Dramatis Personae, part one, of the Facebook Follies

For those of you following recent Facebook exchanges about my  views on The Worst President, aka George Bush, conservatives, et.al.,  I thought you'd like to meet part of the cast who are adding to the conversations:

Clark and Morrison

• Steve Snider, friend from Waurika days, bachelor, big OU fan ( I seem to remember he was a walk-on) and we attended several games together,  exiled to Fort Worth! Hook'm. Most importantly, he's the nephew of my newspaper partner, the late great Don Morrison, "Mr. Waurika Lake," and a plaque I helped dedicate is at the overlook in NW Jeff county. Don was a proud graduate of the H.H. Herbert School of Journalism at OU and used the Waurika News-Democrat in a 30-year fight national fight to get Waurika Lake built. That was back in my Republican days and Don, a lifelong Democrat, who wouldn't endorse candidates in the News-Democrat--"An Independent newspaper"--and I would have our differences. He always argued that the Democrats were for the little guys and the GOP for the rich people. He's upstairs laughing at how I've changed. As a graduate of the Don MOrrison weekly newspaper school, I learned more about quality journalism than you can imagine.Steve  was the town humorist and could get his uncle in stitches with his kidding and parodies, including stopping at Braum's in Chickasha on the way home from the games. Steve swears Don would eat a whole half gallon of ice cream before they got back to Waurika. Steve's parents, George "Brick" and Mary Lacy Snider, were his partners in publishing, until I bought out their share a long time ago. Steve's folks, much to the chagrin of many of the Methodists--their family's church--in town from whence they came, went into religious publishing, moved to Throckmorton and then to Frederick. The name of their paper was The Grape Press. Real faith. They donated their bodies to medical research. So Steve comes by his faith honestly, and I can forgive him for being conservative, and he and I can rattle each other's chains once in a while.
• Sara Beth Lutrick Foote, my cousin and  the reason I'm in love with all redheads, currently of Plum Grove, Texas. Sarah's a young thing, only five years older than me, the daughter of my Mom's sister Gladys and Clark Lutrick (there's an omen). Besides that red hair, I remember most how mouthy she was. When we were visiting in the hot summers of long ago in Houston and I was a kid, I was amazed how sassy she was with her parents. I'd never have been able to get away with it because I "was a good boy," but she did. Now I'm trying to make up for it. It's Sarah's fault if I'm a little outspoken. Sarah and I didn't get to know each other very well as kids, but in recent years we talk often, and her mouthiness has not changed, along with that East Texas drawl. I can talk to her on the phone and my spirits always lift with laughter, because she's always digging at me with that wry Culp humor, and I get to reciprocate. She can take it and dish it out. She and husband Bob live in this great ranch-style house in the country with a big porch and beautiful azaleas along the front and both the Texas and American flags flying. She and Bob are real conservatives --what would you expect from a member of the DAR, UDC  and DRT (United Daughters of the Confederacy and Daughters of the Republic of Texas, for you infidels). Tells you where my ancestry is. Oh, and they are Republicans, but  I forgive them for being acquaintances of the last president. At least we can kid and each other, and still be friends and love each other, and talk. (Genetic Texan blood is thicker than all that).
• Note: I have a photo of Sarah Beth and Bob at a Baylor game, on her facebook page. Can't seem to get it to open from here. Sorry, SB. By the way, it is always Sarah Beth. We grew up where middle names were always used. If someone from down there calls, you know immediately because it is "Terry Mike.")
• Chapter two coming. It's interesting to me that both of these conservatives always mention the abortion issue. I don't know the answer to that, having watched an abortion save a mother's life, but not wanting males to be in charge of women's lives. This deep divide in our country will probably never be healed, but we need to talk. Steve and Sarah Beth are sincere  and ardent in their beliefs.