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January 25, 2001

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This picture does not really show anything about Waco but it means a lot
to me. I'll explain.

        When I was six years old, 1969, and starting the first grade, my
parents moved to Waco, Texas because my dad got this great job working on
aircraft at the Waco airport. He must have been making pretty good money
because we moved into this huge, two story house with incredibly tall
ceilings, six bedrooms, a large front yard and a gigantic back yard. Or so I
thought at the time.
    He had bought this incredible muscle car too. This was a 1969 Plymouth
Roadrunner, Superbird. It had a 440 V-8 and would cruise easily at 200 miles
per hour. From what I have been told, Plymouth only made 500 of these very
special cars. This one pictured here was stock number 500.
    Eventually the car disappeared as well as the fabulous house and, for
some reason, we had to move. I don't know all the details now but I knew I
was quite disappointed at the time. Shoot, a car like that was quite
impressive for a six-year-old.

    I have always remembered that house, that car, that town and for some
reason that time in my life was a very memorable experience.

    I have, since then, lived in and around Texas but never seem to find the
time to go back and visit that place and see what it looked like now. I then
moved out here to Virginia back in 1997 and was taking a business trip to
Austin, Texas. I flew into Dallas to take care of a few things and visit
some friends. I took a Ford Explorer that I still had there in Dallas to
drive down to Austin so I would have a vehicle while I was there.
    On my way back from Austin to Dallas, Waco was right there off the
freeway. I had a few hours so I figured that I would go exploring and see if
I could find the place. I had always remembered that we lived on Alexandria
St. and thought that I'd stop a get a map somewhere. I drove down this road
and down that road without deterring from some strange path I was taking and
surprisingly ended up right in front of the house itself. I was suddenly
humbled by how quaint the property appeared to be. Of course almost 30 years
had taken its toll on the place but never-the-less it looked so very small
and insignificant.
    It was definitely an eye opening experience when I realized how small I
must have been at the time to think that house was so enormous. That back
yard was so huge and that front yard was so large. It always seemed to take
forever to get to the street from the front porch. Now I was looking at it
thinking to myself how different perspectives are to children.
    I have learned many things in my life but it seems that no matter how
much I think I may know it is really nothing and I sometimes feel so very
simple and humbled.

    I then found a map of the area and took a drive to the airport where my
dad worked and was reminded again how small things actually were.
    I was almost certain that there was a zoo right across from the airport
but noticed that there was nothing there. I drove a little and saw a small
accumulation of trees not far away.
    Upon investigation I found that it actually was were the zoo was.
    I remembered so many things about the zoo as we had gone there a few
times and it was something so exciting at the time that it was somehow
etched into my memories.
    I always remembered that there was this beautiful peacock that I fed
peanuts to. It must have taken a liking to me because it followed me all
through the zoo, out the front gate and tried to get into the car. I always
felt so sorry for the colorful bird and have just recently come to know this
species to be one of my favorite animals.
    Then I remembered how sorry I felt for all the other animals at the
time.
    I don't know if we lose so much insight as we grow older but I can still
see all the caged animals and remember feeling their pain and torment as I
watched them pace back and forth in their small, restricted cages. It seemed
a pathetic excuse of existence.
    I can still see that exquisite tiger panting and heaving as it walked in
circles longing for a chance to leap and bound and possible lay on the
ground under some lush, green cool forest.
    The elephants longing to roam the free plains without those shackles and
concrete walls secluding them from the world in which they were born to
inhabit.
    I walked through this ghost town looking at all the dilapidated, grungy,
run down habitations that these magnificent creatures were forced to endure.
    I examined the old elephant pen. The concrete structure was still
standing and the shackles were still there imbedded in the floor. I knelt
down and brushed the dust and soil away from the floor and there I could see
the remains of blood stains there imbedded in the surface of the foundation.
    A flood of emotions consumed me as I wept for the inhumanity that lay
there before me.

    We must learn to treat every creature in this world as we would want to
be treated ourselves.
        Yea, "Do unto others........"


            Peace to all