EXPLORE March 2016

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MARCH

Explore what's inside this issue!

10 From the Publisher 12 Calendar

24 ART OF

THE ART OF LIVING

Publisher Benjamin D. Schooley ben@hillcountryexplore.com

36 Spiritual

Finding GOD

Operations Manager Michelle Hans michelle@smvtexas.vom

40 COMMUNITY

The Pirates of Penzance

14 TROUBADOUR

MY TOURING MANTRA

16 TRAVEL

Creative Director Benjamin N. Weber ben.weber@smvtexas.com Assistant Creative Director Kayla Davisson kayla@smvtexas.com

Riders on a sunshiny day

20 History

ADVERTISING SALES 210-507-5250 sales@hillcountryexplore.com

THE MAN BEHIND THE NAME

44 ST. Patrick’s Day Facts 28 LIFE

THE POWER OF PRESENCE

32 Charity

46 OLD TIMER

old timer Fixes boerne

No strings attached

EXPLORE magazine is published by Schooley Media Ventures in Boerne, TX. EXPLORE Magazine and Schooley Media Ventures are not responsible for any inaccuracies, erroneous information, or typographical errors contained in this publication submitted by advertisers. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EXPLORE and/or Schooley Media Ventures. Copyright 2015 Schooley Media Ventures, 930 E. Blanco, Ste. 200, Boerne, TX 78006

Contributing Writers

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Marjorie Hagy History

Rene Villanueva Music

Kendall D. Aaron Spiritual

Old Timer Just Old Timer

Paul Wilson Life & Living

MARJORIE is a bibliophile, a history nut and an insomniac, among several other conditions, both diagnosed and otherwise. When she's not working tirelessly to avoid getting a real job, she nurses an obsession with her grandson and is involved in passing legislation restricting the wearing of socks with sandals. She is an aspiring pet hoarder who enjoys vicious games of Scrabble, reading Agatha Christie, and sitting around doing nothing while claiming to be thinking deeply.

Marjorie has five grown children, a poodle to whom she is inordinately devoted in spite of his breath, and holds an Explore record for never having submitted an article on time. She's been writing for us for five years now.

Rene Villanueva is the lead singer/bass player for the band Hacienda. Having toured worldwide, hacienda has also been featured on several late night shows, including Late Show with David Letterman.

Rene and his wife Rachel live in Boerne, TX and just welcomed thier first child.

I’m just a normal guy. I’m not a theology student, I don’t preach in church, and I’ve never written a book. I’m just a normal guy that thinks, and feels, and is on a never-ending journey attempting to be the best person I can be. I fail frequently at this quest, yet each day, the quest continues.

I’ve lived in Boerne since the late ‘80s, I’ve got a most beautiful wife, three wonderful children, and just really, really love God. Thanks for going on my spiritual journey with me.

The Old Timer tells us he's been a resident of Boerne since about 1965. He enjoys telling people what he doesn't like. When not bust'n punks he can be found feeding the ducks just off Main St. or wandering aimlessly in the newly expanded HEB. Despite his rough and sometimes brash persona, Old Timer is really a wise and thoughtful individual. If you can sort through the BS.

An insatiable curiosity for life and an incurable fascination with human behavior has forged in Paul Wilson a keen interest in helping people think about wise living. As a Life Coach, Paul offers professional mentoring to clients seeking greater personal fulfillment in their life. He currently serves as the Lead Pastor of Cibolo Creek Community Church in Fair Oaks Ranch, a faith community he began in 1996 to serve people who didn’t really like church. As artistowner of The Paul Wilson Studio, he also creates bronze sculptures for private and corporate collections. Paul and his wife, Charlotte, who make their home in Fair Oaks Ranch, are the proud parents of two teenage sons. If you’re interested in receiving daily thought-provoking insights about life and living, follow Paul on Twitter at @paulwilsonTX or Facebook at facebook.com/ paulwilsonTX.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

PUBLISHER DEAREST EXPLORE READER, Having grown up in Texas, I have seen plenty of backroads. From the all-important “Let’s go on an adventure” type trips with friends, to the ones when you were a kid and rode with your parents to grandma’s house. Regardless of the destination, for the last 40 years of my life, I have covered many a mile in this great state.

In doing so, you see things that you otherwise wouldn’t. It might sound like a simple concept, but recognizing that real life is happening simultaneously all around the world can be a most humbling revelation. To come to a place where you grasp that if you weren’t HERE at this exact moment, you would have missed something memorable. Something beautiful. Something that makes you inhale deeply.

I can remember vividly riding across a ranch road (completely unpaved) with my mom when I was perhaps 10 or so, when she slowed to a stop. The sun was baking the fields around us in mid-summer fashion, and I snapped out of my daydream to ask her “What’s going on?”. There we sat, in the absolute definition of the “middle of nowhere” on a caliche road with the Oldsmobile purring in the middle of the road. A field stretched out into the hills, with the occasional lazy oak tree dotting the horizon.

I’ve been on a bit of a tear lately in terms of travels, and I’ve been curious as to why that was. Why do I consistently desire to get away? Why do I spend virtually every weekend in movement, traveling to locations that I may or may not have seen before, and doing so every chance I get? Sure, I’ve had a lot of fun, but there’s a LOT of things that could be characterized as “fun”. What is it about traveling that has so enthralled me these past 6 or 8 months?

I’m typing this as the sun rises, and so right now there is a fishing boat pulling out of the pier on Copano Bay near Rockport. Gulls are swooping overhead, and the air is thick with the salt spray. The sun is peeking over the horizon, and excited fishermen are ready to zoom around the Bay in search of…adventure. Bait is being loaded, people are laughing, and there’s a pelican landing on one of those random posts that dot Copano Bay. I’m sitting at my desk in a windowless room, typing on my laptop. I prefer Copano Bay, and want to experience that feeling of the salt air on my face a lot more than I care to experience this same rickety desk chair I’ve been sitting in for far too many hours. I have “experienced” this chair and this office and this act of writing…and sometimes, I pause to consider what I am missing. Where is the battle ensuing between the hawk and the jackrabbit, and why am I missing THAT?

She simply whispered, “Watch.” From my seat, I stared across the field.

We spent the next 15 minutes watching a hawk swoop down out of the clouds and attempt to utilize a large jackrabbit for its next meal. Flying this way and that, a battle ensued that left me with my jaw agape. Fur flew, animal screams of rage could be heard, and ultimately that hawk took off into the sky with the limp jackrabbit in its talons. As he flew away, I was aware again of us sitting on a caliche road, car idling, in the middle of nowhere. “Wow”, I sighed, my eyes wide. After a few moments, my mom put the car in gear and said “Isn’t it amazing the things that happen? The things that we miss because we’re not here? I mean, we were the only people to see that – how many other things do we miss?” She always had a knack for the most random pearls of wisdom…the kind that stick with you and you find yourself at 40 years of age writing a Publisher’s letter about.

From there, she was back to humming along to Amy Grant and barreling down the caliche road to nowhere, dust flying behind us.

This morning I arose, grabbed a very pretty friend and headed outbound. With no real destination in mind, we struck out to disappear. Or find something. Or just be somewhere that we currently weren’t. We ultimately had lunch in a restaurant we had never been, wandered through an antique mall while reading 100 year old books, and sampled authentic moonshine at a local joint that specializes in such trouble.

I have written at great length about the preciousness of our lives. I’ve experienced a lot in the past few years, and much of it I would not have chosen to learn. But it’s still life, and it’s still mine, and it’s precious until it’s over. Perhaps that’s been part of my desire to be on the move so much of late – we all live on a blue marble that is full of life, which means that it’s not always pretty. There’s strife and toil and heartbreak. Death and divorce and destruction and tears. However, there’s a hawk flying high overhead out near Big Bend in a blisteringly blue sky. There’s a silly seagull bobbing along on a beach in South Padre, dodging the waves as they come in and out. There’s a couple in the back of a dimly hit bar, holding hands and planning out the rest of their lives. There’s just beauty happening in every corner of this world, and I suppose I’m trying to find it, see it, and just soak it up.

Perhaps I NEED it now as life can teach you that you will ultimately find whatever it is that you seek, and I’m in the business of removing bad and seeing how much GOOD I can cram into my existence.

We can get comfortable in our surroundings and our jobs and our little community. In doing so, I think that we miss the experiences that our world can offer up. I’m not exactly globe-trotting (only cause I’m terrified of flying), but dang it, I have found it obvious that my heart needs to see Copano Bay and the deserts of West Texas, and virtually everything in between. And maybe that won’t be changing any time soon.

And maybe that’s a very good thing.

While there, I thought about my adventure with my mom and how we can really only see and experience that which we make ourselves available to experience. I mean, I could have sat at home and watched Netflix all day I suppose…but what would I have missed?

As I walked around a town I had never been, I saw people….LIVING. I saw laughing and hand-holding and birds that were flying from one tree to the next. These events were going to happen whether I was there or not, but it was so refreshing to be there to hear the wings flap above, to hear the giggles from people at the table across from us, and to hear the bartender murmur to someone at the other end of the bar. We walked slowly up and down a quiet street and marveled at all of the things occurring around us. These “things” that I watched, that I ran my fingers across, and these things that my brain soaked up.

Experiences that I would not have had from the comfort of the familiar.

Welcome to March. May you wake tomorrow, grab your car keys, and simply disappear.

EXPLORE, laugh, drink too much, and seek all that LIFE that is unfolding all around us.

Life is too short to seek anything else.

Smiling,

ben@hillcountryexplore.com

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MARCH

Get out and enjoy the great Texas Hill Country!

The most comprehensive events calendar. Send submissions to info@hillcountryexplore.com BANDERA March 1 Cowboy Capital Opry Enjoy “Grand Ole Opry”-style entertainment hosted by Gerry and Harriet Payne. Begins at 7 p.m.  March 19 Wild Hog Explosion Teams of two enter the ring, catch a hog and race to the finish line. Spectators also enjoy music, arts and crafts, vendor booths, cook-offs and other activities.  March 31-April 3 Thunder in the Hills Includes a poker run, field events, a bike show, tattoo contest, tent camping, live bands Thursday-Saturday nights, special entertainment Friday-Saturday, food and vendors.

BOERNE March 12 Second Saturday Art and Wine Participating galleries go all out each month with complimentary beverages and a variety of hors d’oeuvres along with fantastic art. Travel to each gallery in the downtown area on foot or on the Shabby Bus. March 12-13 Boerne Market Days On the second weekend of every month, Main Plaza is home to a magical outdoor market that blends the traditions of the Texas Hill Country with the creations of today’s culture.

March 19 Spring Equinox Concert The combination of nature’s backdrop and acoustical sound with top-notch musicians is a memorable experience.  DRIPPING SPRINGS March 5 Texas Night Sky Festival This free celebration of the Texas night sky is geared toward those who want to learn more about the night sky and the movement to limit excessive light pollution, which obscures night-sky viewing. Enjoy live presentations, education, science and arts displays, solar observations, a mobile planetarium, demonstrations of glare-reducing lighting, tasty food, and a star party.  March 12 Fancy Feathers Poultry Show Includes a cage show, tabletop serama chicken show, an egg show, raffles, food and a “cluck off.”

FREDERICKSBURG March 4 First Friday Art Walk Fredericksburg Tour fine art galleries offering special exhibits, demonstrations, refreshments and extended viewing hours the first Friday of every month.  March 11-12, 14-19 Spring Break at The Pioneer Museum Stroll through historic buildings and see living-history demonstrations all week long.  March 12-19 Texas Hell Week Bicycle Tour Features daily 40-100 mile bicycle tours of Gillespie County  March 18-20 Fredericksburg Trade Days Shop with more than 450 vendors or relax in the Biergarten while listening to live music.  March 19 Hill Country Indian Artifact Show Features more than 70 tables of artifacts including arrowheads, beads and pottery.

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KERRVILLE March 4 The American Rogues in Concert Band performs high energy, world-inspired Celtic, folk and rock music.

GRUENE March 2 Texas Independence Celebration To celebrate the 180th anniversary of Texas independence, Gruene Historic District is throwing a Texas-sized celebration with special offers and special events.  March 13 Gospel Brunch with a Texas Twist Serves awe-inspiring gospel music coupled with a mouthwatering buffet from 10:30 a.m.-noon. Advance tickets recommended.  March 17 Come and Taste It A featured winemaker showcases three of their newest released, top-selling or hard-to-find wines, alongside a craft brew hand-picked by The Grapevine staff. Also enjoy live music and giveaways.  March 19-20 Old Gruene Market Days Nearly 100 vendors offer uniquely crafted items and packaged Texas foods.

INGRAM March 18-April 2 “Foxfire” Annie Nations, an indomitable Appalachian widow of 79, lives on her mountain farm with the acerbic ghost of her husband Hector. Her tranquility is threatened by a brash real estate developer who wants to turn her land into a vacation resort and by concern over her son Dillard, a country singer who has come home with two stranded children because his wife has run away. Annie’s battle to decide her future takes her through some funny, touching and magical flashbacks to her life with Hector.

JOHNSON CITY March 26 Last Saturday Art Walk Find good Texas goods and great Texas art from 4-8 p.m. while enjoying complimentary beer, wine and appetizers.

Each month features a different artist in the gallery to meet with visitors and show their work.

JUNCTION March 7 Viet Nam Veteran’s Welcome Home Run Vietnam veterans travel each year from Perryton, Texas to Brownsville, Texas, along U.S. 83 (Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Highway) to pay tribute to veterans, their families, and friends. Communities on the route gather as the group of motorcycle riders pass through their town to hold various programs and provide meals to help show appreciation and support.

March 26 Easter Pageant On the picturesque hillside beneath a bluff known as Lover’s Leap, local thespians present the re-enactment of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Begins at dusk.

March 4 First Friday Wine Share Meet new people and try new wines at this fun and friendly event at a different location each month. Bring one bottle of wine per two people and your own wine glass. Begins at 6 p.m.

March 25-27 Easter Hill Country Bike Tour Experience the charm and hospitality of the Texas Hill Country and three days of the best riding Texas has to offer.

March 26 Easter Eggstravaganza Family festival includes two egg hunts at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., face painting and other children’s activities, a resurrection story skit, food, arts and crafts, and a cake walk.

March 26 Here’s to the Heroes Easterfest and Cook-off Includes a chili cook-off, food, games, vendors, live music, a washer-pitching tournament, Easter egg hunt, and car and bike shows.

March 26 Kerr County Market Days Old-fashioned market on the square features handmade crafts, artwork, and homegrown plants and produce.

LLANO March 11-13 Llano Earth Art Fest This event, host of the 2016 World Stock Stacking Competition, features art installations, interactive rock balancing, workshops, fine arts and crafts, live music and other performances.

LUCKENBACH March 19 Mud Dauber Festival and Chili Cook-off This open chili cook-off and music festival named in honor of that pesky wasp.

WIMBERLEY March1-20 “Aladdin” Children’s series performances are at 10 a.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays.

March 5 Market Days Stroll along a shaded path to more than 475 booths filled with a wide variety of arts, crafts, antiques, gift items, clothing and more.

March 12 Second Saturday Gallery Trail More than a dozen galleries offer wine, snacks and art displays from 4-7 p.m.

March 17 Concerts at Susanna’s Kitchen On the third Thursday of each month, top musical performers take the stage at this intimate venue. Begins at 7:30 p.m.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

March 2016

www.hillcountryexplore.com

13

TROUBADOUR

MY TOURING MANTRA

By Rene Villanueva

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

Over the next few shows I traveled with the band northeast. We headed up slowly towards New York, which would be our first real time off.

Someone drank more than they should - Never stop smiling

Relax. Walk. Stretch. Eat.

Someone drank not enough - Never stop smiling

The others had places to stay. Well almost all the others. I stayed on a bus, which is much creepier when no one else is on it.

I had time to find a comic shop. Shave. And think a little.

For me the performances had become a series of ups and downs. Not the guys or the music. We just hit some stage craziness.

Fights - Never stop smiling It sounds crazy.

Maybe a little denial-ist. But that’s missing the point.

Every night seemed like something new was thrown at us. Feedback loops. Low-end wonkiness echoing across the stage, making everyone think the bass was out of tune, I still maintain I was on but you know...

To perform on stage is to live a show. I exist like a character in a play exists. Or a TV show.

There were times when we hit a real groove, and times when we were on the verge of completely falling off the rails, and that was a beautiful and exciting edge to walk.

I have a purpose. Something bigger than myself. Bigger than a fight I had on the phone.

Bigger than my hunger pains from missing lunch. Bigger than pain from blisters on my hands or the trigger finger that kicks in every random show.

I remember so many shows looking at our drummer Fred, who has the most stone cold serious face for drumming ever, and there was such intensity in his eyes when he played, and never knowing if he was angry or extremely focused or what. His eyes are like stone – nailing every beat – but stone.

And there was me. Trying to get a laugh. Trying to break his character. I’d slide up next to him in-between the songs and say, “Never stop smiling.”

There is me. And there is me on stage.

Most of the time, the problems, the stuff that is happening and so immediate and feels like the world is falling apart, goes unnoticed by the audience. WE are the only ones who see that.

Who feel that.

Somewhere between that first time I said it, to now, it has become my touring mantra.

If you let those things get to you, and you wear those problems, then the crowd feels it.

They can smell the trouble.

It’s not literal...I take it to just mean Keep your composure. Let the show go on.

With this band, we always were able to tame it back.

Maybe it’s always been my underlining philosophy.

To hit a near-disaster and escape.

I have seen so many shows where the band is just devoured by their own self-doubt.

Ask me sometime about the time I saw The Darkness play at Stubb’s in Austin.

The main speakers shut off - Never stop smiling

Radio stations start playing through an amp - Never stop smiling

I hiked through Williamsburg, checking out the stores and food and people, and avoiding going back to the empty bus. Missing my little man and my wife.

Band members (unnamed) not appearing on stage - Never stop smiling

And the people around me with faces like, “Who’s this long, tall Texan walking around?

Doing nothing but smiling. He never stops smiling.”

Fights - Never stop smiling

-rene

Musicians competing in a volume arm-race for loudest amp - Never stop smiling Fights - Never stop smiling Divas desperate for the spotlight - Never stop smiling

March 2016

p.s. if you like this be sure to check out www.thewordisabell.blogspot.com for more! the grey sounds a hollowness in me. i am the vibration. the echo. bouncing through the city. alone

www.hillcountryexplore.com

15

TRAVEL

By Michelle Hans My very first, published article. My very first, published travel article. If someone were to have told my 18-year old self that I’d one day have a published article, I might’ve said “Well that is going to be awesome!” If someone were to have ever told my 18-year old self that I would have a published travel article, I would’ve responded enthusiastically, as I jumped up and down, “Heck yeah! Where will I begin?! I LOVE to travel!!” I mean, I think I could do a pretty good job of organizing my thoughts, reviewing the events of the trip as they happened, with little snippets of deep thought sprinkled here and there.

My mamma’s going to be so proud. My dad would have been so proud. My husband/travel soul-mate is so proud.So let’s do this, right!? Hahaha…

When Kayla (my super creative co-worker) and I approached our boss-man with an idea of doing a travel piece to be included in EXPLORE each month, he was quickly on board.

She’d use her photographic talents to gather images for each article, while I’d do my best to write. I…was…pumped! Visions of two spontaneous girls, ‘exploring’ the back roads of the picturesque Hill Country, danced in my head. We’d be wild and free, sunshine on our faces, sunglasses on, wind blowing in our hair. Kayla would beautifully capture the panoramic vistas, and the abundant native and exotic wildlife, through the lens of her camera as we hiked through state parks. We’d meet super interesting locals in small towns as we stopped to grab a cold beer and a bite to eat.

GAME CHANGER We were quickly given stipulations: to write these travel articles from a poignant, reflective point of view…not just sprinkles of contemplative thought here and there. Alright, I’m totally okay with that. I can totally get that down on paper!

But wait…there’s more.

Kayla and I were also instructed to scratch our original destination of Gorman Falls, a set of waterfalls you’d come across after a mile or so hike in Colorado Bend State Park. Now in my opinion, taking a hike surrounded by nature leading you to a waterfall can easily inspire a poignant, reflection. Due to time constraints, Gorman Falls was too far a location. My original visions weren’t exactly dancing wildly anymore, but I didn’t let this game changer deter me from this endeavor.

As I reflected upon one’s ability to, well, reflect I came to this conclusion: If one were to actually sit and look back upon on most any experience in life, I suppose one could find the meaning behind any situation, no matter how insignificant it may have seemed at the moment. For that reason, I determined that no matter where Kayla and I ended up, it would have meaning.

STRICKER TRAIL GUIDES It was a nice drive down Johns Rd. on a random winter Wednesday morning, winding up, down, and around into Tapatio Springs. As we drove further in to the golf and resort neighborhood, Kayla oooh-ed and aaah-ed over the beautiful homes scattered along the hillsides of the community. Meanwhile I (dully) explained about how my husband and I considered buying property and building a home there nine years ago, when we moved back to Boerne after being away from our hometown for close to ten years…blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada… The newness of Tapatio was lost on me, but Kayla saw the beauty.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, despite the dry, winter Hill Country wind gusts that can cut to the bone. After we arrived and parked the car, we walked through the trees down a cleared-out, pathway to the pens, and immediately began to marvel in awe over the majestic beasts before us. Horses always seem to easily exude a grandiose presence.

The magnificence and exquisiteness of horses is never lost on me.

In the moments of still air, we welcomed the sunlight as it warmed our faces, and drenched us in nature’s Vitamin D. Kayla took out her camera and began to adjust the settings. I noticed a man leading some horses out and around one of the pens. He tied them up, and made his way towards us.

MEET WILLIE

He’s what I expected our trail guide to look like…a 60-something year old cowboy wearing a straw cowboy hat, collared denim shirt, ranch jacket, Wranglers, boots , and grew the kind of white-haired mustache that curls up on the ends. Oh, and the kindest, most gentle babyblue eyes I have ever seen on a cowboy. Let’s be honest though, I don’t typically hang out with many cowboys. Little did I know that our trail ride with Willie was going to make for a memorable, little “spontaneous” day trip.

After signing the obligatory liability-release papers, Willie walked us over to the horses he’d chosen for us to ride for the next hour and a half…Cinnamon and Bobbie…two sweet and

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

gentle quarter-horses he uses for the “beginners”. I hopped on Cinnamon, aptly named for her cinnamon-colored hair (or is it fur?), and Kayla on Bobbie, the “lazy” one. If you ask me, I don’t think Bobbie is lazy, I think she just likes to take her time and ‘smell the roses’… or cedar trees.

PRAYER BEFORE THE RIDE Right away, I knew this was going to be more than just a hill country trail ride, when Willie instructed us to bow our heads in prayer. I don’t even know how to explain the immediate joy I felt from hearing that one simple command, but I immediately looked at Kayla, smiled, and thought “This. Is. Awesome. I was meant to be here today.” You see, I’ve been doing a LOT of praying lately. Everyone goes through different seasons in their lives…some seasons resemble others. Regardless, this particular season has been a difficult one…one that has called me to pray a bit more than usual for guidance, peace, patience, grace, wisdom…you name it, I’m prayin’ for it. As seasons would have it, this one has had me more aware that certain “chance encounters” with people I’ve never known before are not happenstance. God’s earthly way to show He’s listening.

WISDON TREE Towards the end of our ride, Willie slowed to a stop, and had us do the same. At that point, we encountered a rather large oak tree that had fallen completely over on its side, with its old roots exposed. One would assume it was a goner, however over time it began to grow again. Willie pointed out to us that this is an example of how “only YOU are in control of how you react” to the negative experiences in your life. Right on…say no more. I suppose this tree could’ve “decided” to give up, lay there on its side, and just stop growing. Yet, instinctually, its roots fought to dig their way down deep into the rocky soil and continue living. How many times have we, as humans, wanted to just lay there and stop growing?

For some of us, it is instinctual to dig our feet right back in and stand up, to (pun intended) get right back up on that horse, and start living again. We naturally start looking for our happiness again, doing something productive and healthy again, to help heal, and keep us moving forward. Yet for others, it is so easy to remain in that fallen over position and at that

March 2016

moment not want to grow anymore at that moment, or maybe not ever. As we sat atop our horses, listening to Willie I began to get the chills (the good kind) because I know I was led to this very spot where I was shown again, in His earthly way, ‘He is listening’. Willie went on to say those very well-known pearls of wisdom, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”. Or, in the case of a young girl on a previous ride, “You can squirt the other person in the eye.” I like that kid, I’ve never met her, but I like her. She sounds like she’s full of “p## and vinegar”, as my father would not-so-politely put it, when spouting off his old-fashioned idioms.

THE “HITCHES IN OUR GET-ALONG” INSPIRE THESE WORDS OF “WISdom” Yet another “old-fashioned” saying, this time from my mom’s vernacular. It’s pretty sad that only after one and a half hours of riding a horse, we started to feel extreme soreness later the same day. I asked Kayla if there was anything that stuck with her from our trip. She said, “My butt hurt, I was scared because of the rocks, and I was stiff so people need to relax.” I about died laughing.

So whether you are riding (literally or figuratively) for the first time or 100th time, heed this advice: • Prepare for the hurt. It’s inevitable, but I PROMISE you’ll survive, and the hurt eventually goes away.

• Rocks can provide a steady foundation, or a super wobbly ride. When there are situations, people, or horses that you are convinced will fail you, they probably won’t. Yet when there are situations, people, or horses that you trust to be stable and unwavering, they may falter.

That’s life! But it’s NOT the end of life. Just keep riding.

• Relax! Don’t take the ride so seriously! Remember to also enjoy the beauty around you, the majesty of the beast carrying you, and the person guiding you. Easier said than done, I totally understand that. But life’s responsibilities are hard enough – let’s not make things any more difficult by being so dang serious all the time. Take time to have fun, laugh, and enjoy the deliberate and the accidental comedies that come your way.

www.hillcountryexplore.com

17

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

HISTORY

By Marjorie Hagy

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

If you grew up in this little town, chances are you’ve chanted his name - albeit misspelled, or at least Anglicized - at football games, thusly: B-B-BOE! R-R-RNE! You quite likely use it every day or so, you write it in your return address, and you’ve more than likely corrected your share of mispronunciations: It’s Bernie, not Born! Bernie…like Journey… like the movie where they hauled that dead guy around…Bernie?!

A lot of us old timers know a quick bio note about this character for which our town is named. He was a doctor, we might manage, and a writer, but if you ask any average person on Main Street you’re likely to get a blankish kind of stare. Boerne? Um...as in Sanders? And then an old man might mishear the whole exchange and roar ‘Bernie Sanders! Over my dead body you commie pinko beatnik!’ and start beating you violently with his cane, so be careful when polling the citizenry out there. The fact is, though, that old man currently knocking you senseless with his walking stick; if he knew the whole story about Ludwig von Börne, he probably wouldn’t take it any easier on you because our own Mr. Boerne was also quite famous in his day for being a wild-eyed liberal, and that’s why they named this town after him. Maybe it would be best, after all, if you just skip altogether asking random people who this Boerne character was, and just get your information straight from me.

In order to tell the story, though, we’re first going to have to go way back and look at some ancient history, and I know this is the kind of stuff that makes your eyes glaze over but it really is necessary, and you might even find it interesting. It involves some crazy things you wouldn’t think it does, like who coined the term for the Arab Spring in the middle-East and the Brothers Grimm of fairy tale fame and other surprising information of that nature? All this stuff don’t just happen in a vacuum after all, and in order to know why anyone would want to name a town after this Boerne, we’ve got to find out why he did the things he did and why they were important. See first of all, here’s something you may not have ever known: Germany, as a country, didn’t even exist until 1871. ‘So what about all those Germans who sailed over to Texas and settled the Hill Country!?’ you may be shouting into your Explore right now, or ‘I know my great-great grandfather came from Germany in 1849!’ and stuff like that. But I’m telling you, the place didn’t exist as such until Boerne the town was already almost twenty years old. Your ancestors and the intrepid pioneers who came over and settled Tusculum, Boerne, Sisterdale, and New Braunfels and all that, they came from places like the city state of Berlin, from Bavaria, the Rheinland. Prussia, and Saxony, and like my own ancestors who settled in Michigan, from Westphalia. Actually, most of the people who arrived here first to settle Tusculum and then Boerne, they came from Hesse, which included the Grand Duchy of Hessen-Darmstadt, the Duchy of Nassau, and the free city of Frankfurt am Main.

What was going on over there in the part of the world that would become Germany, was that there were a bunch of independent states, which included kingdoms and grand duchies, principalities, city states and ecclesiastical states (which are governments ruled according to a religious authority- kind of like a theocracy). All of these places were ruled and governed by all sorts of people: kings, dukes, counts, bishops, abbots, and all sorts of different rulers, collectively known as princes. (Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, who led the immigration society known as the Adelsverein and for whom New Braunfels is named, was just such a prince.) Although they did all have the German language in common, they all varied in size and power and there were so many of them, hundreds at one point, and they all had their own different currencies, raised their own armies, collected taxes and all of those things, had their own laws and rules. Between all of this stuff the lives of their citizens were pretty much completely controlled by these princes and their governments. Before 1806, all of these Germanic states were all part of the Holy Roman Empire, which had come into being with the crowning of Charlemagne as Emperor in the year 800 AD, which really is ancient history. But in 1806, what happened was, was that Napoleon soundly defeated Emperor Francis II of Austria in battle. So what? Well, that effectively dissolved the Holy Roman Empire; the Holy Roman Empire was kaputz. So all these little duchies, kingdoms, city-states, and all of those were just floating around in something called the Confederation of the Rhine, and everything was in a state of confusion. That’s why people started wanting to leave the place by the boatload.

But I’m getting way ahead. In one of these German states, in the free city of Frankfurt am Main (Main being the river upon which Frankfurt was and is located), a baby was born in the heart of the Jewish ghetto. This ghetto, the Judengasse, or ‘Jews Alley’, was home to Germany’s largest Jewish community, from the Middle Ages on up to the dawn of the 19th century, and everything the Jews were able to do there was very tightly controlled by Frankfurt’s anti-Semitic city council. The Jewish citizens, for instance, weren’t allowed to leave the confines of the ghetto at night, on Sundays, on Christian holidays, or when there were elections and stuff like that going on. Every facet of their lives was controlled, from whether or not they were even allowed to live in the Judengasse at all - they certainly weren’t allowed to live anywhere else in the city outside of the ghetto, to what profession they were allowed to pursue and whether or not they could legally get married - there was a strict cap on how many weddings were allowed per year in the ghetto. Jews even had to wear this mark on their clothing to identify themselves as Jews - sound familiar? When Jews talk about two thousand years of persecution they aren’t just whistling Dixie, I mean they’ve been mistreated and been the target of discrimination and violent inequity for a long, long time. Frankfurt’s Judengasse consisted in an area of one long, curved road, which was by its very nature overcrowded and unsanitary due to the overcrowding, and subject to frequent fires and outbreaks of illness, as well as random attacks from outside due to the simple fact of their Jewishness.

It was there, in what Harper’s Magazine calls the “stifling confines” of the Jewish ghetto, on the sixth of May 1786, that Juda Loeb Baruch was born, the son of Jacob Baruch, a banker and government purchasing agent like his own father. Loeb had two brothers, and the three of them were tutored at home until they were old enough to go on to study at the gymnasium, which is what they called the high school. When he was fourteen years old, young Loeb (or Lob - in some places he’s called Lob, which may have been a nickname for Loeb or then again, just a misspelling) went off to the “newly established institute of a Professor Hetzel in Giessen”, where he studied for a year in preparation for a medical degree. Next, Loeb Baruch’s father arranged with a certain Marcus Herz, a celebrated Berlin doctor that Loeb should board with the Herz family where he would study with Dr. Herz.

Now, Marcus Herz was an interesting character, having been a student and good friend of Kant, the German philosopher who is considered to be the central figure of modern philosophy. Herz himself was a philosopher as well as a medical doctor, who lectured publicly on both topics to great acclaim. He and his wife Henriette’s Berlin home was for a long time a famous rendezvous of Berlin’s political, artistic, and literary celebrities. Henriette herself described her home as a place “that with no exaggeration could be reckoned among the most respected and fashionable houses in Berlin. For many years, all of Berlin’s prominent people frequented us.” Indeed, because of the fame of their social gatherings, Henriette Herz was called one of the ‘Salon Jewesses’, which was apparently quite an honor. While living in this famous home, young Loeb Baruch was all the time rubbing elbows with some of the most famous names of his time, and absorbing their philosophy and radical ideas along with his medical studies.

And, he also happened to fall wildly, madly in love - with the thirty-eight year old lady of the house. He, meantime, was a lad of sixteen. I mean, here was this woman, a famous beauty - at this point of her life, as one biographer described her, “in the fullness of her beauty and the ripeness of her intellectual power,”- fluent in many languages, learned in literature and philosophy, who reigned over a glamorous house frequented by famous people; and here was this kid, a moony-eyed young dreamer, intoxicated with the ideas, the celebrities, and the wild, heady talk of freedom, and it was almost a given that he would fall in violent love. And he did.

So his love burned and he studied medicine under his patron, and soaked up all the high-flown talk of human dignity, of the ideals of liberty and revolution. The following year, in 1803, when Marcus Herz died, poor young Loeb poured his heart out to his lady-love, all that pent-up adoration he’d cherished for the beautiful belle of Berlin’s intellectual community. Here’s where Henriette proved that she was a great lady indeed – “With the wisdom that was characteristic of her, she quieted his passion and soothed his anguish,” we are told. She never laughed at his poor passion or his youth, but was kind to him and guided him to enroll at the University of Halle, where she helped him find a new home with one of his professors. He wrote a series of remarkable letters from his school in Halle to Henriette Herz, giving “vent to his adoration” and these letters, with selections from his diary relating to the time he spent with her in her famous home, were published many years after his death in 1861.

Meanwhile, he was plugging away at the university in Halle, but the glimpse he had gotten into the intellectual life in Berlin sort of soured him on his medical studies. His mind was now set on higher things, and another development had occurred back in his hometown to change his situation too. In the ever-changing world of the Germanic states, in the wake of the Napoleonic wars and the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire, Frankfurt lost its rights as a free city and was now dominated by France, all of which had resulted in securing civil rights for the Jews there, so Loeb decided to pursue a public career instead of medicine. Oh, and he took a little detour back to Giessen just long

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enough to secure his degree as doctor of philosophy in 1809. In 1811, he got a job in a clerical position in the police bureau of his native Frankfurt.

Now, working as a police actuary might not seem at first glance a continuation of the political awakening he’d experienced as a result of rubbing elbows with all those liberals and radicals back in the parlors of Berlin, but it was while working for the police bureau that Loeb Baruch delivered a series of lectures in the Jewish lodge of Freemasons in Frankfurt, called Zur Aufgehenden Morgenröthe, or ‘To the Rising Dawn’. He also kicked off his career in journalism by contributing a series of anonymous articles to the Frankfurter Journal. These were in a direct line from all of those late-night talks with the rabble-rousers with whom Baruch had hobnobbed back in Berlin. See, Napoleon had been busy: after busting up that old Holy Roman Empire, in giving away chunks of Europe to his friends and his brother and various folks like that. People like Loeb Baruch and all those who’d once gathered in the Herz home stood firm against this business, and believed passionately in a united Germany. In his lectures and the articles in the Journal, Baruch sought to arouse his fellow Germans to a sense of wrongness against the French rule, to rebellion against their meek submission to the French invasion. He appealed to their old Teutonic spirit and to that burning flame of human dignity he believed was in all of them, and he was passionate.

Here is as good a place as any to insert this important fact: in case you were wondering what a sixteen year old Jewish kid from the ghetto has to do with the price of tea in China, the answer is that it doesn’t have anything to do with that. But he happens to have a lot to do with this little town in the Hill Country, because later in his life he would change his name from Juda Loeb Baruch to Karl Ludwig Börne, and the eight guys who first put down stakes on the Cibolo Creek and founded Tusculum were all ardent admirers of his work. He wasn’t to make this change for a while yet, but to save confusion we might as well start calling him by his new name right now.

Here’s this from a biographical sketch of Loeb Baruch, later Ludwig Börne: “In 1815, after the downfall of Napoleon, there set in that ‘long night’ of political reaction in Germany, which continued until dawn began to break in 1848—that epochal year ushered in by ‘Young Germany’ which was the fruit of the toils of Börne and Heine.” Heine, by the way, was Christian Johann Heinrich Heine, a poet, journalist and literary critic - pretty much the same line of work as Börne, and in fact, a friend of his. His radical political views led to many of his works being banned by German authorities, much like many of Börne’s writings were. After Börne’s death, Heine turned against his old friend and trashed him heartily, earning the scorn of most of their contemporaries, and then he spent the last twenty-five years of his life as an expatriate in Paris. But anyway, this ‘long night’ of thirty-three years, “were indeed years of political torpor and of domination of bureaucratic tyranny,” according to the same source, years in which those who agitated for a unified and democratic Germany were repeatedly indicted for high treason, in which university students were suspect and imprisoned by the dozen for the most trivial of so-called offenses. Heine’s and many others’ writings were banned and destroyed and scholars like the Grimm brothers - who were acquaintances of Karl Ludwig Börne - were dismissed from their positions at the universities where they worked, and “the censor was the most potent influence in literature.” Börne and his compatriots - men whose names you’ve likely never heard like Karl Gutzkow, Heinrich Laube, Theodor Mundt, Ludolf Wienbarg, Georg Büchner, Karl Beck, and Moritz Hartmann - poets, thinkers, journalists, students, philosophers, dreamers, idealists, patriots - they cried out for change, for a unified Germany, for the principles of democracy, socialism, and rationalism . They stood for a separation of church and state, the emancipation of the Jews, and the raising of the political and social position of women. The successful revolution in America, the rebellion that had won her independence from Great Britain, gave these young men an example and a hope that their country, their Germany, should and could be the country of which they dreamed. For the first time in the history of the Germanic states, compulsory schooling had led to rates of mass literacy, and the result was a generation of men and women who could think for themselves and would not just meekly accept the old feudal ways and submit themselves to the status quo. Among these passionate young men were the likes of Ferdinand von Herff - who would drop the aristocratic suffix ‘von’ from his name when he emigrated to Texas and swore to treat the poor as well as the wealthy in his pioneering medical practice; men like Christian Flach, Wilhelm Friedrich, J. Kuchler, Fritz Kramer, Leopold Schultz, Adam Vogt, and Phillip Zoeller, who would eventually find their way to the wilds of the Cibolo Valley to found their socialist settlement in Texas. This groundswell of idealism came to be known as ‘Young Germany’, and Karl Ludwig Börne was one of the outspoken prophets calling the youth of the land to a better Germany.

In 1814 the situation in Frankfurt changed again and the old conditions reinstated, the Jews were relegated back into the Judengasse and out of public service, including the police bureau. Börne had to go, and although the city resorted to every trick and device to induce him to resign, he flatly refused to accommodate them, so at last he was summarily fired. He wrote about his dismissal and the subjugation of he and his fellow Jews in his satirical sketch ‘Jews in the Free City of Frankfort’, and produced several other works at the same time, one of which his father begged him to suppress because of its very bitterness.

It was in 1818 that, somewhat inexplicably, Loeb Baruch was baptized as a convert to the Lutheran Church and assumed his new name. According to one biographer: “That he had become estranged from the ceremonial observance of Judaism was generally known, but nothing of his previous career, nor indeed anything in his life after baptism, would have led anyone to believe that he had become a Christian.” Perhaps it was the influence of his old flame, Henriette Herz, who had also recently converted to Christianity, but whatever his reasons, he was now a Lutheran named Karl Ludwig Börne.

It was also in 1818 that he began publication of a magazine called Die Wage, which was an immediate hit. Börne wrote articles all over the spectrum, on literature, art, society, drama, and of course, politics. The following year he also took editorial charge of the newspaper Zeitung der Freien Stadt Frankfurt, but his constant fights with the evervigilant censor made him give it up after only four months. He got his revenge, though, in a satirical work called Denkwürdigkeiten der Frankfurter Censur, or ‘Memoirs of the Frankfurt Censor’.

It was also about this time that another very interesting development occurred in Ludwig’s life. He was thirty-three or thirty-four years old by now, and but for his exalted love for Henriette Herz, Ludwig had never been romantically involved with anyone - not that history records, at any rate. But right about now there appears in his story a rather shadowy, mysterious figure most frequently referred to as Madame Wohl. The official version of their friendship definitely sets out that their relationship was platonic, one in which [Madame] Jeanette Wohl “aided, encouraged, and inspired him in his work; nursed and tended him during the years preceding his death.” But after Börne’s death, his onetime friend Heinrich Heine wrote insinuatingly of a very different relationship, and hinted at a greater attachment: “Their closest friends long stubbornly insisted that Madame Wohl was secretly married to him and some fine morning would appear in society as

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Frau Dr Börne.” But to be fair, Heine was being extraordinarily catty in this nasty bit of work that took the dead-and-unable-to-defend-himself Börne to pieces. In fact, while Börne was still very much alive, Madame Wohl went and married one Solomon Strauss, a Frankfurt businessman who challenged Heine to a duel for his insinuations and won, after which a sheepish Heine wrote a letter of retraction. At any rate, Heine went on to describe Ms. Wohl as a “highly respectable person ardent for freedom and human rights, a creature full of sensibility, full of enthusiasm.” After her marriage to Strauss, Madame Wohl and her husband, along with their very close friend Ludwig, lived together in the greatest harmony.

All this time, Börne was very active; writing and contributing articles, letters, literary criticisms and lectures, laying “bare with unsparing skill”, as one writer put it, “the manifold stupidities and tyrannies of the governing classes in the German fatherland that is so dear to him.” All the while, he preached human liberty, human equality, and the divine right of a democratic government. It’s easy to understand, given the conditions in Germany at the time, what a furor these letters created and how they infuriated the powers-that-were.; how they stirred the hearts and passions of those young Germans who read them. Börne himself was passionate - Heine described a night when Börne “came climbing up to my flat at midnight, waking me from sweetest sleep, sat down by my bed, and for a whole hour, lamented the sufferings of the German people and the infamies of the German governments.” It bothered Börne, it troubled him deeply, and that soul-deep concern for his country and his people, he poured into his writings and they stirred people.

But all this time, though, while Börne was at the prime of his career and the peak of his talent and passion, his health was falling apart. In Heidelberg in 1822, he suffered “the first of the hemorrhages that marked the beginning of the disease that was so soon to cut short his career,” but what that disease was we can only hazard a guess - actually, I can’t even do that. That would be a puzzle for a doctor. It may have been tuberculosis the number one killer, by far, of the nineteenth century. Börne was a small man and may have been sickly most of his life, or his illness may actually have begun with that first hemorrhage, but certainly his health was getting worse as the 1820s progressed. He tried one after the other of the famous resorts - which is sort of a small coincidence, or irony or something, since the town named for him would become, some forty years later, one of those world-famous health resorts. At any rate, he finally spent the summer of 1830 in the resort town of Bad Soden, and it was while there that he received the news of the July Revolution in Paris. Sickly or no, nothing would do but that he must go immediately to Paris himself, “to witness the realization of his dreams of liberty and republicanism.”

It was while in Paris that he began the publication of his famous Briefe aus Paris, or ‘Letters from Paris’. According to his biographer, these “bristle with wit and teem with humorous touches, his powers of invective, of pathos, of persuasion, are at their very highest...The ideal that he strives for is a united Germany, freed from the bonds and shackles of medieval kingships, princeships, and lordships, living in close bonds of amity with France; and he vindicates violent revolution to secure the rights of the people.”

Sadly, it was also in Paris that the long and severe illness that had plagued him for so long at last overtook him, and he died on February 12, 1837, at the age of fifty.

Harper’s Magazine said this of Ludwig Börne: “His work helped define a new profession and show what the medium could offer. For a developing educated class, newspapers offered a passport to knowledge, social participation and education...Börne was a practitioner of the highest form of the journalistic art, and today one reads his Letters from Paris not as newspaper contributions, but rather as works of high literature. They continue to inspire. His command of language; his ability to mobilize facts and thoughts to a certain end is amazing. Börne’s vibrant style was unlike anything that had been seen before. He shows us that a journalist can be both a careful observer and a person passionately engaged in the world around him. He was, to be clear, an opinion-journalist.

He worked to inform and persuade. And to expose – especially to expose injustice.” His work did inspire - it inspired countless young men and women in Germany to dream of a better Europe, of a unified Germany, of freedom, of liberty, and even to dare the ocean voyage and the danger, and to immigrate to a new world overseas. He looked into the future, past the disheartening times in which he lived, and pushed all those who would listen to fight if necessary to bring about the Germany that he knew could be. He was passionate and hopeful and a pure idealist, and believed in the beginning of a new era to come, in what he termed ‘the people’s springtime’ that ultimately would come to Europe in the Revolutions of 1848. His words and his spirit were carried in the hearts of those people who broke the bonds of feudal Germany to travel to this place – here – to breathe the fresh air of liberty. They honored him by calling this place Boerne.

It’s too bad, really, that we today, almost two hundred years after his death, know so little about Ludwig Börne. The writer of the piece about him in Harper’s Magazine thought so too: “Out in the Texas hill country,” he wrote, “is the town of Boerne – a name picked by German Catholics who emigrated there in the mid-nineteenth century. Those who know the history of those times would hardly be challenged to explain why these immigrants would pick the name of Ludwig Börne. He hailed from Hesse, as they did, and he was one of the greatest voices of his era – a defiant voice calling for liberty and democracy at a time when those things were in short supply. I once paid the town a visit and asked what the folks in Boerne did to celebrate the memory of the great man for whom their town was named. And I discovered to my chagrin that no one there seemed to have an inkling of who Ludwig Börne was. (“A writer, I think,” was the closest answer I got.)”

But wouldn’t it be an awesome idea to correct that? To fix it? To institute a celebration of the man himself, our own Mr. Boerne, Karl Ludwig nee Loeb Baruch, that radical, liberal young firebrand? The old man with the cane dispensing prairie justice way back in the first paragraph of this thing - he’d holler and yell about this bunch of damned liberals in this-here conservative town, but he’d be wrong. Our town was really and truly built on the backs of a gang of wild-eyed dreamers and hippie radicals, idealistic young men willing to risk life and limb and everything that was sacred to them in order to establish a free society on their own soil, and that’s about as liberal as you can get. We ought to be proud of our namesake, and I want you all to remember this, when you start to forget who he was, when all he seems to be is a little bronze statue tucked away in a gazebo half-hidden by trees - that he was a man of courage and conviction, and a man who gave heart and voice to justice and equality for a generation of people who would go on to change Europe and the world. He never made it here himself. In fact, Ludwig Börne had been dead twelve years before those eight men struck their camp at Tusculum - but he was a huge part of the reason they came here at all.

Harper’s leaves us with this epitaph: “Above all things what marked Börne was his courage, his determination to stand for a liberty that embraced the fundamental dignity of all mankind without regard to religion or ethnicity, and his willingness to raise a critical voice just when it was needed – no matter the cost to himself.” So the next time somebody asks you who this guy was that they named the town after, I want you to look right at them and answer back: He was a great man. He was a hero.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

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ART OF

“THE ONLY JOURNEY IS THE ONE WITHIN.” - RAINER MARIA RILKE For Shawn Dunham, life has certainly been a journey. From being a collegiate athlete to wrestling rodeo bulls to being a professional actor, Dunham has experienced a lot. A true troubadour, Dunham has discovered that life is defined not by your vocation, but perhaps is more defined by what you seek to find in your life.

Dunham begins, “ I was born in Refugio, Texas and raised in Agua Dulce. I was an average student, but more was way more into sports than academics.” Eventually landing a scholarship to play football at Sul Ross, Dunham was eventually hurt and got into bull fighting on a dare. Literally. “Two guys that lived with me were pro bull fighters and one night they dared me to try it. So I stood in the arena, and stared down that bull and loved it. Rodeo bull fighters are similar to rodeo clowns, though we don’t do a lot of the funny stuff. We’re there strictly for rider protection.”

From there, Dunham spent the next 14 years a full-time professional rodeo bull fighter.

“I worked mainly in Texas and Louisiana. I did everything from youth rodeo to the pro shows. I miss it a lot.” During his early days of bull fighting, Dunham’s grades in college suffered. He explains, “My folks said that Uncle Sam and I were going to become good friends if my grades didn’t improve, so in ‘93 I joined the Marine Corps. I got out in ‘95 due to a blown out knee, and went right back to rodeoing again professionally until 2004.”

Once he “hung up his spurs”, Dunham enrolled in Police training and became a police officer. “It was something I always wanted to do , so in 2004 I became a cop. I worked narcotics in Freer, Texas, and then moved out to West Texas and worked a narcotics immigration task force. I enjoyed the work, but hated the paperwork.” While working the narcotics division, Dunham received a call from a friend that encouraged him to join the Army to work Intel in Iraq (at the height of the Iraqi War), and so “in 2007 I raised my right hand again and joined the Army. They wanted me because of the police work and because I was SWAT certified, and they knew I would be a good fit. I was in Intel, and was able to teach guys much of my training. I did two tours in Iraq, and do not care to return ever again.”

Upon his discharge, Dunham suffered from severe PTSD, and was considered 100% disabled, though he could still work, though he was in no hurry. “I just hung out for a while until I had to get a real job. I was still recovering from my tours, and really just took it easy for a while. I then worked for a vet clinic as a manager for them, and the love of horses grew on me more and more, as we worked with horses a lot.”

That love of horses caused a friend to call Dunham and explain that he was going to Los Angeles to pitch a new TV show about disabled vets and outdoor adventures. Dunham tagged along, and while in LA, he was hired to work as a horse wrangler behind the scenes of a western show. They asked him to perform a few of the stunts on the show, but when the producer met him, he said that Dunham’s look was perfect for the show, and he was hired for speaking roles.

Since then, Dunham has simply been living the adventure. He continues, “50% of my bills are handled by the film work, which is few and far between but a lot of fun. The rest of it is old fashioned cowboy work – running fences, cows, etc – I love life too much to work a real job, man. I can take a day and go fishing, or spend time with my friends, or just saddle up my horses and do what I want. The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man, I will tell ya is 100% fact.”

Dunham is also an avid singer/songwriter and works closely with “Songs and Voices” and the “Warrior Cry Music Project”, which provides guitar lessons to returning soldiers struggling with PTSD. Dunham explains, “I have written several songs about PTSD, and I get to go to several of these shows and tell people about the disorder. You can find info about the groups online, and we just had a fundraiser at the Roundup in October. I’m working on a 3rd album that I have 3 songs on – Mark Jungers has a studio and I’m going to head up there to Nashville to record my album.”

The consummate traveling journeyman, Dunham shows no signs of slowing down. He finishes, “I’m just living day by day, man. I’ve got a few movies coming up; in March I’m leaving for two movies in New Mexico. If I could find a lady to put up with my lifestyle, then that would be great. I’m on the road so much, and have such a gypsy heart, so that would probably be tough. I just see the beauty in the little things every day. Once you’ve been through hell and back, and you’ve seen the ugly side of human life, you appreciate the little things; good music, good whisky, good friends, bluebonnets, a sunset – It’s all so beautiful, and man, life is too short.”

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

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YOU’VE MADE GREAT CHOICES IN YOUR LIFE. NOW, PROTECT THOSE CHOICES.

L AW F I R M

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LIFE

THE POWER OF PRESENCE “What a jerk.”

C’mon, be honest now. You know you’ve said something like this – or worse - about somebody at one time or another. Maybe it was to a rude stranger who cut you off in traffic, an inconsiderate friend who said something to hurt your feelings, or even a family member who thought it would be funny to scare the begeebers out of you when you thought you were all alone. It might not be a term you typically use or a way you normally talk about other people, but in a moment of unguarded honesty, “jerk” seemed an appropriate word to describe the insensitive culprit.

In the same way you associate certain words with the image of a rattlesnake, a skunk, a Labrador retriever, or a kitten, you do the same when you think of other people. Your experience with them determines if those are good words…or bad ones.

It works both ways, you know?

Every time your name comes up in a conversation, people do the very same thing to you. They think of words to describe your behavior based on how you have treated them. Whether it’s a verbal declaration spoken out loud or a mental dialogue kept to themselves, when someone hears your name they immediately draw upon a succinct summary of words they associate with you. A split-second profile of your face appears on their mental teleprompter accompanied by a few words they connect with your name.

At the risk of igniting your fiercest insecurities, have you ever considered what words people might use when it’s you they’re thinking about?

Scary to think about, isn’t it?

WHAT YOU’RE LIKE WHEN YOU’RE AROUND

When your name is brought to someone’s attention, there are generally three ways they will refer to you in a conversation.

Sometimes they refer to you by your profession.

“Oh, he’s the doctor, right?”

“Yes, I know her. She’s an attorney.”

“Now I know who you’re talking about. He’s the chef at that restaurant downtown.”

Other times, they will speak in terms of their association with you.

“He and I went to high school together.”

“Our sons play on the same baseball team.”

“We actually live in the same subdivision.”

Most often, however, they refer to you by their impression of you.

“She’s as quiet as a mouse.”

“He loves attention.”

“She’s kind of strange.”

“He is so arrogant.”

“She says whatever she thinks.”

“He’s painfully shy.”

“She’s really hard to figure out.”

“He’s…um…a little…different.”

“She’s so intense.”

“He is brutally honest.”

“Nicest person you’d ever want to meet.”

“What a jerk!”

Fair or not, people have accumulated certain impressions over multiple interactions with you and then compiled them into a few words they use to describe you from their perspective. Even a total stranger, who has never actually met you, can have an impression just by what they have witnessed from a distance or heard about you from other people.

Either way, people you haven’t even met may have a way of thinking about you.

All of this is about what I call “Presence.” Simply put, presence is “what you’re like when you’re around.” It is what you bring into a room; the impression other people get when they encounter you.

You never enter a room full of people that you don’t have some kind of presence.

You never engage a circle of people that you don’t bring with you some sense of presence.

You never navigate a situation where other people are involved that you don’t exhibit some type of presence.

You never sit quietly at an event, purposefully keeping to yourself, that you are not screaming something about presence for everybody in the room to hear. All without ever uttering a single sound!

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By Paul Wilson

Whenever you are anywhere with other people, you have presence. Even if you are the most obscure person in the room, you are leaving an impression. You contribute something to a situation that is influential in other people’s lives whether you are aware of it or not. Call it the impression you make, the personality you project, or the vibe you put off, your presence is a constant. You are always being “read” by other people in the room.

Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, if there is just one other person in sight of you, your presence is showing.

THE STORY YOU TELL

Several factors play a part in how people perceive us. Fair or unfair, right or wrong, people read us by the clues we project.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE In the minds of other people, our appearance speaks volumes about us. Whether we like it or not, everybody has certain prejudices about appearance. For instance, older people are often suspicious of the tattoos, piercings, and eccentric hairstyles favored by a younger generation.

People draw conclusions about us based on our gender, our weight, our grooming habits, and our fashion choices. How we present ourselves physically is often times the very first impression we make on people.

BODY LANGUAGE The way we cross our arms, divert our eyes, or shift our weight can suggest something about us in the mind of other people. Slouching in our chair, heaving a heavy sigh, or mustering a simple smirk can telegraph what we think or how we feel without uttering a single word. Many people put more stock in what our body language communicates than the words we speak. The danger, however, is that body language can be easily misinterpreted. What you portrayed may not have been at all what you intended.

PERSONALITY The various expressions of our personality have an enormous influence on what people think of us. They either find us delightful or demanding, engaging or offensive, warm or cold. While it can be extremely difficult to consistently manage our personality because it is such an innate part of who we are, it is important that we live with a careful selfawareness of our unique “quirks” - those extremes of our personality that can become liabilities. For example, an otherwise quiet introvert can be viewed as arrogant if they are not careful to engage others in a conversation even as uncomfortable as that may be.

Again, whether it is fair or not, people find certain personality traits positive and others, negative. Trying to interpret a person’s response to our personality can be maddening.

However, as difficult as it can be, it is still an essential discipline in the dicey world of social interaction.

ATTITUDE They say, “Attitude is everything!” While that may not be completely true, it is true enough to affect the way people think about us. This is especially important in our professional, civic, and recreational pursuits. Any time teamwork or mutual cooperation with others is necessary, our attitude can make or break our success. If you are looking to create a really lousy impression of yourself in the mind of others, just exhibit a bad attitude when you are with them. Once you’ve secured the moniker of poor sport, lousy teammate, or difficult to get along with, it could follow you for the rest of your life.

WORDS Few things remove doubt about what you are like more quickly than the words that come out of your mouth. From profanity to criticism, from racist comments to an aggressive tone, people are quick to draw conclusions about you when they hear how you talk.

Any doubts they may have had about you based on your physical appearance, body language, or attitude are quickly confirmed when they hear the things you say.

BEHAVIOR We have all heard, “actions speak louder than words.” And words, as stated earlier, are pretty loud! The way we behave is typically indisputable. Words can come out wrong, but actions usually come from a very authentic (and revealing) place. Nothing portrays what we are really like more than our actions. It doesn’t matter what we want to be, wish we were, or hope to become. Our behavior in other people’s company usually solidifies impressions they may have of us.

“What you do speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson Some of us leave an impression that others see as positive, upbeat, happy, encouraging, or affirming. Some people are gregarious, sociable, friendly, and inclusive. For these reasons, other people like to have us around. They like it when we are in a circle with them.

Others of us leave an impression that is negative, grouchy, sullen, or angry. A lot of whining, complaining, criticizing, and judging tend to contaminate other people’s perception of you. Needless to say, not many people like having negative people around. They may tolerate it, but they certainly don’t prefer it. If you find yourself not being invited to a lot of parties, you might want to take a serious look at your “presence.”

WHAT’S COME OVER YOU?

We all have a bad day now and then. You know, those irrational moments and emotional meltdowns we wish we could take back. Who doesn’t have one or two of those moments we really wish we could do all over again, or at least, wish had never happened in the first place. We still feel a bit embarrassed when we remember those occasions.

Unfortunately, in some people’s minds, we never ever quite recover from the first impression we left in those unflattering moments.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

However, I am more interested in “the cumulative average” – the collection of impressions we make as people encounter us in multiple situations over time. Bad days and stupid mistakes aside, there is “a way we are” generally. People who interact with us often come to think of us in those terms that best describe their experience when in our company over the long haul.

For instance, you’re sitting on the floor in the living room with your child after a long day at work. You feign interest in playing with Legos while she chatters on and on about… well, you don’t really know what because… you were “a million miles away.” You’re sitting there on floor mere inches from your daughter and her toys, but your mind is distracted by something that happened at the office that day.

It’s in those long-haul relationships where presence is so crucial. We can’t live our entire life fretting about what complete strangers think of us or how a momentary encounter with a casual acquaintance might affect their impression of us. The week in and week out challenges of those important daily relationships is where it is imperative we pay keen attention to the power of our presence. Vital relationships with family, work associates, neighbors, and close friends deserve our best presence.

You’re in a meeting at work. You’re at a restaurant with friends. You’re in the stands at your son’s baseball game. That’s where you are physically, but mentally you’re far, far away thinking about other things.

Presence is often a matter of averages. Over time and in multiple situations, certain people interact with you in a variety of ways. They get to see you on your good days and on your bad days. People who have a long history with you have the best vantage point from which to develop an accurate impression of you. It is when the good days outweigh the bad ones that the cumulative average reveals you to be as you truly are.

People come to know you as being a positive, helpful, and enjoyable person to have around. They speak well of you when your name comes up. These are the people who are quick to defend you if they are talking to someone happens to have a negative impression of you.

But it works the other way too. If you have earned a certain reputation for negative behavior over the long haul of frequent interactions with certain people, it’s extremely difficult to undo the damage. Once you’ve been tagged with a negative impression in most people’s minds, it is a deep and difficult hole to dig out of.

Difficult, I say, but not impossible.

If you find yourself in the deep hole of having left a bad impression, there is a way out. If you have ever wondered how to change what people think of you, it’s really quite simple.

You do it the exact same way that got you in trouble in the first place: you choose to conduct yourself in a certain way.

It was your choice to behave in a negative way that resulted in a less than admirable impression. It will be a choice to act in more thoughtful, responsible, and engaging ways that will turn a negative impression into a positive one.

When enough people find you acting in positive ways, they will take notice of the change that has come over you. Before you know it, “change” is one of the words that come to mind when they think of you.

“Boy, he has really changed since I first met him.”

While you may not be able to determine what people think of you, you sure can influence it in a positive direction by paying close attention to the kind of presence you project when in the company of others.

PRESENT: ANOTHER SIDE OF PRESENCE

There’s another side of presence that most fail to truly appreciate. It too has a profound influence on the impression we leave with other people. This is the concept of “Present.”

“Present” is about being “in the moment.” It is about being fully engaged in what is happening right where you are at the time.

You know that phrase “a million miles away”? We use it when admitting we weren’t paying attention because we were distracted. We confess, “I’m sorry, I didn’t’ hear what you said. I was a million miles away, thinking about something else.”

You’re not present.

These days, technology can be a serious threat to your being present. Mobile phones, WiFi, headphones, smart watches, television, apps, and social media seduce us into being a million other places than where we are at the moment.

You’re with good friends at a restaurant, but you’re watching the big game on the large screen television over their shoulder while visiting with each other. You think you’re doing a masterful job of keeping up with the conversation, but they see your eyes darting past them while they talk. They’re feeling like you’d much rather be over at the bar watching the game than sitting at the table talking with them.

Your entire family has convened around the fireplace on the deck at the lake house. Now that everybody has families of their own and live in different cities, it is rare that you are all together in one place at the same time. But you have a really funny thread you’re following in a digital conversation unfolding on Facebook. Without so much as leaving the comfort of the chair you occupy, you keep ducking out of what is happening on the deck to contribute to what is being said on social media. You think you’re being so sly looking down at your phone when all eyes are on somebody else, but they see your obvious interest elsewhere. Or should I say, your disinterest there.

Here’s the hard truth. You can be an extremely friendly presence on Facebook while being a complete jerk to the family and friends sitting in the very same room with you.

Oh, you’re “there” all right, but you’re not really present. You’re engaged in a digital conversation with people miles away while real people speaking real words in a real conversation desire your undivided attention just inches from where you are sitting.

An impression of you is being formed in their minds by your digital distraction.

While you think you’re being cute with your latest reply to a funny conversation unfolding between friends on social media, you’re acting like an idiot to those in the room with you through your thoughtlessness to their company.

We are guilty of the same thing when we are constantly checking emails, frequently listening to voicemail, compulsively glancing down at text messages, and trolling the internet right there in the company of others more deserving of our time and attention because…well, because they are right there with you.

Being present is such an important factor to how people think of us when we are around.

You see, it all comes back to presence – what you’re like when you’re around. While you may be the life of the party on your digital platform, the people all around you at the actual party get the impression you are rude and aloof. You appear disinterested in them.

In short, you’re perceived as an inconsiderate snob. While that may be the furthest thing from the truth, it is the impression your presence is creating in those moments when you are not being present.

“What a jerk.”

Never underestimate the power of presence. It has the potential of shaping a person’s opinion of you for a lifetime.

“Present” is the opposite of “a million miles away.” It is being right here, right now.

How often can you be found in one place physically, and yet, a million miles away mentally? Be honest now. Your sense of presence is at stake here.

March 2016

www.hillcountryexplore.com

29

We are excited to offer a Spring Break Sports Camp this year.

While the kids have off of school let them come enjoy the outdoors with our YMCA Sports staff. We will have basketball, track and field, soccer, and flag football. Each Sport will be an hour and a half long, and the first 45min will be skillbuilding and drills pertaining to the sport, the second 45 min will be scrimmages. The kids will receive shirts and have the opportunity to win medals at the end of the camp.

SPRING BREAK SPORTS CAMP AGES: 8-13 YEARS 1 Sport: $40 for members $60 for non members 2 Sports: $60 for members $100 for non members 3 Sports: $80 for members $140 for non members 4 Sports: $100 for members $180 for non members

Times and Location: Mon-Thurs, 3/14—3/17

Basketball @ YMCA GYM 8:30-10:00 a.m.

Track and field @ FABRA FIELDS 10:30-12:00 p.m.

Soccer @ FABRA FIELDS 1:00– 2:30 p.m.

Flag Football @ FABRA FIELDS 2:30-4:00 p.m.

1361 S. Main Street, Boerne TX 78006 | 830-815-1040

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

CHARITY

NO STRINGS ATTACHED

By Misty McElhannon

Sex sells. In fact, the sex industry is a 60 billion dollar a year industry worldwide.

Six years ago, Lisa Michelle was fighting a battle against celiac disease and Hashimoto’s. She collapsed in a classroom while serving in the children’s ministry of Bible Study Fellowship, and found herself bed ridden for three months. Overwhelmed by the feeling of defeat and exhaustion, she decided to lean closer to the Lord. She could barely get herself up, but she pushed her hardest and attended a local women’s conference. As He usually does, God met her in this very inconvenient place and began refining her heart through the most unlikely people. There at the conference she met a woman who enlightened her to the horrible world of human trafficking.

Lisa Michelle knew immediately that she wanted to know more about what was happening behind the scenes regarding this industry, which ultimately led to her very first visit into a strip club. Once again, in the most unlikely place, God met her face to face in this strip club. He told her to keep coming back and she would experience healing. So, she kept showing up week after week and God did a work in her that was far greater than just her physical healing. Lisa Michelle’s passion was revealed to her as she began to get to know the girls working in the strip clubs. Aside from showing up with little gifts, she gave them something many of them had yet to experience… respect, eye contact, concern, and a non-judgmental and unconditional love.

In return, these girls unknowingly gave her a far greater gift than they would ever realize.

In 2012, Lisa Michelle and her family moved to Boerne, started attending 19:10 Church, and promptly began to Google the nearest strip clubs. She was so encouraged when Pastor Jason Brown and his wife Angie rallied behind her as she developed No Strings Attached. Angie asked her how could the church come alongside her and she replied, “I just need two women to go with me. Just two.” And so it began.

Each month a group of women gather and caravan down to the strip club. They assemble gift bags to bring with them which work as a great ice breaker in meeting the girls, which they lovingly refer to as ‘Royals’. Lisa Michelle believes calling the girls Royals is the perfect way to not only provide anonymity, but to let them hear that they truly are daughters to the King.

The gift bags include cards with scripture and little accessories like nail polish or jewelry. This month No Strings Attached was honored to receive beautiful handmade jewelry from the ethical fashion and lifestyle brand, Raven + Lily, to also be included in the gifts bags.

No Strings Attached Outreach needs an army of women to show up each month to speak truth, life, and hope into the women in the sex industry. To walk in with pure and loving hearts and love these girls exactly where they are. To make them feel loved and never ashamed. What a celebration it is when some of these girls make the personal and often very challenging decision to leave the sex industry and seek other opportunities for income!

When a Royal makes this decision to walk away, they have the opportunity to “turn in” their shoes to NSA. Lisa Michelle has collected several pairs of shoes in a ‘Hang Up Your Shoes Campaign’, and gives every bit of the credit to the Lord. She looks forward to the day when she can display all of these shoes across a large wall in their very own space. This dream space would be located in what Lisa Michelle refers to as a ‘Restoration House’, a safe house for women coming out of the sex industry.

Restoration House would include spaces for bible study, equine therapy, fellowship, and employment training for Lily N Co. Lily N Co. (www.lilynco.net) is another one of Lisa Michelle’s ventures, an online beauty boutique which proceeds benefit NSA and various safe houses. This is just one more way that Lisa Michelle is able to heal the exploited by declaring there should be no price tag on women.

God continuously presents opportunities to Lisa Michelle in finding ways to advocate for, love, and provide support for women in the sex industry. Be a part of what she is doing. Lives are being changed!

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

(FORMERLY LILLIAN’S)

New name, same great fashion!

Customer Appreciation Day is the first Saturday of the month starting March 5! Enjoy specials, drawings, and a gift with purchase!

107 E. San Antonio Ave | Boerne, TX 78006 | 830-446-2182

March 2016

www.hillcountryexplore.com

33

Welcome to Boerne

Scan Code With Your Smart Phone

Bluebonnet Realty

FOR SALE - $695,000 – Prime Location.

Investment opportunity. 3 houses on 2.816 acres on Scenic Loop.

FOR SALE - $306,000 - 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths in The Trails of Herff Ranch, approx. 2892 s.f.

FOR SALE - $275,000 - Sweet cottage in highly desirable area of Boerne: The Flats. 1 bed, 1 bath on deep lot.

FOR LEASE - $1850 - 3 bed, 2 bath on 0.47 ac fenced yard front and back, and 2 car garage with extra storage

FOR SALE - $515,900 - 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 half baths, approx.3604 with amazing patio area and more storage than you can imagine. The Reserve at Old Fredericksburg Road.

FOR SALE - $170,000 - Historic Rock Home on 6.487 acres. Many outbuildings and barns.

FOR LEASE - $1150 - 2 BEDROOM, 2 BATH CONDO with covered parking and enclosed patio.

FOR LEASE - $2800 - 5 Bedroom, 3 baths, approx. 3138 s.f., in Trails of Herff Ranch

MORE HOMES AVAILABLE. CALL FOR LISTINGS.

830-816-2288 • www.boernetexashomes.com

ARE YOU GETTING YOUR

IN THE MARKET? STOP THE INSANITY!

Are you hungry for an education? Join us for a free educational dinner held weekly at Bob’s, Ruth’s Chris, or Maggianos. RSVP at 210-255-3040 Texas License Number 1490984

507 E. Blanco Rd.

|

Boerne, TX

|

210-255-3040

SPIRITUAL

FINDING GOD

By Kendall D. Aaron

Oftentimes, the concept of “church” is imposing for some people. They don’t like the formality, the culture, the politics, nor the pretension that can accompany this group of people. This idea that church is just not for them might have been forged while they were younger, or something they latched onto later in life, but make no mistake, “church” is not where God resides, according to these folks.

I’m fairly certain that we all know someone that has subscribed to this particular philosophy.

Heck, I had a mother in law once that had Bible verses framed on the walls all over her home, however she never went to church. If you asked her about it, she would quip, “Do you know who NEVER went to church? JESUS!” and with that, she would giggle and she considered the topic closed.

I have a buddy that I speak to frequently, and one day we landed on the topic of religion.

He explained that he was a believer, but that he didn’t care for church. He explained, “God is not in a building. He’s by a river, or under a night sky, or wherever else I might be. I don’t have to be in a church to find God.” While this might be true, it’s the “finding” part that I think is the most important.

Proverbs 8:17 is pretty clear: “I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.”

But I just wanted to go fishing and “find God”! Or “I’ve got all these great bible verses around my house – God is ALWAYS with me!” As my pastor friend put it one time, “That’s cool if you want to go fishing and talk to God. However, you have to SEEK that closeness with Him.” And that’s the rub: God isn’t some sort of genie that appears upon demand. You can’t go sit by a river, beer firmly in hand while fishing, and think “Now I’m in the presence of Almighty God.” The pursuit of God is a relentless, deliberate journey and I’m the first one to raise my hand and say that I struggle with it.

I suppose that it’s the reverence that makes it difficult. From our earliest days in Sunday school we are taught that God is ALWAYS with us. We are told that when we are taking a hard test or when a bully picks on us, God Himself is there keeping a watchful eye. While it’s a wonderfully comforting thought, I’m not sure that it applies to the pursuit of God, which in the end, is the very definition of CHURCH. I also can picture God sitting beside me while fishing alone. The wind blowing through the trees, the water rippling below me….and there’s God sitting on the tree stump beside me. But what am I doing? I’m surfing Facebook while waiting for the next nibble on my line. Or I’m thinking about junk from work that is clogging my brain. Or I’m struggling with a relationship that has gone south. I’m doing a lot of things outside of pursuing God. I’m certainly not reverently seeking Him. I’m just fishing, and thinking about stuff. That’s not church, either. And while God might be there with me, I’m not WITH Him. Have you ever had lunch with a friend that can’t put down their phone? You’re trying to talk to them and share something and they’re so busy giggling at stupid social media garbage or texting so fast their fingers are calloused? I imagine that’s how God feels a lot of the time.

So are we free to enjoy church where ever the road leads us? Can we find Him in every corner of our lives, and consider the need for church useless?

36

The answer (in my humble opinion): absolutely. However, (and this is a BIG ‘however’), it requires two very deliberate things to occur.

1. You must seek Him deliberately. As in, while you might be going fishing, the fishing is secondary. You are going “fishing” to actually find a place of solitude where you can hit your knees and cry out to God. To pray earnestly. To be still and let Him wash over you and cleanse your heart. To read your bible and meditate upon it and pray, pray, pray.

While you have thrown a line in the water, you are blissfully unaware of it because you are so focused on Him. Only then can you consider that you are spending time with Him. But there’s more.

2. One of the greater purposes of church is to bring believers together so that they can study God’s word, encourage one another in that pursuit, and to then go out and find others that they may help. I’m no Bible scholar, but throughout history, this is one thing that Jesus taught over and over: be fishers of men. This phrase meant to work together to advance His kingdom. This is typically accomplished very effectively via a group of people in a church. Not so much while you’re fishing by yourself. So if you’re going to seek God by the river, that’s great; but now I would think you would also have to bring a couple of buddies that equally want to seek God, that you would have to fellowship with one another passionately, and then develop ideas and plans for how you guys are going to help your fellow man.

Now, after hearing this, how much “fishing” do you think you actually did? How many Bible verses on your walls created a true environment of “church”?

I’m just as guilty as the next schlub out there just trying the best they can. I sleep in, I get lazy and scoff at church, I groan at the hypocrisy that exists in a chapel, and I get disillusioned just like you. I also tell myself that I’m going to go have “church” while I jog, or go fishing, or even ride my motorcycle. The thing is, I cannot recreate church, because the church is bigger than me and my relationship with God. Yes, I can earnestly pray during my alone time with God and passionately pursue Him, but I’m fairly certain that this is expected of me regardless. He wants that pursuit to occur IN ADDITION to “church”. The act of attending church is my humble admission that I’m not strong enough to do it all by myself, and to seek out fellow believers that want to understand Him even better. It’s finding people, and saying “Yeah, let’s learn something amazing about God today and then let’s talk about it a little, then take that knowledge to the streets and do something CRAZY!” These are things that do not happen while you are “finding God” sipping beer, listening to your ipod, and fishing in a river. No matter how you spin it, God is there with you, but no, you are not diligently seeking the presence of the Almighty God. You are FISHING. While there is certainly a time for that, there is also a time for church. I would pray that you find the time for both.

If you need me to call you on Sunday morning and give you a good tongue lashing about why you need to drag your tired bones out of bed and get your rear-end to church, feel free to email you. And then if I do it for you, will you do it for me?

Regardless, I hope to see you there.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

The Reserve at Old Fredericksburg Road • Boerne $515,900 3 bed, 2 full and 2 half baths in approx. 3604 s.f. Stunning house with all the upgrades including large master bedroom suite and bath

• Ken Nietenhoefer •

Premier Custom Home Builder in the Texas Hill Country For over 40 years, KCN has been building beautiful custom homes of all sizes in Boerne, Comfort, Bandera, Castroville and throughout the Texas Hill Country.

CLASSES • WORKSHOPS • EVENTS

Our reputation for honesty and integrity, combined with our commitment to deliver excellent quality, expert craftsmanship, and customer service, has afforded us the opportunity to build many long lasting relationships with our clients. In fact, we have constructed two or more jobs for 31 different customers.

“building your practice from the ground up” OFFERING A WIDE VARIETY OF YOGA STYLES

hatha Iyengar yin

830-816-5202

vinyasa power vinyasa gentle/adaptive

aerial conditioning aerial yoga crunch barre

NEW STUDENT SPECIAL Unlimited yoga for 30 days for $100

920 East Blanco Road Boerne, TX 78006 www.kcnbuilders.com

37131 I-10 Frontage Rd. | Boerne, TX 78006 | 830.428.3022

www.aerialyogaboerne.com

Chet B. hawkins, dds Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, FACD, Pankey Graduate

MASTERFUL DENTISTRY 32 Years Experience

NEW LOCATION 1677 River Road, Suite 103

830-331-7355

www.drchethawkins.com

March 2016

DENTAL RESTORATIONS IN ONE VISIT

With the new technology offered at our office, most dental crowns can be completed in one visit. The advantages for our patients are—only one visit to the office, one numbing injection, no messy impressions, no wearing a temporary crown for weeks, and high tech precision on your restoration.

Please call our office at 830-331-7355 to learn more about this new technology to serve our patients.

www.hillcountryexplore.com

39

community

Ahoy Mates!

By Sue Talford

Teamwork…that’s what it’s all about! In sports…the San Antonio Spurs are a prime example of working together to produce a total team effort every night on the court.

Teamwork in music…every Friday night at the football stadium, the marching band takes the field to demonstrate a team spirit combining music, choreography, and precision for the community effort of spirit.

But have you ever thought about the incredible teamwork of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein? With one man writing the lyrics and one writing the music, they teamed up together to bring us Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music.

Jay Lerner joined Frederick Loewe to entertain us with such Broadway hits as Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, Camelot, and My Fair Lady.

But long before these individuals showed up on the Broadway circuit, a songwriting team with extraordinary talent and imagination created a series of fourteen stage musicals that delighted the world. After more than a century, the best of their shows are still entertaining audiences.

Beginning in the 1870’s, playwright William S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan revolutionized the musical theatre, creating a series of witty, melodic operettas that set a new standard for stage professionalism. Sullivan’s music sparkled with fresh melody, and Gilbert’s librettos blended silliness and satire in setting that ranged from pure fantasy to the utterly realistic. At the time, they were publicized as “light operas”, but by any name, they were the very first musicals…and some of the finest productions the world would ever see.

And now, the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players will sail into Boerne (Lake Boerne??) on April 8th to present The Pirates of Penzance. This British masterpiece remains faithful to Gilbert & Sullivan’s aim of presenting a thoroughly farcical subject with the utmost seriousness! Elegantly re-creating the original period setting and costumes with exquisite detail, this classic musical comedy sparkles with wit, fine singing and a sensational cast.

It’s great entertainment for the whole family!

Written in 1879, The Pirates of Penzance is one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s greatest comic operas. With magnificent parody of grand opera, it presents a topsy-turvy plot involving a band of orphaned pirates (distinctly deficient in cut-throatedness); a Major General who doesn’t know his rifles from his javelins; the flat-footed Cornish Constabulary; a bevy of blushing maidens; and the dashing Frederic, who – born in a leap year – may be aged twenty-one, or only “five and a little bit over”.

Now, 137 years since its premiere, The Pirates of Penzance remains an all-time popular favorite!

So get your Team together, check out one of the local restaurants for a delightful dinner, and then head to the final show of the Boerne Performing Arts 2016 Season. As the swashbuckling pirates sing to the Victorian maidens, the pit orchestra is playing away “down under”, the bumbling British Bobbies authoritatively take the stage, and the Modern Major General sings tongue-twisters that will make your mouth sore…the entire evening will demonstrate the teamwork of two brilliant songwriters with a performance by a brilliant team of talented musicians.

This ship sets sale Friday, April 8, at 7:30pm, at Boerne Champion Auditorium. Tickets ($30-$40-$60, $20 for students) are available online at www.BoernePerformingArts.com, or by calling 830.331.9079. Ahoy mates!

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

March 2016

www.hillcountryexplore.com

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r a B k c a J t o o B t a h t April 16 p m i r h S • e g a s u a S • h s i f s w e a o t Cr a t o P • n r o C • s m o o r h s u !

M e r o M d n A c i s u M Live

BOOT JACK BAR

MONDAY - THURSDAY 3PM-12AM • FRIDAY - SATURDAY 3PM-2AM SUNDAY 3PM-11PM • 21 & OVER

T E L : 210 - 8 61 - 0 0 74 1 F M 3 5 51, S T E . 10 0 • B E R G H E I M , T X • J U S T S O U T H O F 4 6 & B E H I N D T H E VA L E R O

March 17th is fast approaching. The day when it becomes socially acceptable to start drinking at 8:00am... at the office. The day when everyone is Irish isn’t JUST about drinking. It has some interesting history to go along with your green tinted beer goggles. So we thought we’d share all little about who this guy was and some fun/interesting facts about this special day.

A BIT O’HISTORY So who is this St. Patrick, patron saint of drunkenness. Because we all need someone to pray to while we kneel before the porcelain altar. For starters he’s credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. However, Paddy boy wasn’t even Irish. In fact, Patrick wasn’t his original name. The man known as St. Patrick was born Maewyn Succat of Britain in 385 AD and his parents were Roman citizens.

The unconfirmed consensus is that they were the Roman equivalent of hipsters.

I mean, who names their son Maewyn? Why not Maximus or Brock? Anyway...

When Maewyn was 16 he was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland. Fun. There he tended sheep. Because it was pretty much the only thing to do since potatoes wouldn’t show up for another 1200 years. Wrap your head around that little tidbit of knowledge.

After getting tired of dealing with sheep for years, he ran away when he was 22 and took refuge in an English monastery. Why it took him so long to get tired of sheep is anyone’s guess. Maybe he was an Aggie. He was later ordained a bishop and changed his name to Patricius. Armed with the might of God and a trunk full of Holy Hand Grenades, he returned to Ireland with one purpose.

To completely eradicate the sheep population. Finding this task virtually impossible (even God couldn’t figure out where they all came from) he began the much more attainable goal of converting the entire country to Christianity.

After pretty much pulling off his goal, Patricius died in on March 17, 461 at the age of 76. Which in those days was pretty damn old. And even though he was never canonized by a pope, he is still recognized to this day for his holy works.

PADDY FACTS You might have heard that St. Patrick was responsible for driving out all the snakes from Ireland. Truth is, there is no evidence that snakes lived in Ireland.

EVER. The climate is too cold for them to thrive. It’s believed that the term “snakes” is a figurative term for pagan religious beliefs and practices. If you don’t see the irony in celebrating a man who rid Ireland of pagan practices by getting black out drunk, you’ve probably already started celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

Sit down for this one. St. Patrick’s day was traditionally a DRY holiday. Between 1903 and 1970 it was a strictly religious holiday for the entire country of Ireland.

This meant pubs were closed for the day. Today, roughly $245 million is spent on beer for March 17th. There’s a lot of catching up to do people.

Largest St. Patrick’s Day parade is in New York City. With and average of 150,000 participants each year.

The first time the Chicago River was famously dyed green, in 1961, they used 100 lbs. of green vegetable dye. That doesn’t sound too outlandish. Right? I mean, you have to use damn near an entire bottle of food coloring if you want your Easter eggs to be anything other than a light pastel color. But they didn’t know how much they really needed back then so they just dumped a bunch of color in there an hopped for the best. The river was green for a full week. These days they use 25 lbs. and it stays green for a few hours. We don’t know what the big deal is. Cibolo Creek is green 365 days a year. Unless someone forgets to turn the spigot back on.

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Apparently, the odds of finding a four-leaf clover are 1 in 10,000. Which means there should be roughly 50,000 of them in my back yard alone.

Green beer. It was tradition in days of yore to drop a clover in one’s beer and shotgun the whole freaking thing. Clover and all. Then in 1914, during a celebration in New York City, a doctor, coroner physician actually, named Dr. Curtin presented the revelers with a bright, vibrant green beer. When asked how he did it, the response was the addition of a product called Wash Blue. At the time the product was a blue dye used to color fabrics/textiles. Probably not the smartest thing to be tossing back in excess. But hey, those were simpler times. Toxic chemicals be dammed. If you’re wondering why blue, think back to kindergarten art class. Beer is yellow. Yellow + blue = GREEN. Just remember, don’t use commercial fabric dye, and one or two drops can go a long way.

Drink up me lads and lasses.

First ever St. Patrick’s day parade was held in Boston on March 18, 1737. Almost 40 years before the United States was even the United States. Ireland didn’t jump on the bandwagon until 1931 with their own parade. What can we say?

America loves it some parades.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

OLD TIMER

OLD TIMER Because I’m smarter than all of you, I have decided to become the town’s new City Planner. Which makes me wonder, does Boerne even HAVE a City Planner? If so, what does that person do all day? Anyway, because I fail to see much “planning” going on with the current layout nor future plans for our great ‘burg, I have taken it upon myself to fix a few problems in town and to lay out my vision for how things SHOULD look around here. All suggestions are pending voter-approval.

Just kidding – I don’t really care what you think anyway.

Legal stuff blah

blah blah blah

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

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MASTER PLANNER

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OLD TIMER

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BOERNE, TEXAS

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FOR

THE BETTER BOERNE

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LAND PLAN - ONLY OPTION

OLD TIMER MASTER PLANNER

March 2016

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