FRIENDS

HOWDY
As the month of August came to an end it got to the point that I hated to pick up a newspaper or listen to the local radio station. It seems like almost every week or so we would lose a good friend.
We lost Mr. Joe Martinez, Freddie Esquivel good friend and great
musician then we lost Mr. Juan Alverez a gentleman who would call KWMC radio almost every time we did town talk live. These are just a few friends we lost to this horrible virus. It seems that people will not listen and wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Why? Do they not understand that it is for their own good?
Looking back to another time we were able to be in a crowd and have hardly any effects. Maybe catch a cold but always something minor.
But these are different times and the rules have changed. Pay attention to what is going on around you and stay away from crowds. Wear the mask and listen to what the experts say. I can recall a time when I was playing music you could go to a club and
be around hundreds of people and not think nothing of it. For many years on the 4th of July, Easter Sunday and other days we would have a lot of people over to my house to play music, talk, play horseshoes, and just be together as family and friends I recall that my dad J.B. McDonald would really look forward to those events he would tell me I know you are working and playing music but do not forget the family we need some time too. My dad was a truck driver most of his life and in his later years we saw a lot of each other. I miss him a lot.
When I was growing up, I remember almost every night myself and my friends would end up at the club cafe. It was on the corner of Ogden and Main St. all of the railroad workers went there. It was almost
always packed and we never thought nothing of it. It has closed now but when I drive by there, I remember the chili they were famous for and that is where I met a woman who played a big part in my life years later.
Back in those days we lived life to the fullest and enjoyed being young and living in Del Rio Texas.
I am going to tell you what happen to me in the month of August at a
funeral home. I was asking to leave a funeral because of what I said to the so-called son of the deceased. Now I have known this person for over fifty years. Him and his wife went to all my dances and even after his wife passed away, we remained friends, when he started having health problems, I would go visit him. He had a provider that was with him every day including the day he passed on during that time I would go visit him. He suffered from kidney failure, heart problems but he always tried to stay in good spirts. One time I took my son Michael with me and I noticed he looked like it bothered him. I ask him if Michael bothered him and he started crying and said no I just thought of my son. Now I had been around this man for many years and never heard anything about his son. When I ask about him, he said he lived here in town but I have not seen or heard from him in thirty years except when he needed money or a car or money to pay bills, he claimed he hurt his
back and could not work. When he passed on, I went to the funeral home and there was this person crying acting like his world had ended and I ask him who are you?
He said I am the only son of this man I loved him so and will miss him so much. I am sorry to say I said you are a liar. He got real upset with me and I told him I have known this man for over fifty years and I never heard of you.
I told him he may be your dad but you are not his son. If you were his son you would have spent time with him while he was alive and even more time when he got sick.
I told him as far as I was concerned, he should be thrown out of the funeral home. He complained and I was asked to leave which I did.
I said all of this to say if your parents are alive spend time with them while you can because we all have to die.
Here hoping we can get to where we can cope with this virus and enjoy my home town Del Rio Texas god bless stay safe and enjoy and thank god every day for another day of life. Thanks to Victor Cirilo and the Val Verde County library.