Thick-Skinned

Tonight hubby told me that there's notice up on our community bulletin board that a nominating committee has been formed for our annual elections. If you have followed my blog, you know that there has been some dissension within our community. So this upcoming election ought to be interesting. I asked hubby, "What characteristics does a good board member need?"

His first reply was thick-skinned. Therefore, the picture of the buffalo. The buffalo certainly have a mass of fur that collects all kinds of matter and earthy material as the buffalo walks, lays and wallows in his territory. I think they are thick-skinned as the Indians used their hides to build their tee pees and it kept them warm and cool.

Hubby's second answer was, "They have to be able to listen to stupid requests." I think buffalo listen to that all the time. Here's an example. Buffalo are walking down the middle of the road (in Yellowstone Park) and you come upon them with your car. Buffaloes are big animals and take up most of the road, so it's difficult to drive around them as most of the park roads don't have much, if any shoulder. So at first the buffalo listen to our requests, "I want a picture." We humans take pictures, smile and cheer about our "good luck" in seeing a buffalo so close. The buffalo continues to slowly walk or he may even stop so that you can a great picture of his matted, grungy behind. Typical humans that we are, we grow weary very quickly with looking at a buffaloes behind or even his head, so we start inching our car forward. We think that will tell the buffalo to move along or even better, move over to the side of the road.

No such luck! Now, it's been 10 minutes and cars are piling up behind us. Someone way back in the line can't see the buffalo and starts honking their horn. Before you know it, there's no choice but to blow your horn too. To the buffalo that stupid noise is getting annoying. He approaches the car and before you can do anything, like back into the car behind you, the buffalo has put his horns into the car's grill and is proceeding to move his head up and down. Breaking pieces of the grill while he shakes his head, "Yes, I sure did hear your stupid request to move off of my road. Thanks for visiting."

That brings us to the third characteristic that hubby said the candidate has to have, "ability to be persuasive." After the buffalo gets off your car and turns around, he dumps his breakfast on the hood of your car. If that's not enough to persuade you to "get out of Dodge," I don't know what is?

On top of all these characteristics, Mr. Buffalo is kind of cute, isn't he? I think I'll let the nominating committee know that I nominate Mr. Buffalo for our board, what do you think?