My Tribe

Hello everyone.... Still Thomas here.  Amy says hi, and she wants me to tell you she is having a wonderful time on vacation.  She wishes you all good fortune and many blessings.  She is still taking a break from all media related activities, and is enjoying her time "unplugged".  I did catch her checking her work e-mail a little while ago though.  When I asked her about it, she just brushed me off and said to get blogging.  You know how she is... all uppity when people question her about something... she gets a little pissy.

As promised, I will tell you a little about my home.  I am the Sheriff and only law enforcement for over 1000 people.  I am in charge of one deputy, who happens to be my younger brother, and one part-time secretary, Eunice, who is as old as time itself.  She is small, cranky, moves slow and smells funny.  But she is also the only one willing to work for nothing, and brings me lunch on the days she works.  Though the lunch fare is not all that spectacular.  Usually leftover meatloaf or three day old chicken casserole.  Um... thanks Eunice.  (you know I love you)

Our small village doesn't suffer much crime, thank goodness.  The occasional drunk, and petty theft is about as serious as it gets.  Our town jail has one cell that doesn't lock, and the bars on the windows are rusted and can be pushed out, if someone tries fairly hard.  The front door to the Sheriff's department is held shut with a bungee cord and a chair propped against the door knob.  I know - not the most ideal situation for a holding facility, but really - it's the Idon'twanna Tribe.  Nothing ever happens here.

Amy says we have such a low crime rate because everyone is afraid of me, but I think it's because my father rules with a strong hand.  He is fair but can be rather harsh in his sentences, and sometimes draconian.  My father is especially hard on my brother Charles and my youngest brother James, and he tends to loose his judgment when it comes to them.  I think the other villagers see his harsh treatment, and are afraid he may transfer his ire to them.

At times, during winter, the locals get restless, and the petty crime rates double.  Stupid pranks, brawling, binge drinking and general mischief are the biggest culprits,  and all this from the women in the tribe.  The men tend to go ice fishing, hunting, and watch football at the local bar.  The women get bored and cause trouble amongst themselves.  I find myself wanting to hire a female deputy to handle the women, but my father says that is not a good idea.  Though, I'm not sure why he thinks that, he won't explain himself.

Our little town is perfect and I am proud to live here.  I've been around the world and seen lots of things and met a bunch of different people, but I prefer it here.  The weather is somewhat mild in the winter and pleasant in the summer, and the fall colors rival anything in the North East.  We have the ideal amount of housing for our tribe members, the greatest teachers in this part of the country for our children, and we sustain our way of living by selling the excess of our produce.  Our tribe members also make products which are sold and shipped all over the world.  It is pure utopia.  I love it here.

However - I am a lonely man.  I have no woman to call my own, and the nights tend to get long and cold.  I want to make breakfast for someone other than myself or my brothers, and I want someone to buy me a nice shirt and surprise me with it for no reason other than it's Tuesday.  It would be nice to be needed for something other than my ability to fix a flat tire or a leaky faucet for the oldest woman in the tribe.  Though, it is nice to be able to contribute.

Sigh..... I'll leave you on this note..... It's not what you have in life, or what you want... the true gift lies in being happy and accepting your fate. 

Goodnight,
Thomas.