Who Would
Have Thought? By Patti Shene
When I reach back
into the inner recesses of my childhood memories, the evening of September 10,
1955, rises to the top. I still recall the grainy black and white picture that
held my family and I spellbound as the television show Gunsmoke debuted
before the viewing public. I was all of 4 years old.
We watched in shock
as the main character and hero of the show, Marshal Matt Dillon, fell under the
gun of a formidable adversary. The professional skill of the acerbic Doc Adams,
in conjunction with the determination of the hero, found him healthy enough by
the close of the half hour to defeat the villain in a dramatic final scene.
That first episode
spawned the era of the western in the world of television broadcasting. I
followed Gunsmoke, the first adult western, throughout its twenty year
run and many other shows in the genre as well.
Even though Gunsmoke,
was set in Dodge City, Kansas, this Long Island, New York girl developed a
fascination for the state of Colorado. Hence my subscription to Colorado
magazine when I became old enough to earn my own money and spend it the way I
wanted.
My first “real job”
as a nurse in the Hudson River Valley found me making good money, living on
station for very low rent, and a non-driver. I had plenty of money in a savings
account when I earned my first vacation.
The ad in the back
of Colorado magazine for an eleven-day horse pack trip in the San Juan
Mountains of Colorado offered a dream come true. Over forty years later, that
trip stands out in my memory as one of the most thrilling experiences of my
entire life.
I suppose that is
why, if I could only complete one novel in my lifetime, it would be Magic
Moments in Time, a fictionalized account of that trip. The dramatic events
that occurred stemmed from the interpersonal relationships that developed, and
the struggles of man against nature forced on us by terrain and weather.
The opportunity to
view massive stone-faced peaks and lush, green, lake-dotted valleys from a
height of over fourteen thousand feet cannot be duplicated in the most rugged
vehicle manufactured. Travel on foot or horseback through densely wooded trails
leads to switchbacks that jut out over dense wilderness ten thousand feet
below. The grandeur of God’s unlimited creativity is manifested in every square
inch of ground and an infinite sky, not dotted with twinkling stars, but
highlighted by a solid path of light miles wide known as the Milky Way.
A month from the
day I arrived home from that breathtaking excursion, I was working in Colorado.
To this day, I live in a town that sits on the Santa Fe Trail, surrounded by
ranches that comprise literally thousands of acres, wake up to the lowing of
cattle that graze in the pasture next door, and, enjoy watching the rodeo events
that highlight the summer season.
Reminders of our
local American history, from the museum that boasts hundreds of 19th
century artifacts to the Kit Carson Chapel that memorializes the famous
American frontiersman, keep my interest in the American west alive. Frequent
encounters with friends who tend their herds, mend fences, ride horses, and
wear their cowboy boots and jeans to church feed my romantic fascination with
the lifestyle of the modern day rancher.
If I ever publish a
novel, I can about guarantee my readers will encounter within its pages a
cowboy or two, a few horses, wide open spaces, and the black velvet sky that
burns in my memory from that long ago mountain adventure.
Oh, and our lives
do tend to move in circles. Sixty years after watching that first Gunsmoke
episode, I live in the very town where one of the show’s most famous actors,
Ken Curtis, who played Deputy Festus Haggen, spent his childhood.
Patti's Ah-hahs To Tweet:
What does God, His
grandeur, and Gunsmoke have in common? Visit with @PattiShene for the answer. (Tweet This)
@PattiShene on
Everyone’s Story: Can life move in a positive circle? (Tweet This)
How does a Long Island
gal end up in Colorado and loving every moment? (Tweet
This)
Authors' Bio:
Patti Shene hails
from Long Island, New York, but has made her home in colorful Colorado for over
forty years. She has been married to husband Manuel (lifelong nickname: Speedy)
for almost 38 years. They have one daughter one son, and one granddaughter.
Like many writers, Patti
has carried stories in her head since she was a kid. She’s had a few things
published in the local newspaper, a local magazine, and edits her
church newsletter. She is published in two anthologies.
Patti has three
(western!) novels in progress and writes an occasional short story, poem, or
blog post. She is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and
Toastmasters International. Patti has served on faculty at the Colorado
Christian and Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conferences as well as the
IdahopeWriters Conference.
She hosted Lit(erally)
Speak(ing), a Blog Talk Radio show currently in the process of restructure with
plans to return to live broadcasting in a few weeks. She enjoys hosting writers
on the show and on her three blogs, found at her website.
Places to connect with Patti:
