Trout Republic – We almost got killed

Saturday night Miss Trixie and Ol’ Dutch were involved in a near fatal situation on Highway 149 between South Fork and Creede, Colo.
Due to the rains that had occurred in that area, several big rock slides loosened from the mountainside and came crashing down onto the highway.
Rocks the size of semi trucks rolled perilously down the hillside and slammed into the pavement crushing everything in their path.
We were almost killed by the massive landslide. Well, we were not even hurt and matter of fact we were not even up there but we COULD HAVE BEEN.
If there is one thing I have learned from the past few years of watching the news is that in order to really fit into today’s society Ol’ Dutch is gonna have to learn to play the victim no matter the circumstances.
It seems that even if a person is not involved in some situation there is a rush to be a victim of some kind whether it be “almost” getting killed to having one’s “feelings hurt” there is money to be made and attention to be garnered if a person knows how to play the game.
Watching the news any day of the week we are inundated with soft and meek people who are just looking for something to be offended by.
Even Jesus said “offenses will come” as he knew they would. It’s not a question about if they will come. Take nice and kind and gentle Miss Trixie who sometimes says things that makes Ol’ Dutch feel pretty bad.
I guess offenses will come in life but it’s what you do with them that matters most of all. You can carry them or just let them blow off in the next big wind and it seems the latter makes for a better life at least to Ol’ Dutch.
People are offended by the smallest thing these days. Things like a car parked crooked in the parking space, someone having an opinion different from their own, being of a different political persuasion, or being stopped for a traffic offense. The list goes on and on as people are just looking for things to be offended by so they can be “the victim.”
Playing the victim I guess does garner a person some attention in the right circles and the press is ever ready to exploit some minor infraction. This sells column inches and gets viewership on the television and hence sells advertising so they are willing to publish about anything and everything just to get a reader.
Such is the way of modern society, so it seems.
Given Miss Trixie’s background, many people come to her asking for business advice. One of her relatives, recently, came calling wanting to raise $2 million for a project. Miss Trixie told the relative in very certain terms that the idea wasn’t worth $2 million and the relative needed to go back to the drawing board. Phone calls, texts and Facebook postings to other family members flew as everyone discussed how Trixie had hurt the feelings of her young relative. Even when Trixie apologized for sounding harsh, the relative refused to accept the apology preferring to be the victim.
When folks cannot – or will not -- accept an apology then we really have lost it. We are growing into a people who would prefer to be offended and be a victim rather than getting on with the business of living.
Getting back to me almost being killed in that landslide, I am not sure who I can sue this week for the perils of traveling down mountain roads, but maybe if I post it online enough times some high-falutin lawyer type will take up my case and save me from my near flirt with death.

Kevin Kirkpatrick and his Yorkie, Cooper, fish, hunt, ATV or hike daily. His email is [email protected]. Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com or on Twitter at TroutRepublic.