A country full of experts

After Marge and I were married back in 1972, we started to work for the Wilsons southwest of Arthur, Nebraska.

We worked there for several years before moving to Arthur, Nebraska, where I worked for Ted Frye, a friend and neighbor.

Ted did all phases of construction, from digging the basement, pouring the concrete, laying the block and brick and stone to roofing the house. Ted also built all the cabinets and such.

Ted did it all. I worked for him for three years. We left Nebraska in 1979 and went to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to attend school.

It wasn't long before I met Dave Kirchner and Herb Whitehouse.

Both of them were professional painters. Both of them took it upon themselves to teach this country boy from Nebraska to paint, so my education began in earnest.

Both of them, and especially Dave, knew when I left Bartlesville to attend a school in Kentucky, I'd need side jobs to help make ends meet.

Herb's favorite way of painting was to prep the surface and then use a good Baker or Purdy brush and some good paint. Dave's favorite way was to prep the surface and then break out the spray rig.

I enjoyed both ways, but especially using a good brush. I loved to paint with a good hair brush and oil-based paints. I've sprayed some, but never was really good at it.

Was I an expert? No way! I knew more than the average guy, but I couldn't hold a candle to guys like Herb or Dave.

For several years I'd paint all summer using oil-based paints and latex. One of the most difficult painting jobs I ever did was to paint a circular stairway. It had a black metal handrail with white shag carpet. I was using oil-based paints, so there was no room for mistakes. But when it came down to it, I wasn't an expert.

Today I write a gardening, fishing and general comment article. But I'm not an expert. I have a general knowledge of gardening and fishing and construction, but not an in-depth knowledge. I may know a little more about gardening than the common gardener, but not a whole lot more.

I do like to read and study and explore new ways, and I'm not afraid to share my new discoveries. I may be wrong -- and frequently am -- but part of learning is to learn from our failures.

Today, with the advent of Facebook and emails and all the rest, we have a world of experts. It seems like everyone knows everything about everything. One that I take notice of is regarding canning produce. I have seen and read lots of recipes regarding how to can produce, which were really unsafe according to general safe canning knowledge. But these unsafe methods are put on Facebook as if they are reliable and safe. They aren't.

I can have an opinion yet not come across, hopefully, as an expert spouting knowledge. I have an opinion as to who would be the best president or who would seem to be the best president. But even then, what they do as president will be different from what they are spouting right now. I have an opinion about the police officers who serve and protect us.

But at the same time, a number of us, including Lloyd Young, took an in-house course of study at the police department here in Scott City. It was for the required 120 hours of study. Chief Dave Beck oversaw the program, which culminated in a number of us becoming reserve police officers. Lloyd Young and I were two of the reserve Scott City Police officers.

Am I an expert? No way. I know a little more than the average Joe on the street, but not much more.

As a boy in Nebraska, I grew up fishing. Dad and Grandpa fished for bullheads, bluegill, crappie, bass, walleyes, white bass, northerns and the list goes on and on. I started fly fishing when I was probably 6 or 7 or 8 years old or so.

I broke a lot of the old split bamboo fly rods and caught a lot of fish. When we were in Oklahoma, I took a fly-tying course offered by Green Country Fly Fishers in Bartlesville. I learned how to tie flies and then fish with a fly rod.

I built my favorite fly rod while working at a horse farm on the east edge of Lexington, Kentucky.

Am I an expert? I don't look at myself as one, but when it comes to fly fishing, I can speak from experience, which is the definition of an expert.

We all have opinions and we should be free to express our opinions, but we need to be careful to not cross that bridge from it being an opinion to expert advice.

Every listening ear can become a counselor. All of us need someone to just listen to us. But when we open our mouths and offer advice, we almost assume the role of a trained counselor. That's not good.

Years ago someone told me that when you point your pointer finger at someone or something about whatever, there are three fingers pointing back at yourself.

Just my two cents' worth.

Until next time.