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Pasture Poetry

by Greg Gilbert

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This page will be updated occasionally with Cowboy Poetry, a verse from a Christian Country song or an editorial.

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Tribute To A Mentor
Dear Friends,

A few weeks ago we had a celebration of life for Perry Buster from Nashville, Arkansas a few days after his passing. Perry taught Sandy & I how to play the guitar. It wasn't gloom & doom that night, it was singing, praising the Lord and celebrating Perry's life. I wrote a tribute to Perry that was in the Nashville News on June 4, 2009. Everyone in Nashville knew and loved Perry. As I drove home and "reflected", there was a strong life message in it for me also. Read this and I will share what hit me.
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Nashville News-June 4, 2009

“I Will Not Let It Stop With Me”

A Tribute To Perry Buster
By Greg Gilbert


A few weeks ago I received a call at 11:00 PM from a friend of mine, Scott Chambless. He had just returned from the Nashville, Arkansas class of 2009 graduation ceremony. He shared some information from a speaker that night. He had written the information down and we talked for an hour about what was shared. I did some research the next day and found that retiring teacher Karen Hughes had shared this information. She told of a study in which fifty people over the age of 90 were asked to reflect upon their lives. "If you had it to do over again," they were asked, "what would you do differently?" Though there were many answers, three responses dominated. Here they are:

First, many respondents answered, "I would reflect more." Do you ever feel that too much time is spent in "doing" and not enough spent thinking about what you are doing and why you are doing it?

Second, they said, "I would risk more." Do you think that important opportunities either have been or might be forfeited because of your fear to take a necessary risk?

Finally, they said, "I would do more things that would live on after I died." Do you feel that you are immersed in something bigger and more enduring than your own existence? Every day we wake up, we get a second chance at all three of Karen’s points. Okay, remember these, especially the third one.



From a personal growth perspective this was powerful information in itself. I shared this information with many friends. The morning of June 3, 2009 it resurfaced again. Let me explain.



Lee Mercer of Hope, Arkansas called me that morning and informed me that Perry Buster of Nashville had passed away. My wife Sandy and I had taken guitar lessons from Perry in 2004. Perry was an absolute pleasure to learn from and visit with. He was such a talented singer and guitar player. He was also very humble about his ability. He had us making noise that sounded like music very quickly. He kept our interest up. After awhile he had given me the confidence and the ability to try a few specials at my church. It then developed into a program “Life Resume Update” that was a collection of stories and Christian Country music. I have written a few songs with the ability passed on to me by Perry. I have presented this program to many different churches and groups across Arkansas and Texas.



One night at the Elberta Arts Center in Nashville, we were there to listen and enjoy Perry’s music. He asked me to come up and play a song. It gave me the opportunity to share with a large group of people how thankful I was that God placed Perry Buster in my life. Although I had told him that personally many times, it sure felt good to honor him in front of others. I have thanked and honored him many other times in programs even though he wasn’t there. Regret is a horrible roommate to live with. I am so thankful I don’t have to live with “I wish I had told him.” He knew and I knew he knew. Sometimes this is tough for men to do. I tell men if you have trouble with this, get over it or you could end up with “regret” as a roommate.



Okay, here is where it resurfaced. When received the call informing me of Perry’s passing, point number three of Karen’s words to hundred’s of people came back to me. "I would do more things that would live on after I died." This is speaking of leaving a legacy. Passing something good on. I immediately wrote these words in my journal. “Don’t let it stop with me.” Perry Buster learned to play guitar from his Dad. Perry passed this on to probably hundreds of people of all ages. I have a Baby Taylor guitar that I bought for my two grandsons. I will not let it stop with me. I will share my love of music and guitar with my grandsons. I will let them know where it came from. Perry Buster, I know you have already heard the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I pray that you knew how many lives you impacted in such a positive way. I loved you and you will be greatly missed. And oh yeah, I promise, I will not let it stop with me. I will pass it on.



Till we can both play together without tuning,

Greg Gilbert
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My reflection:


Perry came into our lives as a result of a prayer in 2004. We were in a rut. You know what a rut is, a casket with the ends kicked out. If Sandy & I wanted to communicate in the evening, it involved pause, mute or waiting until commercial. Same old thing every day. So many things happened in 2004 as a result of that prayer and it has never been the same.

This is what hit me from a life perspective:
Point 2, taking more risks. I risked embarrassment the first time I played guitar in public, but I did it again and again. It got easier and easier. I have explored so many other options once I learned the difference between being thorough, skeptical and just plain cynical. We took some risks.

Point 3: "I would do more things that would live on after I died." Do you feel that you are immersed in something bigger and more enduring than your own existence? Leaving a legacy. What kind of legacy am I leaving or is it all about what I want to do? We should all leave character, honesty, our faith, love, personal growth and integrity as a legacy. I guess the older I get the more I do reflect. I don't want to be one of these 90 year old folks giving the same three regrets. Every day we wake up is a second chance.

If it's a good thing let's not let it stop with us! Also, if you have someone like this in your life, let them know, don't get that "regret" guy as a roommate.

God Bless,
Greg Gilbert

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As I think of regret reduction, the first thing that comes to mind is time,I can't get it back. Enjoy it, make the most of it and remember, it ain't all about you. March 10, 2008 I woke up early and this thought was on my mind. If you enjoy this poem, you will enjoy my book.

God Bless,
gg
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The Best Day Of My Life©
By: Greg Gilbert-

The old cowboy sat there in the attic, surrounded by his past,
His wife had saved everything; it's where 50 years of ranching together was stashed.

It had only been a year since the death of his wife,
But a son, a daughter, friends and grandkids had all helped fill his life.

His wife, friend and partner never lost faith or her smile as he brushed back a few tears,
When the doctors had said just months, their family, friends and church had prayed it into 14 wonderful years.

The memories raced though his mind under the glow of a 60-watt light,
You know it's just hard to close a book that it took 50 years to write.

As he looked through boxes of photos he laughed, then he cried
They had a very good life together, that couldn't be denied.

There were albums of many vacations, photos of her and the kids,
Most times he stayed home and worked the ranch, the only picture missing was his.

After all, he had fences to fix, calves to move, vacation was just time lost,
But he sees today sitting in that attic, it all came at a cost.

Then it caught his eye, one box alone, up there on that shelf,
It contained two diaries and a journal packed all by their self.

He brushed off the dust, thumbed through the books slowly one by one,
As he viewed dates and memories recorded by his wife, daughter and son.

There were many events written but the memories were much different in his mind,
But he too had kept a business journal so he gathered the three books and down the stairs he climbed.

He found his journal from this time frame buried oh so deep in a file,
He opened it up to compare the writings of a father, a wife and a child.

He flipped open his journal and just picked a day one Spring,
It said he took off from work, wasted the entire day fishing with my family, and didn't catch a thing.

He scrambled to find March 20, 1965 in each of the other three diaries of his son, daughter and wife,
They all said the same thing, went fishing with my family, I had the best day of my life!

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Don't get your priorities out of order. When I was growing up my FFA was the Future Farmers of America. Now it is my Faith, my Family and Anything else.

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“If Your Baby Could Tell You What To Do With Your Economic Stimulus Check…Would You Listen?”©
A Baby’s Thoughts On Raising Financially Intelligent Parents
By: Greg Gilbert- www.greggilbert.org

Mommy!! Daddy!! Please hurry, read this and pay attention. I don’t know where this is coming from but I feel I have this one opportunity to talk to you before I am really supposed to talk. I know when I really start talking it will not make sense and you will be the one teaching and advising me.

I can’t explain this. It’s like I can see down the road and I have all this information that would help our family be more financially intelligent. I have so much to say but I know once I go to sleep, everything will go back to normal and I will lose these thoughts.

We will be receiving a check soon and I want to share with you what you should do with it. This is totally based on what I truly believe you will teach me. Pay attention because as I get older I will want you to spend it on me or just go blow it. I know later you will share wisdom with me like “ You can’t get something for nothing” and “There are no free lunches.” Please be advised that this advice is coming from someone that loves and cares for you. I want the best for you (sound familiar). I’m not sure the people sending you the check feel the same about you.

Okay, here’s what you should do with the money!

1. Tithe 10% off the top.
2. Do you owe anyone any money? If so, pay them.
3. After you have tithed and paid the people you owe, pay yourself. Put some in savings. I will cost you a lot of money as I grow up.
4. Let’s have some fun as a family! Let’s do something special!!

Note to parents: If you don’t have any money left after items 1 & 2, I should have gotten to you earlier. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to forget number 2? You see, the people “giving” you the check don’t believe in what I am telling you. They will have you do number 4 first. It seems they don’t even care about number 2. That is why they are sending these checks out in the first place. There are too many other people doing number 4 first and never getting to numbers 1,2 or 3. Is this what you will teach me later about “getting my own house in order”? Do 1,2 & 3 today so that you can do more 4 tomorrow!! I like number 4!

Gotta run! I know we will be talking in the future.
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Greg Gilbert is the author of the new book “If Your Baby Could Talk…Would You Listen?” A Baby’s Thoughts On Raising Good Parents. It is written from a child’s perspective to insure a more successful, happier, healthier family that stays together. It is available online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, www.ifyourbabycouldtalk.com or by calling 1 866 909-2665.