“Life is short. Some days are hard. Jesus washed feet. Some among us need to fill a pan with water.”
Betty Lynne McCarthy
I have never met Betty Lynne McCarthy but she changed my life. She probably doesn’t know that, so it’s time I told her.
Betty Lynne is a college friend of my daughter’s from when they were in vet tech school. She’s a writer and darned good cowboy poet, who has presented her work at the national Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. My daughter mentioned that I wrote poetry, and Betty Lynne thought I should apply to Elko. I did, then promptly forgot it so was surprised when I got an invitation to be on their program.
That was the start of a writing and performing career that expanded my world in interesting ways. I returned to Elko many times and made a host of new friends who helped me hone my writing skills. Poetry brought me my dear husband, and a heart sister, with whom I spent many years in recording studios and traveling to present historical programs. None of that would have happened without Betty Lynne’s wish to share something meaningful in her life.
My daughter went from caring for animals to caring for humans as a mental health and addictions counselor. Betty Lynne stayed with the horses, married a rancher, and became a real deal cowhand in various parts of the west, never stopped writing, and has several poetry books to her credit. The two have stayed in touch, and my daughter keeps me in the loop by sending on some of Betty Lynne’s posts and new poems. The above quote was commentary on the sad state of political mean-spirited back and forth that is so prevalent lately.
The greatest compliment one can give a writer is to say, in regard to some of that writer’s work—”I wish I’d written that.” I do. You go girl. Some of the best writing advice I ever heard came from a workshop at Elko, presented by Wally McRae and Paul Zarsyski, two of the west’s best. It was simple; “Write it as short as it will let itself be.” I tend to use too many words, but Betty Lynne has a gift for hitting the nail squarely every time.
I often remind readers and listeners to focus on the positive and avoid character assassination in political discussion, but the above quote gets it done more powerfully than a bunch of paragraphs. I’ll just add this. Jesus washed Judas’ feet too.
Meet me here next week and meanwhile, do your best. Somebody might like it. It might even change a life.