“YOU’RE ONE OF THOSE!”

After a guy posted something funny on social media, it reminded me of what happened to my first husband’s uncle who was his dad’s brother.  Both of these brothers loved to go fishing and hunting together but there was one distinct difference between the two:  Oscar was the taller one. So tall in fact that he towered over anyone at six feet seven inches tall. He was handsome, imposing and a heck of a man with a huge sense of humor.

Both of these brothers would always wear long sleeved army green shirts when they went fishing or hunting and aside from that, both had a big sewn on patch that said “West Virginia Hunters” or something like that on their shirts. I remember those patches were outlined with bright yellow thread.

And so it came to be that on one specific day when they were hunting in Pocahontas County here in West Virginia, they literally ran into some man who was encroaching on their staked out territory. Now if you’re a hunter or a fisherman that is not what one does: Encroach on someone else’s territory. It’s some unwritten law that can sometimes lead to much arguing or the like.

Exceedingly tall Oscar approached that man slowly for he knew if he ran towards him there was no knowing what the man would do. The encroacher took one look at Oscar’s shirt, saw the big patch on his shirt and screamed “You’re one of them! You’re a Fed aren’t you?” Knowing full well that the man was not real smart, Oscar replied “Yes I am one of those!” And the man fled never to be seen again on that hunting trip.

Meanwhile, Oscar’s brother was trying to stifle his laughter but I’m not so sure that it worked. “Well” said his brother “I guess I’m one of those too—a Fed!” From then on, both never hunted or fished without wearing those green shirts with the huge sewn on patches.

I can still laugh at this short story because Oscar’s brother was my first father-in-law and he would repeat this over and over again much to everyone’s delight. It happened. And are you “One of those?” Smile if you are.

Sherry Hill

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Sherry Hill

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