Most readers of the back porch by now realize that the big thing here is we ponder a lot. And yes, we do have opinions, but we’ve agreed that we’re just going to ponder about these things and everybody has a chance to say what they want to say when they wanna say it. One of the things I laugh about on the porch is the fact that we’re not really too much interested in facts, we have arrived at that decision because it doesn’t seem anybody else is. The ponder today is a very appropriate one. So please, Ponder if you will…how is a sandlot football game like government today?

There was an old field, not far from most of our houses some years ago and we would gather there, we being the young kids, and get up a good old-fashioned sandlot football game. You know one of those games where everybody’s an official and everybody’s in charge. I remember one particular fella, I kind of nicknamed him Big Billy. Now there was plenty of kids in the neighborhood there and we could always pretty much manage two teams of 12, sometimes there wouldn’t be 12 on each team, but we tried to keep the teams even numbers. Now Big Billy he was the neighborhood darling. All the mamas loved him and all the guys looked up to him, to be on Billy’s team, well, that was a big deal. I was never on Billy’s team, in fact, my athletic ability at that particular time in my life was just pass the laughing stage to one of total disbelief. I was too small to be a running back and I was too fat to be a wide receiver, so always ended up somewhere on the line. Usually the spot that I settled in was a middle linebacker. Not because of talent, but because I was dumb enough to stand there, take the hit and get in somebody’s way. Anyway, without drawing this thing out the whole point of this particular ponder today is to use it as an example of government today. You see, we had some pretty spirited games and big Billy’s team always won. Then one day a new kid moved in we didn’t know much about him and neither did Billy. Well by the luck of the draw we got the new kid and he was what they called a sleeper. This kid could do it all, run, tackle, pass, catch, you name it. He was really very good natured, but he had one trait that Billy didn’t like. This kid liked winning and he’d not accept anything less than a full effort. Well, anyway, on this particular day we were winning and that was not supposed to happen. It was an afternoon game and all of us were well, pretty decent kids and when moms called kids went. Not only because it was time for supper, but it was also an act of respect for your mom. We held onto our lead and was doing real well, but time was running out as both teams were being drained of players by mamas calling the kids home. Remember now I told you we were all officials we were all referees. We all knew everything. It was decided and agreed upon by all that we would just simply play one more set of downs for each team and the score at the end of that would be final. I don’t know what Billy was thinking. We were ahead by one touchdown so if they could score on their set of downs and we couldn’t score on ours at least it’d be a tie. Well that’s what everybody thought except for that new kid on the block and we got in the huddle. The first thing he said was we ain’t gonna take no tie and promptly broke huddle and threw a pass to one of the other guys who scored! But now, who in the world would of  thought that was gonna happen, certainly wasn’t Billy. Now to make the game official Billy’s team had to have a set of four downs to end the game. Now, remember if they don’t score we win. Well, Billy had an answer for that, you see the football belonged to Billy. It was his, so he just took it and went home, I guess you might say the game was never finished and nobody won.

If you’re paying attention, you might be wondering how is a sandlot football game like government? Well, a few days ago up there in Washington DC in the hallowed halls of our government no decision could be reached or finalized on a particular funding Bill, so you might say the players after cussing, pushing and many speeches simply  decided they would  just go home. No decision was made.  Our nation and its people have been left unfunded  and certain government agencies that need to protect us and our borders can’t. Folks, the only comment I can make about this whole mess is simply… Ponder That!