BILL HOOKS CELEBRATION TRIBUTE TO TOM

MY FIRST CONTACT WITH TOM WAS WHEN HE WAS NEGOTIATING TO BRING THE GREAT RACE AND THE GREAT RACE HALL OF FAME TO GRANBURY. I WAS ON THE BOARD OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS A PART OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. JOHN HELSLEY AS PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER WAS DOING THE VERBAL NEGOTIATING WITH TOM. I CAN REMEMBER JOHN COMING INTO BOARD MEETINGS AND BEGGING – JUST GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS,

JOHN WOULD SAY. THE MAN IS DRIVING ME CRAZY, HE NEVER SLEEPS, HE CALLS ME AT 1,2,3: OCLOCK IN THE MORNING AND BEATS ME UP ONE SIDE AND DOWN THE OTHER, TELLS ME HOW STUPID I AM, HE’S TOUGH. WELL ULTIMATELY WE SAW IT TOM’S WAY AND HE AND SANDI MOVED HERE AND BROUGHT THE GREAT RACE.

THE FIRST TIME I MET TOM, AFTER ALL JOHN HAD SAID ABOUT HIM, I EXPECTED A BIG MEAN BEAR. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT HE WAS A BIG TEDDY BEAR.

I REMEMBER ONCE TOM WAS THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL. HE CAME DOWN TO TALK TO SHIRLEY AND I. WE TALKED A LITTLE, THEN SHIRLEY SAID; TOM, WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE ON CITY COUNCIL? YOU’RE USED TO GETTING THINGS DONE. POLITICS WOULD DRIVE YOU CRAZY. TOM THOUGHT ABOUT THAT A MINUTE, AND SAID, YEAH, WHAT WAS I THINKING.

SO, HE SAID WHAT I WILL DO IS START A PROGRAM ON CHANNEL 99,

AND DO POLITICAL COMMENTARRY, YEAH, SHIRLEY SAID AND WE’LL CALL IT “ THAT MAN SPEAKS” SO WE’VE CALLED HIM ‘THAT MAN’ EVER SINCE.

SOME HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED THAT THE SUBJECT OF THE LAST BIBLE STUDY WAS ON LOSS AND GRIEF. I DIDN’T ATTEND THAT LESSON, SO A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO I GOT IT OUT AND READ IT. THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THERE THAT TOUCHED ME GREATLY. I FELT IT WAS SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO ME, AND MAYBE A LOT OF US. I WOULD LIKE TO READ IT TO YOU:

Poem

THERE IS A COMMEDIANE OUT NOW GOING BY “LARRY THE CABLE GUY”

THAT HAS BECOME VERY POPULAR IN SOME CIRCLES, I HAVE ONLY HEARD HIM ONCE AND FOUND HIS MATERIAL A LITTLE OBJECTIONABLE, HOWEVER HE HAS A PHRASE THAT HE USES A LOT THAT I THINK DESCRIBES TOM’S PHILOSOPHY IN LIFE. JUST “ GIT R DONE “.