I still have fond memories of 3 years of my life that were spent at South Junior High School in Abilene, Texas. I suspect that the fact that I spent my entire first year at South Junior on crutches to be the primary reason this period sort of sticks in my mind. Being on crutches hampered my walking, but it did not stop me from riding horses. I would lean my crutches up against a tree in our front yard and mount. The only problem was the fact that I had to come back to the same place to dismount.
The reason for the crutches was the fact that during the summer between the 6th and 7th grade, I went with a couple of my friends to look at some horses. The reason we went to look at these horses now evades me. Most likely, because they were horses. The fact is I don’t have much of a reflection of these horses. We had just climbed over the fence into the pen when everything went black.
The thing I remember was being unloaded from a car parked in front of the Alexander Building at North First and Pine Streets in downtown Abilene. My mother worked in that building for Doctor Holt Magee, a Dentist. Our family physician, Doctor Prichard also had offices in that building. I had blood streaming down my face and my right knee was in extreme pain. I had a very deep gash in the right temple area.
My friends explained to Doctor Prichard what happened. They said that a horse had kicked me in the right knee. When I bent over and grabbed my knee, the horse let go with another rear foot to my head. It is a wonder that I was not killed. I also highly suspect that the kick scrambled my brains. This being the reason that I often suspect, “my elevator does not always go all the way to the top” or that “I aint playing with quite a full deck.”
In those days, Doctors did not seem to know much about treating such injuries as a broken knee. Doctor Prichard called in another Doctor who wanted to put the knee in a cast. Doctor Prichard said that would bring about a totally immovable knee. The only treatment that was used was ice packs and heat. The result was that my right leg was one inch shorter than my left leg. The arthroscopy surgery of today most likely could have solved the problem.
It was at South Junior High that I first came under the spell of Will James. He influenced my future personality as much, if not more than any other person. His art work gave me a real understanding of the anatomy of equines. His writings taught me a deeper understanding and love for equines.
Now all the above is not the real reason for this specific article. The true reason is an old drawing I found. I suspect the drawing was made during my 7th or possibly 8th grade. The covers and pages of The Brayer are always graced with artwork from some outstanding artist. This picture proved to me the reason why my writings and not my drawings grace these pages. I took an art class at South Junior. I don’t remember if it was mandatory or an elective. What I do remember was that when the Art Teacher put a bunch of fruit or flowers up at the front of the room and told us to draw them, I was not very impressed. Somehow when I completed my drawing it was most often that of an equine. On occasion I would draw a truck or a motorcycle, but never fruit or flowers. This did not please the Art Teacher very much. Another cowboy in the class went with me for a talk with the Teacher. She reluctantly agreed that the two of us could draw nothing but equines, saddles and cowboy stuff. And that is what we did.
I did not restrict my drawing of equines, saddles, and boots to the Art class. I was not much interested in the “reading, writing and arithmetic” the teachers were trying to imbed into my scrambled brain. I was therefore prone to doodle and draw during all of my classes. I suspect that the drawing which is the reason for this article was drawn in a class other than art class. It was drawn on lined notebook paper rather than on the art paper that we used in Art class. Through the majic of a modern computer, I removed the lines from the above drawing.
It appears that my mind conjured up a jack that was named; “Man O’ Peace” based upon the famous Thoroughbred, Man of War. This Jack was about to run a race against horses. My version of a fine looking horse decked out in western gear. The jack was the centerpiece of the picture. I only showed the front part of the horse at the far right of the picture. This was a"Pony horse" that leads the race horses. The jack needed no "Pony horse". I even put in some circles to represent the heads of a crowd of people in the stands and speakers announcing the race with the jack, “Man O’ Peace”. The drawing also bears my signature at the lower tight hand corner.
I will keep on writing articles and leave the drawing for The Brayer to others.
The reason for the crutches was the fact that during the summer between the 6th and 7th grade, I went with a couple of my friends to look at some horses. The reason we went to look at these horses now evades me. Most likely, because they were horses. The fact is I don’t have much of a reflection of these horses. We had just climbed over the fence into the pen when everything went black.
The thing I remember was being unloaded from a car parked in front of the Alexander Building at North First and Pine Streets in downtown Abilene. My mother worked in that building for Doctor Holt Magee, a Dentist. Our family physician, Doctor Prichard also had offices in that building. I had blood streaming down my face and my right knee was in extreme pain. I had a very deep gash in the right temple area.
My friends explained to Doctor Prichard what happened. They said that a horse had kicked me in the right knee. When I bent over and grabbed my knee, the horse let go with another rear foot to my head. It is a wonder that I was not killed. I also highly suspect that the kick scrambled my brains. This being the reason that I often suspect, “my elevator does not always go all the way to the top” or that “I aint playing with quite a full deck.”
In those days, Doctors did not seem to know much about treating such injuries as a broken knee. Doctor Prichard called in another Doctor who wanted to put the knee in a cast. Doctor Prichard said that would bring about a totally immovable knee. The only treatment that was used was ice packs and heat. The result was that my right leg was one inch shorter than my left leg. The arthroscopy surgery of today most likely could have solved the problem.
It was at South Junior High that I first came under the spell of Will James. He influenced my future personality as much, if not more than any other person. His art work gave me a real understanding of the anatomy of equines. His writings taught me a deeper understanding and love for equines.
Now all the above is not the real reason for this specific article. The true reason is an old drawing I found. I suspect the drawing was made during my 7th or possibly 8th grade. The covers and pages of The Brayer are always graced with artwork from some outstanding artist. This picture proved to me the reason why my writings and not my drawings grace these pages. I took an art class at South Junior. I don’t remember if it was mandatory or an elective. What I do remember was that when the Art Teacher put a bunch of fruit or flowers up at the front of the room and told us to draw them, I was not very impressed. Somehow when I completed my drawing it was most often that of an equine. On occasion I would draw a truck or a motorcycle, but never fruit or flowers. This did not please the Art Teacher very much. Another cowboy in the class went with me for a talk with the Teacher. She reluctantly agreed that the two of us could draw nothing but equines, saddles and cowboy stuff. And that is what we did.
I did not restrict my drawing of equines, saddles, and boots to the Art class. I was not much interested in the “reading, writing and arithmetic” the teachers were trying to imbed into my scrambled brain. I was therefore prone to doodle and draw during all of my classes. I suspect that the drawing which is the reason for this article was drawn in a class other than art class. It was drawn on lined notebook paper rather than on the art paper that we used in Art class. Through the majic of a modern computer, I removed the lines from the above drawing.
It appears that my mind conjured up a jack that was named; “Man O’ Peace” based upon the famous Thoroughbred, Man of War. This Jack was about to run a race against horses. My version of a fine looking horse decked out in western gear. The jack was the centerpiece of the picture. I only showed the front part of the horse at the far right of the picture. This was a"Pony horse" that leads the race horses. The jack needed no "Pony horse". I even put in some circles to represent the heads of a crowd of people in the stands and speakers announcing the race with the jack, “Man O’ Peace”. The drawing also bears my signature at the lower tight hand corner.
I will keep on writing articles and leave the drawing for The Brayer to others.
Note: This article was previously published on the pages of The Brayer magazine
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