Here’s another choice morsel from my roast at Garnett. This one is from Ken Hager, a good friend, former Garnett Shepherd, and world class wood turner.

Ode to Wade

This saga begins on a west Texas farm

with the birth of Wade, and with little alarm.

Loyd and Sue’s ambition for this robust child

was to till the soil and not go wild.

Little they knew what lay in store.

His reputation would spread from shore to shore.

They thought him strange in those formative years.

How did he get such weird stuff between his ears?

Instead of working the fields like a real Texas man,

he would debate the boll weevils ’till they left the land.

He would torment his sister from daylight to dark.

With the farming tasks, he took little part.

“This son of ours just may not be right.

He reads, debates and plays basketball.

At the end of the day, that’s just about all.

My suggestion is this, and don’t think me a fool,

The best thing to do is send him off to school.

There he can mingle with the academic crowd.

Just maybe some day he will make us all proud.”

So with his sneakers laced tight and basketball in hand,

he hit the court at ACU, sure he’d be in demand.

He proclaimed to his coach, “I plan to go Pro.

So I’ll only be here a year or so.”

Coach’s head spun around and, with a big frown,

said, “Wade, you can’t. Your butt’s too close to the ground.

Well, Wade took the news with some style and grace,

and decided, “I must learn to use my brain in this place.

Then out of the blue appeared a young lass,

widely traveled and bright, with a great deal of class.

She floated on the scene as light as a feather,

the one we all know now as Heather.

She spotted Wade across the room–

tall and black-haired–and thought, He’ll make a good groom.

Though rough at the edges, his feet still in the soil,

I can work on this boy with great labor and toil.

The rest is history, as folks like to say.

Two boys came along and they were well on their way.

It wasn’t long ’till fate sent them here.

They were met with love and a great deal of cheer.

Our paradigm he challenged, our behavior did chide.

Pondering the depths of scripture, we were in for a ride.

But his calling to plant churches ran deep, no mistake.

He’s leaving Oklahoma for Texas to raise the IQ of both states.