Tribute to Rich Watton (Sept. 25, 1954 - Jan. 17, 2021)
I recently penned an article about neighbors, in which I discussed how to be a good neighbor. When you follow that formula, you have an excellent chance to have good neighbors. The Golden Rule pretty much says it all and if you need to reach deeper, the Bible can give good advice on this issue. In fact, this subject is addressed in multiple books of the Bible such as Mark 12:31 - Love your neighbor as yourself.
I have found this is more difficult with some neighbors than it is with others. But I have also found that when you take the time and effort to get to know these neighbors and apply the Golden Rule in each case, you will achieve success.
Dr. James Bryan suggested that since I was Rich’s friend and neighbor, maybe I would consider scratching down a few words as a tribute to his cousin, Rich Watton. So, let’s give it a try. Our friend, Dr. James Bryan, who is a treasure trove of Marlin history, gave me much more information about Rich’s home, the Beard house, than I will be able to use. Might call for a sequel.
Rich lived next door in an unusual house built in 1930 by Mr. Ralph Beard and his wife DeAlva. They built a very unusual house using concrete bricks that they made. These bricks were 10 inch X 20 inch x3 inch concrete bricks and the Beards paid young boys 5 cents a brick to stick small multi colored rocks edge wise in that concrete in a certain tight pattern. Each brick contained about 100 small rocks. This gave the brick a pincushion effect and the entire house was walled with these bricks.
Rich moved into this house several years ago and he was not an easy neighbor to get to know. Before he came to live here, his grandmother, Mrs. Cordie Howard and his mother Georgine were my neighbors, and we had a very cordial relationship. Later, Rich came to Marlin to live. His lifestyle was a bit different. He was a self-taught Volkswagen mechanic and drove a Volkswagen bus. In my mind, Hippies drove Volkswagen buses. Rich was different, yet he wasn’t a Hippie.
He had quit school in the 8th grade because that stuff bored him. Later he got his GED and enrolled in college and later studied to become a Chiropractor. He was a deep thinker and compassionate. As a neighbor, he was all right because I very seldom had any dealings with him. Then as time rolled by, our relationship began to be more than, “Howdy” as we passed by. There were times when he would ask advice on something he was working on, or he would ask if I needed a hand with some project I was working on. Often, he would seem bewildered about something. Like the time he was cutting vines off the trees in his front yard and wondered, “why he had this rash on his hands!”
Turns out that he was cutting down Poison Ivy vines from those trees. Or the time he brought an animal that was contained in a six-pack cooler for me to identify. Seems that his dogs had caught this unknown mystery creature and I was able tell him that he had a possum in that box. Rich had two dogs that he walked at least once a day, or rather they pulled him along. They were big dogs. First, he had Moose and and later added Big Red These dogs loved to bark at me and then come to get their heads rubbed while they wagged their tails.
Rich always put my trashcan out on pick-up day and then put it back up. He did for neighbors up and down both sides of the street. I would mow his front yard when I mowed my own, and he always come out to thank me for doing a good job. We often visited under the trees or Rich would come over and we would sit and visit. Sometimes I would be bewildered about what he was talking about and that is when I learned about his infamous act of chiseling the word “Savage” from the Soldiers Monument located at Central Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico for reasons of his own.
They are probably still trying to figure out who did that deed! But often we were reminiscing about our younger lives and talking about a variety of subjects such as religion and God’s Grace, space travel and the condition of our roads. As you would expect, we did not have much good to say about politicians. A couple of nights before he passed away, we had our visit under the trees, and I am thankful that our subject included some of God’s blessings in our lives. We did not know that Rich’s time was near. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. I am thankful that God gave me a friend and neighbor like Rich Watton. So long my friend!
Moonlight Memories
This guy had a Volkswagen bus for his car,
Seemed to be a friendly sort,
To call him eccentric, might push it too far,
He was sincere with a tender heart.
I only knew him a short period of time,
Heck, that’s stretched into twenty year,
Friendships, just like water pumps, you need to prime,
And we managed to persevere.
He was a quiet man, his thoughts were strong an’ deep,
Family history made him proud,
He had humor, yet his own counsel he would keep,
He would often laugh out loud
He took things seriously, giving lots of thought,
To the mysteries of life and such,
To the complex puzzle of the existence we sought,
With answers we reach out to touch.
He’d ponder a while as he figured things out,
For advice he’d sometimes ask,
Launch right in on a job, while leaving no doubt,
that he’d set his mind to this task.
The years drew on and we howdyed and spoke,
And give one another a hand,
He tried, but he could never tell a good joke,
He’s one that would ride for the brand.
Oh the visits we had as I listened to him talk,
About life’s many ups an’ downs,
Hearin’ the scream of a Red-Tailed hawk,
An’ squirrels actin’ like clowns.
Listenin’ to the train whistle wail like the loon,
Rumblin’ of thunder far away,
Enjoyin’ the soft glow of a Gibbons Moon,
An’ the coyotes lamentin’ the day.
He was a just a youngster on that fateful day,
When he pulled his infamous deed,
The “Soldiers Monument “at the Plaza Santa Fe
Had a phrase with which he disagreed.
The word “savage” was etched there in plain view,
Language that Rich thought was wrong,
So, he chiseled the word “Savage” off the statue,
Sayin,’ “This does not belong!”
Just one of the many stories he would tell,
In quiet visits with my friend,
Folk lore an’ tall tales is where he would excel,
You’d hope this time would not end.
He acquired two dogs, and he walked them every day,
Moose and Big Red was their name,
They were big and stout and would pull him along the way,
To them this was a glorious game.
Dark found us standing under a crisp Gibbons moon,
Discussing Gods intricate way,
Unaware that his journey would be soon,
Or we would have had more to say.
The days stretch on an’ time does not standstill,
So, make the best of what you can,
The piper must be paid as we bend to God’s will,
An’ we are thankful for God’s plan.
Follow the Golden Rule as you wander life’s trail,
Yet life’s good things will surely end,
Know that the Good Lord is in charge without fail,
Vaya con Dios my friend!
© Ol’ Jim Cathey
Follow the Golden Rule and enjoy good neighbors. Thank you, Dr. James Bryan,
Pray for rain! Join us at First Baptist Marlin at 11 a.m. Sunday morning.
God bless each of you and God Bless America!