Ok, ok, ok. So, this month’s poem doesn’t specifically pertain to trucking. But the principal message in the poem certainly applies. I was sitting in church a few weeks ago, when a gentleman I had never met came in and sat down in the row in front of me. I immediately noticed a phrase printed in bold white letters, on the back of his black t-shirt. It read, “Hard times create strong men… Strong men create good times… Good times create weak men… And weak men create hard times.” That’s very interesting, I thought. And it stuck with me, so eventually, I looked it up on the Internet. What I found was that this phrase is credited to author G. Michael Hopf, in his novel titled “Those Who Remain,” which I have not read, nor did I research any further into it. I only wanted to see where this phrase came from. So, as this has been rolling around in my head for a while, and it’s had time to marinate in some lengthy windshield time, I decided to write a poem inspired by that phrase. It is my assertion that our society is currently in the transition from the 3rd to the 4th phase of the phrase. Our good times have created weaker men, and now we are staring down the road at some potentially hard times as a result. And I don’t necessarily mean to point the finger at men, only. The concept applies to the will and determination of both men and women. It’s somewhat humbling to think of all the hard work and determination that embodied the very souls of Americans not so long ago. They worked very hard for everything they had. And the family unit was honored and defended by both parents, and children generally respected their parents, and elders. These days we tend to see a breakdown of the family, and a severe lack of will to work hard for anything. People are quick to be offended, and slow to lend a hand, which makes us more divided, and thus, weaker as a society. Enter hard times. But the hard times don’t have a pre-determined lifespan. We are capable of mitigating hard times by simply strengthening our work and family values, and perhaps sharing that strength with others. I’ll hop off my soap box now, but I hope you enjoy the poem here this month, which calls for stronger men (and women)!
STRONGER MEN!
By Trevor Hardwick
When you think of them it makes you smile,
The folks who go the extra mile.
They don’t back down when times get rough,
They just get going when things gets tough.
Folks like that have thicker skin,
They roll their sleeves and face the wind.
No matter what hard times they’re in,
Hard times create stronger men.
I think about my childhood days,
The good times kept the bad away.
Men with purpose had more drive,
And fought to keep the dream alive.
Dads would hug their kids real tight,
And teach them to defend what’s right.
It seemed like there was much less crime,
Cause strong men help create good times.
But let’s not lose our focus yet,
It’s too important to forget.
The good times are a sleeping pill,
Giving men more WANT, than WILL.
We WANT, and then expect to get,
But lack the WILL, to work for it.
So let me just say this, my friend,
Good times create weaker men.
Now look around at what we see,
Criminals are running free.
There are more folks riding on the cart,
Who flat refuse to do their part.
Men are getting thinner skin,
With no more will to work, or win.
As the state of our morale declines,
Weak men create harder times.
Stronger men shall soon rise up,
And that is how we’ll fill our cup.
While weaker men see no way out,
Strong men leave no room for doubt.
And hard times can be met two ways,
An Eastwood stare, or lethargic gaze.
But if hard times create stronger men,
Then the cycle shall, repeat again.
