By Mel Hansen
On my way home this afternoon I had to stop at Colby, Kansas to take my government mandatory 30-minute break within my first eight hours of driving. So I went into the store...bought a couple of bananas, longingly looked at the 2 for $3.00 Pepsi’s in the cooler, but being true to my New Year Resolution to give them up, I tipped my hat towards them and walked on by and bought a couple of foul tasting plastic bottles of water! (I’ll rant about my feelings over bottled water another day!
Leaving Colby I decided to take the outer side roads instead of going through the middle of town like I usually do. As I approached the last two-lane road to turn left to get out of town I seen two boys beating the crap out of each other on the side of the road! The smaller of the two was clearly getting his clock cleaned by the bigger one, but nonetheless, he kept getting up and continued to throw punches! He landed a few! But down he’d go again from a hit or a push from the bigger boy. As I made the turn, checking my mirrors to make sure I wasn’t going to hold up traffic, I stopped, rolled down my window, and asked the two boys what the problem was.
The older of the two, I guessed them to be 12 and 10, looked at me and said, "just a little fight between brothers!”
I looked at the younger boy, who still had both clenched fists up and ready for action, and before I could say anything he looked at me and said, "he keeps telling me that my girlfriend is ugly!”
Now this comment took me by surprise, didn’t really know what to say, but I heard myself asking him, "Well, is she?” (I know, right, what a hell of a thing to ask a boy about his girlfriend.) The older boy vigorously was shaking his head in the affirmative to my question, but the younger boy just looked at me for a few seconds longer.
And then a grin broke out across his face, and he said to me, "Well kinda. But I don’t care! She likes me and I like her, and my brother doesn’t need to keep telling me that she’s ugly.” All I could do is smile and laugh!
I asked them if they were done fighting or did I need to get out and referee more rounds of fisticuffs. The older brother put up his dukes, did a Sugar Ray Lenard, “rope a dope!”, exhibition and asked his younger brother, How bout it? Do I still need to keep kicking your ass or what?” (Typical big brother bullshit talk!)
The younger brother said, "I’ve had enough for now, but keep it up and I’ll kick your ass later!" Had to admire his tenacity! I told them to shake hands...which they did... and told them...”there will probably be more girls you’ll fight over and about...but remember that being brothers is important!”
The older brother punched his younger brother gently in the shoulder and said, "We know huh Troy? Our mom tells us that all the time!”
As I told them goodbye and rolled up the window I put ol Lenoir in gear and started to roll, while watching in my side mirrors to make sure the fight hadn’t resumed? It hadn’t. They were on their bikes and peddling off.
I was smiling and laughing to myself, the next 50 miles or so, over my latest trucking adventure, wondering what I could learn from it. Here’s what I learned: Truly! Love is in the eye of the beholder! The little guy didn’t care that his girlfriend wasn’t a "rophy!” All that mattered was that she liked him, and he her, and he was willing to go to battle to defend what he believed to be beautiful.
You ladies really have no idea what we men go through to defend your honor and our commitment and devotion for the love of a good woman!
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