LIFE: observed: Roadtrip: Oklahoma! – Showman's Rest and Bull Rider's Reprieve

Monday, May 31, 2010

Roadtrip: Oklahoma! – Showman's Rest and Bull Rider's Reprieve

Okay, back to the macabre. A bit out of the way, but still on my way home to east Texas, I stopped in the small town of Hugo, Oklahoma. Hugo is the termination point for a goodly number of circus folk. The town, once known as Circus City, USA, is winter headquarters for two different shows: The Kelly-Miller Circus and the Carson and Barnes Circus. Those who do not rise to make the next spring's journey are laid under in Mt. Olivet Cemetery's designated Showmen's Rest.

The rectangular area is marked off by granite posts, each topped by a small elephant statue. In the center is a large headstone with a carving of a performing elephant up on two feet. Underneath is etched "A Tribute To All Showmen Under God's Big Top."

In the nearby Bull Rider’s Reprieve section I found the grave for Bullriding legend Lane Frost. Young Lane always wanted to be buried next to his hero, Freckles Brown, and when a bull killed him in 1989, at age 25, he was. Frost was the 1987 World Bull Riding Champ. The flower urn on his grave reads, "Lane Wasn't Perfect, But He Knew Jesus."

Source: Roadside America

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My ramblings might not inspire you.

You might not be emboldened to attempt anything more than making a fresh pot of coffee. There are plenty of blogs out there written by very courageous souls who have poetically broken away from main stream society to achieve their goals.

I am a South African serving with Mercy Ships currently stationed in the United States. Mercy Ships, a global charity who has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978, is following the example of Jesus, by bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor, mobilizing people and resources worldwide, and serving all people without regard to race, gender or religion.

This blog is simply the ramblings of a middle aged man viewing life from the sidelines and might not always be about my work with Mercy Ships.

Disclaimer: I serve with Mercy Ships. Everything here, however, is my personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.

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I will put some things "up," so to speak, on some days, and on other days, I will not put things up. Whether or not I put things up will depend largely on whether, on a particular day, I have anything to put up. For example, let's say that on Monday I have something which I want to put up. On that day, I will put that thing up. On Tuesday, though, I might not have anything to put up. I will worry for a moment about not having anything to put up. "Oh no," I might say, "another day has come, and I have nothing to put up. What will happen if someone visits this site and there is nothing new to look at? Will people be angry?" But then I will realize that, chances are, people will not be angry -- that, chances are, people will understand. Most people are pretty understanding. Then again....