Winning Words 12/20/11
“Be the buffalo!” (Cherokee Saying) It’s been said that when a storm is approaching, cattle are quick to run away. The Indians observed that the buffalo charges into the storm and gets through it quicker. Donna Brazile takes this lore and applies it to everyday living. When confronted by a tough challenge, why prolong the turmoil? Become the buffalo! There is much that we can learn from the Indians. ;-) Jack

FROM DMF IN MINESOTA: I don’t think Carl Sandburg would agree.////FROM JACK: I had an aunt who knew Carl from his Galesburg days, and he wasn't always an agreeable person.

FROM RI IN BOSTON: I think those Cherokees knew what they were talking about. I like that advice. I admire Donna Brazile too, a pragmatic Democrat.////FROM JACK: I like the word, pragmatic. Adding a political name is bound to turn off some...who then miss the point.////MORE FROM BOSTON: You usually put a nice twist on things to evoke deeper thinking.

ROM ILLINOIS LIZ: My psychologist friend says, "It's easier to face a difficult task than it is to ignore it." ////FROM JACK: The Cherokees were psychologists without knowing the word.

FROM ARCHIE IN MICHIGAN: I just finished reading "Have a Little Faith" by Mitch Albom. It's well worth reading if you haven't gotten to it yet.////FROM JACK: Yes, that's a good book. I wonder if the buffalo is capable of faith?

FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Good advice, Kemo Sabee. I don't think I'd try this with a tornado, however. ////FROM JACK: You're not a buffalo; you're a chicken.////FROM CHESTER: Here's the verse for the Buffalo which appears in WHOOzoo at the Zoo Book Two (Chester wrote the book)
The Buffalo lives on the prairie.
And, boy, is that beast ever hairy.
They like it where they stay,
And will graze there all day,
Unless they decide to be scary.
While they are quite docile,
They’re far from a fossil.
They’ll “stomp” on your feet, so be wary.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Interesting quote. I'm not sure I agree, but then, cattle will run right off the cliff. I wonder if Buffalo turn before the cliff? Hmmmm////FROM JACK: You've got your animals mixed up. The pigs were the ones who ran off the cliff (Mark 5:10-20).

FARM STORY FROM SHARIN' SHARON: Once when I was a little kid, I made the mistake of having a red shirt on in the cattle lot. The bull started charging at me but Dad grabbed me quick and got me out of there. That's what charging buffaloes makes me think of. I don't think I much want to be the buffalo.////FROM JACK: Now, most of the charges that people have experience with are the credit card ones.

FROM BLAZING OAKS: CHARGE!!! "Don't let your rearview mirror be bigger than your windshield"...better to charge forward than to retreat. Yes, be the buffalo. A fun way to approach this thought!////FROM JACK: I remember seeing a buffalo up close in Custer National Park. I made sure that I was close to the car, in case he saw me as a threat and "charged." He continued grazing.

ROM IKE AT THE MIC: I think the saying should be "Be a "SMART BUFFALO" because it has also been said that :Unprepared pioneers are the 1st to get the arrow in their back..////FROM JACK: I've heard of a smart ass, but never a smart buffalo.