SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF "TEXAS"

RAY HEARD A LADY’S VOICE HOLLERIN' “WE’RE COMIN” AND HE LOOKED BACK AT THE PAVILION AND SAW A BUNCH OF WOMEN ROUNDING THE CORNER RUNNING AS FAST AS THEY COULD.  THEY WERE ALL CARRYING SHOTGUNS AND THEY LOOKED LIKE THEY KNEW HOW TO USE THEM.  THEN RAY HEARD A MAN SHOUT “HOLD ON MAN WE’LL BE RIGHT THERE.”  RAY LOOKED BACK OVER HIS SHOULDER AND SAW A BUNCH OF MEN RUNNING UP THE ROAD FROM THE PISTOL RANGE.  EACH ONE OF THEM WAS WAVING A PISTOL.  RAYS MOUTH DROPPED OPEN AND HE GOT A PANICKED LOOK IN HIS EYES.  HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT DIRTY HIMSELF.  JUST THEN HE HEARD THE SQUEALING OF BRAKES AND LOOKED OUT IN THE ROAD IN FRONT OF THE PAVILION AND SAW A PICKUP AND TWO CARS COME TO A SLIDING HALT.  THE DOORS FLEW OPEN AND PEOPLE STARTED BOILING OUT AND EACH ONE OF THEM HAD A RIFLE IN THEIR HANDS.

RAY LOOKED AROUND FOR SOME PLACE TO RUN BUT HE WAS SURROUNDED.  HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO SO HE JUST SAT DOWN ON THE GROUND AND HELD HIS FACE IN HIS HANDS.

IT WAS THE 4^th OF JULY AND OUR GUN CLUB WAS HAVING IT’S ANNUAL 4^th OF JULY PICNIC AND TRADE DAY.  A BUNCH OF THE LADIES WERE ON THE SKEET FIELD SHOOTING SKEET AND A BUNCH OF GUYS WERE ON THE PISTOL RANGE GETTING IN SOME PRACTICE FOR THE PISTOL MATCH LATER THAT DAY.  THERE WAS A RIFLE MATCH SCHEDULED TO START IN ABOUT AN HOUR.

RAY, A TRANSPLANTED YANKEE, HAD BEEN IN THE PAVILION HELPING SET UP TABLES FOR THE PICNIC.  AFTER HE GOT THE TABLES SET UP HE DECIDED HE WOULD PUT THE FLAGS UP.  WE ALWAYS FLEW THE AMERICAN FLAG AND THE TEXAS FLAG WHEN WE HAD AN ACTIVITY AT THE PAVILION.  RAY TOOK THE TWO FLAGS OUT TO THE FLAGPOLE AND HOOKED THE AMERICAN FLAG IN THE FIRST TWO SNAPS ON THE ROPE.  THEN HE HOOKED THE TEXAS FLAG IN THE NEXT TWO SNAPS.

HE PULLED ON THE ROPE AND RAISED THE FLAGS TO THE TOP OF THE POLE.  THERE WAS A BREEZE BLOWING OUT OF THE SOUTH THAT MADE THE FLAGS STAND OUT AND WAVE IN THE WIND.  THE SIGHT OF “OLD GLORY” WAVING IN THE WIND ALWAYS GAVE RAY A PROUD FEELING TO BE AN AMERICAN.  HE STOOD THERE LOOKING UP AND HUMMING A FEW BARS OF “IT’S A GRAND OLD FLAG.”

THEN HE NOTICED THAT HIS SHOE WAS UNTIED AND HE BENT OVER TO TIE IT.  WHILE HE WAS BENT OVER HE PULLED A FEW DANDY LION WEEDS FROM THE GRASS AROUND THE FLAGPOLE.  WHEN HE STRAIGHTEN UP HE HEARD A LADY’S VOICE HOLLERING “WE’RE COMING” AND HE LOOKED BACK AT THE PAVILION AND SAW A BUNCH OF WOMEN ROUNDING THE CORNER RUNNING AS FAST AS THEY COULD.  THEY WERE ALL CARRYING SHOTGUNS.

THEN RAY HEARD A MAN SHOUT “HOLD ON MAN WE’LL BE RIGHT THERE.”  RAY LOOKED BACK OVER HIS SHOULDER AND SAW A BUNCH OF MEN RUNNING UP THE ROAD FROM THE PISTOL RANGE.  RAYS MOUTH DROPPED OPEN AND HE GOT A PANICKED LOOK IN HIS EYES.  HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT DIRTY HIMSELF, OR MAYBE WET HIS PANTS.

 JUST THEN HE HEARD THE SQUEALING OF BRAKES AND LOOKED OUT IN THE ROAD IN FRONT OF THE PAVILION AND SAW A PICKUP AND TWO CARS COME TO A SLIDING HALT.  THE DOORS FLEW OPEN AND PEOPLE STARTED BOILING OUT.

RAY LOOKED AROUND WITH PANIC IN HIS EYES FOR SOME PLACE TO RUN.  BUT THERE WAS NO PLACE BECAUSE HE WAS SURROUNDED.  SO HE JUST SANK DOWN ON THE GROUND AND PUT HIS FACE IN HIS HANDS AND STARTED CRYING. 

HE COULD HEAR SOMEONE IN THE CROWD SHOUTING “REMEMBER THE ALAMO.”  THEN TED BENT OVER AND SAID, “RAY, IT CAN’T BE THAT BAD.  WHAT’S  WRONG?”  “REMEMBER THE ALAMO” CAME THE SHOUT FROM THE BACK OF THE CROWD AGAIN.  “SHUT UP BILLY BOB” TED SAID.  “ COME ON RAY TELL US WHY YOU ARE IN DISTRESS.”

RAY LOOKED UP AT TED AND SAID, “ALL THESE PEOPLE WITH GUNS SCARE ME.”  “BUT WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU.” TED SAID.  “REMEMBER THE” BILLY BOB STARTED TO SAY UNTIL HE SAW THE LOOK ON TED’S FACE.  THEN HE DID SHUT UP. 

“RAY, WHY DID YOU HANG THE TEXAS FLAG UPSIDE DOWN IF YOU ARE NOT IN DISTRESS?”  “I WHAT” SAID RAY.  “YOU HUNG THE TEXAS FLAG UPSIDE DOWN.” TED TOLD HIM.  “THAT’S WHY ALL THESE PEOPLE WITH GUNS ARE HERE.  TO HELP YOU."  “OH”

RAY WAS FINALLY ABLE TO TELL TED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND HE HAD JUST MADE A MISTAKE WHEN HE HUNG THE FLAG.  TED LOWERED THE FLAGS AND REVERSED THE TEXAS FLAG SO IT WAS RIGHT SIDE UP.  THEN HE STARTED PULLING IT BACK UP THE POLE.  AS HE DID SO THE WHOLE CROWD SNAPPED TO ATTENTION AND SALUTED.  THEN THEY SANG “TEXAS, OUR TEXAS” THE OFFICIAL SONG OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. 

AFTER THE SONG WAS OVER, TED STEPPED BACK AND YELLED “FIRE.”  ALL THE PEOPLE FIRED THEIR GUNS OFF INTO THE AIR.  A 63 GUN SALUTE TO THE STATE OF TEXAS.  RAY FAINTED DEAD AWAY.  TED, BILLY BOB AND LEE ROY HELPED RAY OVER TO A CHAIR ON THE FRONT PORCH OF THE PAVILION AND EVERYONE WENT BACK TO WHAT EVER THEY WERE DOING BEFORE THE DISTRESS SIGNAL.

AS RAY BEGAN TO COME TO HIS SENSES HE SAW A LADY SITTING IN THE CHAIR NEXT TO HIM.  HER NAME WAS OZELLA AND SHE WAS 89 YEARS OLD.  OZELLA WAS A MEMBER OF “THE DAUGHTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS.”  HER GREAT GREAT GREAT SOMETHING OR OTHER WAS ONE OF THE DEFENDERS OF THE ALAMO.  THIS MADE HER ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE “DRT” AND SHE HAD BEEN AN ACTIVE MEMBER FOR 60 SOME YEARS.

OZELLA WAS SITTING THERE WITH HER COLT SINGLE ACTION 45 CALIBER SIX SHOOTER IN HER LAP WAITING FOR HER PISTOL MATCH TO START.  BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME. SHE ASKED RAY IF HE LEARNED ANYTHING FROM HIS EXPERIENCE.  “YES” SAID RAY

“DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS,”