Water under the Bridge..
When I was a kid, I always loved to stand on a bridge and watch things pass under it. I would find sticks or anything that would float, toss it in the water from one side and run to the opposite side, to watch it float by, but it never did. That was when I was told that I had brain damage. The other kids tried to teach me the right way to do it. They said I had to toss it in the water from the up- stream side and then watch for it to come out of the down stream side. But no one ever told which was up-stream or down-stream. I still loved to toss things in the water and watch the splash it made, but I never did see anything come out on the other side. I guess that is why the kids never wanted to play with me.
Yes, those young years were lonely ones and the only friend I had was an old mangy dog that was a stray and a guy named Howard Freeman. Howard lived in a big yellow house on main street, in the town I grew up in. Howard appeared to have the mind of a two or three year old. His parents lived some where in the east and apparently were wealthy. The lady that kept house and watched over Howard was very protective of him. As years go, Howard was a very large person and was around forty years of age. He was always dressed neatly and was harmless and friendly to everyone.
I was on this bridge one day when this lady and Howard came walking by. This bridge and the stream was out of the city limits in a place called “The Kirk road” Howard watched me for a while, trying to figure out what I was doing. He told me that if I wanted to watch things come out from under the bridge, I had to start on the other side. The key was to make sticks come to the bridge and go away from the bridge. Howard was right and it worked every time.
You never knew where you might find me, one day I might be in another town, on my way to the moon or having lunch with the Home stake Manager in his big house on the hill. After that day, I stopped to say hello to Howard and he started waiting for me to come by at noon on school days. As I grew up and left this town, I never knew when Howard pass on, Years later the big yellow house was torn down and the lot was vacant for some time.
I wonder how many people can remember Howard Freeman? Howard was kept away from his family because he was different and I think his family was ashamed of him. But Howard was as smart as anyone and a better friend could not be found. I learned to judge not what you first see, but to look for goodness in everyone.
By: Ben R. Bauer
When I was a kid, I always loved to stand on a bridge and watch things pass under it. I would find sticks or anything that would float, toss it in the water from one side and run to the opposite side, to watch it float by, but it never did. That was when I was told that I had brain damage. The other kids tried to teach me the right way to do it. They said I had to toss it in the water from the up- stream side and then watch for it to come out of the down stream side. But no one ever told which was up-stream or down-stream. I still loved to toss things in the water and watch the splash it made, but I never did see anything come out on the other side. I guess that is why the kids never wanted to play with me.
Yes, those young years were lonely ones and the only friend I had was an old mangy dog that was a stray and a guy named Howard Freeman. Howard lived in a big yellow house on main street, in the town I grew up in. Howard appeared to have the mind of a two or three year old. His parents lived some where in the east and apparently were wealthy. The lady that kept house and watched over Howard was very protective of him. As years go, Howard was a very large person and was around forty years of age. He was always dressed neatly and was harmless and friendly to everyone.
I was on this bridge one day when this lady and Howard came walking by. This bridge and the stream was out of the city limits in a place called “The Kirk road” Howard watched me for a while, trying to figure out what I was doing. He told me that if I wanted to watch things come out from under the bridge, I had to start on the other side. The key was to make sticks come to the bridge and go away from the bridge. Howard was right and it worked every time.
You never knew where you might find me, one day I might be in another town, on my way to the moon or having lunch with the Home stake Manager in his big house on the hill. After that day, I stopped to say hello to Howard and he started waiting for me to come by at noon on school days. As I grew up and left this town, I never knew when Howard pass on, Years later the big yellow house was torn down and the lot was vacant for some time.
I wonder how many people can remember Howard Freeman? Howard was kept away from his family because he was different and I think his family was ashamed of him. But Howard was as smart as anyone and a better friend could not be found. I learned to judge not what you first see, but to look for goodness in everyone.
By: Ben R. Bauer
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