NEKKID DELIVERANCE

The Austin newspaper today had an article done by the outdoor fishin'/huntin' guy name of Leggett that kindled a memory for me. He was recollectin' bout one time when he was growin' up in the DEEP backwoods in an inbred/backward/confederate stronghold (just quoting the author now folks) called Panola County. His daddy was a Baptist preacher who loved to hunt/fish and just generally enjoy the outdoors.

They got an invite to some property owned by a rare visitor to the church to do a bit of squirrel hunting. Young Leggett recounted that when they finally eased their considerable way back into the brush and sloughs around Murval Lake near Carthage, they came to an ancient shack holding itself together with spit and hope. On the porch, with the obligatory hound dawgs underneath, was the male members of the family (resplendent in their overalls - no shirt, no shoes, no socks - just overalls)(frankie is bettin' they had 'em some gimme hats somewhere?)

Them accomodatin' folks proceeded to treat the preacher's family to a "guided" hunt in pursuit of the ever elusive cat/fox squirrel population for the bulk of the day. At the end of the day, they were invited for supper. (Now ya gotta be from that "neck" of the woods to know that to follow a hunt invite with a supper refusal was an unforgiveable sin. The preacher/sons stayed and were "pleasured" to feast on onion soup (onions, water, salt, pepper + the preachers blessing, but little else)(Now, ya would have to have lived in Wright City for a spell to appreciate that groceries that were tasty and eliminated hunger were just plain larupping good and nuthin' else, never mind consideration of cuisine)

Now, to the "nekkid" portion of this alzheimer reconstruction.

When the ole ranch hand was near bout 12, my Wright City neighbor, Jerry Ward, invited me to go with him and his dad to fish in some backwood sloughs down near Recklaw (ain't that far from Carthage sports fans). Being obsessed at the time with fishing, I eagerly jumped at the chance.

We meet the Ward clan at the designated swamp/slough/jungle and after they jawed a bit, the adults decided it was time to fish.

Everyone, EXCEPT FRANKIE, promptly shucked their clothes. I'm talking Garden of Eden, buckass nekkid (scared my mule) NUDE!

Author aside: The movie "Deliverance" ain't even been imagined yet, but it was going thru my mind like a dose of "epsom salts" thru a widow woman.

Now imagine all looking at me like I was the proverbial bug on the busted windshield like, "Boy, you got a problem??????"

Wasn't no way out of this fix, except to shed them earthly garments like they was the Garden of Eden plague and jump into the (muddy, snake/turtle/monster? infested swamp)(with my precious "stuff" exposed": ) and act NONCHALANT like I did this ever day (yeah right!!!!)

Well, I honestly don't remember if anyone caught fish, caught pneumonia or caught a life long case of homophobia, but I do remember LUNCH.

After the idyllic tour of the Recklaw swamp, the now less than virginal 12 year old WC lad was driven to the mansion (broken down hovel) of the "clan" and introduced to the blushing extended family. (Also known as the poster children for birth defects, circus quality teeth, warts from hell, and plum butt scary) .

Could be that my appetite was less than whetted that day, but them creatures commenced to dig out the most pans of bisquits I have ever seen (and best tasting) in my life. They had massive shallow pans of a fried meat(?) swimming in their own juices (yeah GREASE)(don't even want to know what I "et" that day) and all washed down by grape "polly pop" (Koolade).

I need ya'll to know that when I got home that day my juvenile perspective was that I had literally escaped with my "life". I now tend to think that those kuntry folk took in a stranger and treated me like I was a family kid and shared their meager wealth with me as an honored guest.

Bottom line: Don't immediately look at nekkid deliverance as a travesty, it might just be the Lord hinting that all his creatures have their own way of showing His love.