September 24, 2006

• Throwing Halfhitches

  My dad was never my hero or even someone I admired.  Maybe he was very early in my life, but if he was I don’t remember it.  He was an alcoholic from the time of my first memories until several years after I moved away and had children of my own.  He was a very gentle man and I was was never physically abused while growing up,  In fact, I never ever thought of myself as anything but  living a normal childhood.  He became sober later and that’s another story.

  He wasn’t athletic in any way and as far as I know, he had never participated in any sports.   He grew up on a ranch near Buffalo, South Dakota when the only entertainment was what you could create for yourself.

  My dad had a very unusual talent.  He could throw halfhitches with a rope.  He could lasso a post and by flipping the rope in a certain way, he could create a loop that would twist and wrap around the post creating a half hitch knot.  He would continue to throw halfhitches, without missing until he was standing next to the post and it was wrapped in rope.

  As much as I tried, I couldn’t do it.

  Shannon, my grand daughter was playing with a hula hoop today and I showed her how, by throwing it with backspin, it would come right back to you.

  As I watched her trying to make the hula hoop come back, I was reminded of myself trying to throw halfhiches.

  • 6:20 pm
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