In the past few weeks, I have received comments from folks who are not frequent followers of my blog. I enjoy hearing from new bloggers, no matter the platform they find me on. It’s good to know how the pulse of the country beats. I welcome all comments and have only trashed a few inappropriate ones over the last fourteen years. Lately, some folks write, “That can’t be true; you made this up.” Well, yes, I did make it up, but there might be a smidgen of truth that sparked the fire. Mark Twain wrote many fictitious tales based on real folks he knew. A kid’s dream found me wanting to be the next Mark Twain, but then, he had already claimed the prize and the glory, and I had to settle for John Steinbeck as my hero and mentor. A good choice.
The heading for my blog clearly, in bold letters, states that it’s ” Tall Tales and Ripping Yarns From The Great State of Texas.” Most of my stories, and some rants, are true and are real recounts from my childhood into adulthood. I trust my longtime readers can tell the difference. My wife, Momo, my perfect muse, to this day, will still ask me if this is a true story or one of my weird ones.
In Texas, we are called Storytellers, Dichos, and raconteurs. My grandfather was a raconteur of the whittle and campfire variety, often playing salty licks on his fiddle while he entertained the family with his yarns. Two uncles on my mother’s side were world-class storytellers and the best liars I have known. They missed their calling by not becoming writers or folklorists like our American legends, Will Rogers and J. Frank Dobie. Genetic tagging from my mouthy relatives to me may have something to do with this malady that keeps me awake with a burning brain. Momo says I am touched in the head; she may be right. I do remember a fall from my mother’s arms to a kitchen floor when I was a wee-one. The result is quite clear.
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Notes From The Cactus Patch 
Personally, I rank your yarns “up there” with the likes of Davy Crockett …. I always enjoy your stories and wish I could write as well as you do, or if not you, then Dobie. Thanks for what you do.
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Thank you Mustang for the glowing words. Comparing me to ole’ Davy and J. Frank Dobie is some heavy stuff, but I’ll humbly take it.
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Well, I definitely don’t believe every yarn you spin, but you are hilarious and true or not, they pick up my day. Ha.
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Thankyou Lynn. Glad I could add a bit of laughter to your day. My grandfather spun them right into my young brain, now it’s my turn.
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You write blogs infused with hyperbole to get your point across in a memorable and fun way. Bravo! 🙂
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I guess that what it’s called, those $5.00 words. No lies, just a restless brain. Thankyou for the kind words, Nancy.
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If there is a title of “Master Raconteur” you would certainly deserve it, my friend.
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Thanks for the kind word, Herb. I’ll keep em coming.
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Phil…as long as the stories are good…which they always are…I don’t care which part is tall tale and which is true.
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Nude bloggers!? How can you tell? Oh. No. Wait. I see. “New.” Somekinda how not as much fun. Anyway, every tale told is based in fact, more or less. Many times, them lesser ones is funner than the morer ones. If there’s someone who can’t tell the difference, not your worry. Lookit all the Trailer Swifties out yonder; no accounting for the lack of intelligence out there. You just keep’m coming. There’s a lot of us out here enjoying the hell outta your Twainistic bent.
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Thanks spwilcen, I’m spinning those plates as fast as I can.
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