By Jan Penton Miller
Columnist
Often I can be found walking from room to room looking for my phone. Can anyone
relate? I remember a simpler time when phones stayed in one place, and people didn’t
have to look under the sofa cushions in search of said item.
On Saturday I actually had my phone within hearing range when my little brother called
with an invitation to the rodeo.
I don’t have a cowboy hat or boots, but I do love a rodeo! In a few minutes we were on
our way to Franklinton, LA to the fairgrounds. According to the Washington Parish Fair
Association this free fair began in 1911 and is held annually on the week of the third
Wednesday in October. It is hailed as the largest free fair in our nation.
Max had been mulling over the idea of going to the fair all day, but finally decided to
head that way. When he called I was free so I tagged along. The weather was fantastic,
but I did bring a jacket for later when the chill crept in. We always rib each other while
catching up. It’s almost as if we have a script, but it’s fun.

“You think you’ll be ok staying out late? You know you are getting old, Bettye.”
“I’m not as old as you are, Max. Look at all that gray hair!”
The banter doesn’t stop when we reach our destination and find a seat if we happen to
sit next to someone who likes to cut up, but this time we weren’t sure if we were going to
be able to get tickets. It took a minute to find a parking spot and squeeze in, and we
started trucking toward the arena. We had to hurry if we were going to see the opening.
On our way we asked for directions and spoke to a few people who mentioned that the
rodeo tickets had been sold out for a while. I told Max that we needed to keep heading
that way and try to find someone who might be selling some tickets even if we had to
pay a little more. After all, we had come too far to give up without at least trying.
As we neared the arena Max randomly asked a young man if he had heard that the
rodeo tickets were sold out. Much to our delight the fellow had purchased seven for his
family, but a couple of the kids weren’t interested. He graciously followed us to the arena
and stood in line with us to retrieve the tickets from his phone.
What a nice guy he was, and we had a blast at the rodeo. We could have given up, but
we kept going forward and the door opened right up. I think sometimes I give up on
things when it looks like a dead end. Maybe if I try just a little bit harder that door will
swing wide open, just maybe.