Advice and advising

The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in a time of moral crisis refuse to take a stand.” Don’t ever forget that.

Found that wonderful quotation shortly after buying the Kalispell Weekly News back in 1974 and began using it in each issue at the top of the Editorial Page. At one time I knew who originated it but can’t remember now. If anyone out there knows the author, perhaps you would tell me. Please!

Regarding another matter, I’m the kind of father who feels it is his solemn duty to give out free advice to his children no matter what their age may be. First Wife Iris says fathers should not give their grown kids advice unless they ask for it. I just assume they really want my opinion on just about everything but politely hesitate to bother me; therefore, I just go ahead and tell them what they should and shouldn’t do to save everybody time and trouble.

For example, recently youngest son Clark decided he should get a power winch put on the front of the expensive big jeep he bought a couple years ago. He didn’t ask me first but I strongly advised against this latest purchase. Reminded him that he’s not even 50 years old, whereas I’ve been driving around in these Montana dingweeds for more than 70 years … and never needed a winch. Clark ignored this counsel.

Last week he returned from the annual hunting week in the North Fork with his brother Shannon, friend Jeff Haven, and several others. Wouldn’t you know? After the big snow fall up there, Clark rescued several hunters and even a couple of residents who slid into ditches or got stuck. He also helped some hunters get their game up a steep bank, helped a local lumber company delivery truck get unstuck and had to rescue Jeff and Shannon when their pickup got bogged down in a deep drift on the Moose City Airstrip … all with his new winch.

These fortuitous events with Clark’s winch are not going to change my mind about advising kids, I’m just going to be more detailed. In this matter I should have said, “Clark, if you go ahead and buy a winch against my wise advice, then you should have a pad of invoices in the jockey box so that all those whom you choose to help will clearly understand what it will cost them and what the interest rate will be if they don’t pay cash on the spot.”

It is not easy being a father.

Heard a story one time about a guy who was eating horse meat when somebody yelled “whoa,” and the poor guy choked to death.

During our family’s big Thanksgiving dinner, son Shannon accidently swallowed a piece of turkey that wasn’t chewed enough. Thank goodness it went down his esophagus past the lungs but lodged above the stomach. Nothing could get past it. Shannon felt alright and we thought the situation would soon cure itself. That didn’t happen. Friday morning I called my personal medical office and reached an answering service lady who said Shannon could not be taken care of there, after I told her he was under the Vet’s Administration so didn’t have a personal doctor.

Meanwhile Iris got someone in the Kalispell Vet’s clinic who said they didn’t have the proper setup for treating that kind of thing so we should take Shannon to the regional emergency room.

Eleven different medical people in the ER did something or other to get Shan comfortable and into surgery where instruments were used to remove the stuck piece of turkey. This was after one doctor did explain there were rare hazards to that procedure but it had to be done. When I told him about offering to help Shannon by using a plunger, he said I shouldn’t be practicing medicine without a license.

All told, we were at the hospital four hours but at last Shannon could actually take a drink of water, and have it go all the way to his stomach.

I’m telling this story because there’s a lesson here. 1. It is apparently a good idea to be registered with at least one private medical practice, so you have a “personal physician.” I’ll be talking to my office about this because either the answering service lady or George … is confused. 2. Never assume any problem involving a person’s air, food and blood passages is minor. Go to the ER. 3. Never yell “whoa” around somebody eating horse meat.

G. George Ostrom is a Kalispell resident and a national award-winning Hungry Horse News columnist.