How to Be Humble
Hold on to your hats! Just awhile back we discussed the problem of RUIs. i.e. horsemen "Riding Under the Influence." Then, scanning an old floppy disk from my news gathering days, look what I found!
"Shades of Cat Ballou! On the evening of December 11th, Flathead County deputies were summoned to a rural mountain cabin by a frightened young woman. She had been dozing in her longjohns by the living room stove and awoke to see a mounted stranger staring at her through the window. He hollered out that he was looking for stray cattle and just wanted 'to be friendly.'
"The lady yelled back that she had a gun and wasn't interested in being friendly. The stranger had then ridden away through the new fallen snow while the woman was calling the law. Quickly arriving deputies had no trouble tracking the wandering waddy through the timber to a neighboring residence, where he had talked two elderly women into brewing up some coffee.
"The official arrest report on his 'criminal trespass' charge noted that the lonesome cowboy would have had considerable difficulty rounding up any wild steers. Marks in the snow clearly showed that in the half mile between the two cabins, he had fallen off his horse five times."
In a related matter, I clipped a quotation from the daily paper that set me to thinking a bit. It's attributed to famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, who allegedly said: "Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose the former and have seen no reason to change." Some of us can recall Wright was noted for brilliant building designs, but not for great modesty.
That reminded me of a wonderful personal experience from about 1981. When you buy a business that your friends caution you is mighty risky and then put every dime you have into it, it is not wise to become a shrinking violet with little self-confidence. Was finally riding high with my own "risky" newspaper business growing great guns and our winning several awards for both public service and writing. I was not arrogant … but surely a little cocky.
An elderly man came to my office one morning and said people at the Chamber of Commerce told him, "George Ostrom might be able to help you." As I recall, the charming white-haired gentleman had designed a new product and wanted promotional as well as possible manufacturing contacts. After looking at some blueprints and listening to his plan, I stood up, shook his hand and smilingly said, "Modesty prevents me from telling you how much I can help you."
With a grin on his face, my guest replied, "Modesty, eh! I can see you understand the concept, but it certainly isn't a burden to ya."
His witty observation broke me up, but it also caused a review of my everyday attitude and I tried being a bit less self-promotional. That effort was not made easier by popular singer, Mac Davis, coming out with his big hit, "Oh Lord It's Hard to be Humble."
Life is good. See ya next week.
G. George Ostrom is a Kalispell resident and a national-award winning Hungry Horse News columnist.