Listening to Elks????

A Dollar’s Worth

By Alisa Dollar

I have a friend who is going to Wyoming this week. Anyone want to guess why?

I thought rodeo, but she doesn’t seem the rodeo type.

I thought maybe her husband was from there and they were visiting family. Nope, diehard Texas boy A&M vet.

When she told me she was going to listen to elks I was flabbergasted.

“Kay, they shoot elks don’t they?” was the question I posed to myself. Keep in mind we are personal messaging on Facebook.

Instead I told her she was the most eclectic friend I had. Seriously, who else has friends that drive to Wyoming to get up early and listen to elks? I didn’t know elks made noises personally.

She replies elks at dawn (that left me out right there) have a haunting musical sound and in Canada it was eerie and primal and magical.

I accept her elk sound knowledge because the only elks I’ve seen are in books, on TV, in movies, and on a plate. They make no noise.

“Are you saying I’m a weirdo?” she asks.

I said no and reminded her she implied the same of what I read and watch on TV and movies.

“Oh, yeah, well there’s that.”

I know Facebook isn’t for everyone. I joined first because one of our students decided I needed to. Now I keep up with my kids and families, my sisters and their families, and many friends.

I didn’t realize how many people I know from writing, places we’ve lived, and from my hometown would pop up asking to be “friends”.

One of these was Kay.

She was a freshman when I was a senior at Luling High School.

Unfortunately, Kay remembers me in a different way than I remember me. It seems I may have been the bus entertainer on basketball out-of-town games.

Whatever, I have loved us getting to know each other as adults. I use the word adults lightly. I even typed it lightly.

The reason?  When I visit with Kay whether on Facebook, phone or text message, I’m immediately transported to a time when life was easy with no responsibilities except make good grades, go to church, and not get caught by parents doing something we weren’t supposed to do.

Wait.  That was me not Kay.

At least that’s what she claims. I just wish I didn’t believe her.

Friends and family regardless of how we connect are our hearts.