The Mayor
Harold FaHrlEnder
(archives)
It’s a Wednesday morning and I’m at work. I get a text on my phone which reads, “Water bill due today shut off in the morning. H”. It’s the mayor, I smile. Where else does this happen? No, not the forgetting to pay your water bill (insert laugh emoji here if you’d like). Meet Mr. Harold Fahrlender, Mayor, volunteer fireman, electrician, plumber, mechanic…friend. If you can catch him at city hall, he’s probably texting people reminding them that they may be without water tomorrow. Most likely, you’ll see him in town, doing “something” for someone. He’s as genuine as they come, a hard working man with a hard working heart seasoned by life and living in the sun. On any given Sunday, you will find him at church, meeting and greeting and if you are lucky, you’ll hear him pray. His words are as strong as his hands. I would like to say he lives a very humble life, but his character and personality demand attention. He’s the type of man you will meet, talk to and by the end of the day say to yourself “I want one of him!” The world needs people like him if only to remind us of the good things in life. Similar to a nice hot slice of pecan pie on a full belly, Mr. Harold makes me smile.
harold
We pass him by as he directs parking during Friday night six man home football games, orange tipped flashlight in hand after an already long day of running the town, he’ll greet us, smile and look to the next vehicle behind. That’s Mr. Harold, he’s there and always seems to be ready for the next person to help. I’m not sure if he ever makes it through the entrance gate to watch a game, but he’s every bit a part of it as those on the field. If I could, I would fill pages upon pages on the stories we shared, and the stories I look forward to hearing, but if you look hard, the gleam in his eyes, the lines on his face, the grit of his hands and the warmth of his smile…yeah, they can tell it all. I asked him if he could tell me who was one of the most influential persons in his life. He looked straight ahead and told me, “Willard Adams, a tool pusher (oil field). I learned more about the oil field from him and how to treat people.” Mr. Adams, thank you.
A refreshing conversation with a good man. His favorite meal consists of fried potatoes, beans (pintos) and cornbread. “You can throw in a ribeye once in a while. You always need protein.” Prefers unsweetened iced tea as well as a pot of coffee in the morning.
When I asked him how he ended up “here,” it was because of his wife, Judy’s family. His wife passed away years back after 32 year of marriage. He had come here to help fix the house for her sister after the death of her husband. He later came back to buy the house and here he is.
While i was at his house, this baby bird fell out of its nest and was trying to wade through a large puddle of water. As his cat watched from the edge, Mr. Harold gently walked throughout the puddles and caught up to the bird to perch him on higher safer ground.
(Bird houses along his work shed.)