by Leon Measures
I am not a rich man in terms of money and possessions. I am extremely wealthy in things money can't buy. While working with kids, more than half a century, I have been 'paid' many times over.
This morning I remembered Kevin and know I will have a good day. This story has to be long, in order for you (hopefully) to enjoy it with me.
Several years ago, a lady named Sharon Pagel called to ask if we would be interested in doing our shooting show, in Denver. She went on to say she was blind and put on an exhibition with bow and arrow. Sharon said she was practicing to go to Kodiak Alaska to kill a big bear with her bow. I said, 'Lady, I've not met you but I can tell from here, you are certifiably insane”! Her husband stands behind her and touches her, 'left', 'right', 'up', 'down', and 'shoot'. We got a Christmas card with a picture of her sitting on a big bear, holding her bow. For you Trapshooters, at last report she was up to 17X25 and can't tell daylight from dark.
Several years later, Texas Parks and Wildlife asked us to help with a POINT (Paraplegics On Independent Nature Trails) gathering at Caddo Lake. The gathering was held at “Crips Camp”. He is in a wheelchair. Frillie, my wife and constant companion, wasn't able to join me. I set up the shooting gallery under a big tree, with BB guns and targets.
A gentleman came to ask, “Do you think you could help Kevin shoot”? I asked if Kevin wanted to shoot and got a resounding, “Oh, yes”! The man explained, “Kevin has been blind since birth”. I immediately thought of Sharon, and said, “No problem! Bring him on, we have a special gun for a special kid”! Kevin was almost as big as I am, he shuffled his feet, with his head bowed. I sat him down at a table and let him feel of the BB gun, while I described its various parts. By this time a crowd had gathered to watch a kid who couldn't see, shoot. I put a pair of safety glasses on Kevin and he chuckled. I told him we couldn't afford the appearance of being unsafe. I demonstrated how he should mount the gun, got his cheek on the stock, and said to the onlookers, “Watch this. This gun has radar”. I reached around Kevin, held the gun barrel (which pointed the gun) and whispered to him, “ Kevin, when I poke you on the shoulder like this, you pull the trigger”. He did and the crowd cheered. Kevin may have shot twenty times. His dad took his target and laid it on the table for Kevin to feel. Kevin laughed out loud, and the crowd cheered. Kevin left with his head held high and a spring in his steps.
Later that day, Kevin's dad told me, “That was one of the few times in Kevin's life he has had something to laugh about”. Anybody want to trade that for money?
Stay with me now. It gets better.
The next year, Frillie went with me to Caddo Lake. I had told her she had to meet Kevin. The first question I asked was, “Where's Kevin”? A man answered, “Kevin won't be here this time”. I expected to hear about some sort of tragedy. The man explained, “Kevin is on a mountain climbing trip”! If that wasn't enough, the next year the gathering was held at Lake Dallas. “ Kevin won't be here this year, he's off on a deer hunt”!
A couple of months later, Steve Hall (now Executive Director of International Hunter Education Assn.) called. He said he had an interesting story. A wealthy rancher invites certain physically handicapped kids to cull his deer herd. A guide takes a kid and tells which deer to shoot. Steve said, “ I drew Kevin”! The rancher told Steve, if Kevin gets a shot at the biggest deer on the place, let him shoot it. A serious trophy buck was standing on Kevin's side of a road ,watching three does across the road. Steve turned the truck so Kevin would have a clear shot. Kevin said, “ Mr. Hall when you think the gun is right, poke me on the shoulder and I will shoot”. Steve said he was looking along the top of a scope. When he thought the gun was right, he poked Kevin and the buck fell!
Steve asked Kevin, “How did you learn to do that”? Kevin said, “Mr. Measures taught me how”!
Life's best rewards are not defined by Dollar Signs. They are defined by how you have enrichened someone elses life by your actions.
'Nuf said?
Leon Measures
If you want to read other articles by Leon Measure visit his blog post "Shoot where you look" or his website Shootwhereyoulook.com
