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Get a Job!

  Get a Job! by Dave Wright My dad was a firm believer in the work ethic—the curse of American capitalism—and he was determined to instill it into my brothers and me. My younger brothers were early adapters. They were barely out of grade school when they began farrowing sows and raising hogs at a farm near town. I, on the other hand, was a slow learner. Despite Dad’s efforts to get me out of the house—say, by baling hay or assembling grain bins, those jobs survived one outing—and I wasn’t invited back. Lucky me. The day after I celebrated my sixteenth birthday, I passed my driver’s test and lost any excuse for staying out of the job market. “Where are you planning to work?” queried Dad. “I’ll provide you with a car to drive, but I expect you to supply the gas.” Having made no attempt to apply anywhere by the time school started that fall, Dad found a job for me. Watland Implement: Sweeper “I’ve talked to a friend of mine who owns the International Harvester dealers...
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An Old Man Canoes the Quetico

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  An Old Man Canoes the Quetico by Dave Wright Canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, or in this case, its Canadian counterpart, Quetico Provincial Park, has been one of my favorite activities of my life. I recently celebrated my seventy-second birthday, and I wondered, Can I still do this? Am I physically capable of enjoying the trip? Can I compensate for my age with extra preparation? I was eager to find out. I took my first canoe trip as an eighth grader out of Camp Widgiwagon through the YMCA. I was a shrimpy eighty-pounder and had a hard time keeping up. I learned that it’s okay to apologize, but persistent self-deprecation soon becomes aggravating. The trip was marked by rain, smelly canvass tents, food shortage, and a cranky guide and counselor. The last night of the trip, the four of us boys pitched our tent in a grassy swale—no roots or rocks to bite our backs for a change. About midnight it started to pour. We piled our sleeping bags next to one wa...
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The Patient

  The Patient by Dave Wright About a year ago, on the sixth of November, The Patient woke to news that we all fear: The “C” word, Cancer. The Patient pleaded for answers to all the common questions. “How bad is it? Has it spread? Is it curable?” “It’s bad,” came the reply, “but you’re healthy, and you have a strong immune system.” That assurance gave her hope. But in the past year, conventional therapy has not been working. The cancer has been eating away at nearly every part of her body. What used to be healthy and vibrant has become decayed and crippled. At a recent checkup, The Patient heard more bad news. “Your immune system is not functioning properly. Normally there are checks and balances to keep your body working. They are in place to prevent you from dying, but they’ve been compromised.” “What happened?” “The protective laws and systems in your body are being ignored. In addition to your cancer, a virus has infected you and taken control of every cell. You...
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An Autumn Walk

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  An Autumn Walk by Dave Wright Crisp air A cerulean sky A canopy of gold A whiff of pine The crunch of leaves Amid this oasis of peaceful solitude A thousand miles away The wrecking ball of tyranny Swings behind the Man in Orange Who plies his Senatorial Stooges With Hamburgers! The desecrated White House Sobs in the background.  
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Who is Sadie Willow?

  Who is Sadie Willow? by Dave Wright His eyes flutter open to a view of the Beartooth Mountains. The pain has not begun to claw at his belly. He knows it won’t last. The morphine is doing its job—for now. Judge Thorton Guilfrey asks himself, “Is this justice?” His entire life has been devoted to justice. The law has been his bedrock. He has spent his career faithfully interpreting the law. If someone was found innocent in his courtroom, Judge Guilfrey welcomed the defendant’s freedom. If the verdict was “guilty,” he meted out the consequences believing anyone found guilty should suffer the consequences of his actions. There is little gray in the judge’s life. It’s either black or white. When in doubt, look to the law. Now he is confused. The pain is roaring back. He grips his abdomen as he lies in a hospital bed in a remote cabin outside of Red Lodge, Montana. He has chosen this place to end his life on his terms. Judge Guilfrey has the resources to have gone wherever...
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