The Muse is Loose

It was in the early sixties and I was directing music in a revival at First Baptist, Uvalde, Texas. I drove by the home of John Nance Garner, former vice-president of the United States. I had been told I might get a glimpse of the old gentleman, now in his nineties. Sure enough he was sitting on the front porch. I parked my car and decided to see if I could shake his hand. He not only shook my hand , he invited me to sit down and visit with him. There was a nurse just inside the door but no one else. Just me and Cactus Jack. This Texas legend was born in a log cabin in Detroit, Texas. He was appointed a county judge at Uvalde. In 1893 he had to run for the job against Mariette Rheimer. He won over her and in 1895 won her over and married her! Garner was elected to Congress in 1903 and served thirty years. William Randolph Hearst pushed him to run for President on the Democratic ticket in 1932. He gave over his bloc of votes on the fourth ballot to Franklin D Roosevelt. He was then nominated for Vice-President. These two were elected in 1932. Garner fell out with FDR in 1936. He was recognized as the second most powerful man in Washington. Roosevelt was chosen by his party to run for an unprecedented third term and Cactus Jack packed up and headed for Texas. He said he would never go back to Washington and he didn't. He was seventy-two. He lived out his years at Uvalde.
What did we talk about that day? Well, it wasn't WE it was he! I don't remember anything that was said. I was pretty much speechless. At 5:30 he said, "Let's go inside and watch the news.". I had a meal engagement before church but I decided to go inside. In the old living room of that house were three televisions. The maid turned all three on and we watched the news from ABC CBS and NBC. He was commenting all the while. After a break I finally excused myself and left. As I walked to the car I was thinking. "Is this real? Did that really happen?" It really did. Next time we shake hands just remember you are shaking the hand that shook the hand that shook the hand of most of the great men of the twientieth century. No autographs, please!