to win, my Dollywood Mayor’s jacket will remain out of your clutches.
George Jones is a staff writer for The Sand Mountain Reporter. His e-mail address is boaz(at)sandmountainreporter.com.
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