Olympia50

In a season of good tidings I want to present The Farm Hand to Awesome Dude and it’s readers.

In this special season think about the members of the LGBT community who are less fortunate. With community comes responsibility. We can build the kind of community of which we can all be proud if we look after one another and include everyone in our celebration of love and brotherhood.

Love & Peace,

Rick Beck    

Special Thanks:

I owe a debt to “Brokeback Mountain”, the movie. I did not see it or read the short story from whence it came, but the buzz surrounding it set me free to rewrite The Farm Hand the way I wasn’t able to write it before “Brokeback Mountain.” Thank you for exposing the Brokeback Nation of which I’ve been a part and write about!

Thank you Gardner Rust for editing and being there when I needed you. You are the Saint Of Well Sculpted Words and a blessing to me. Sometimes thanks ain’t enough, Dude!

Migele -- a friend in time, one of a kind

Each and every one of us gets there on our own

Regardless of the journey or what seeds we’ve sown

It's always amazing after the race is run

It's not always about the guy who thinks he won

Many times the glory is better by far

For someone in the back picking his guitar

He might not be out front leading the way

He might not even finish if its not his day

Most play to a drummer everyone claims to hear

But the real winner listens to music playing only in his ear

Peace & Love

Rick Beck

          My friend and writing mentor Ernie Shields told me a five minute story about when he was a young man working on his father’s farm. From little seeds mighty oak trees grow.  I miss you  man, but I’ve carried the torch since you handed off to me.