Buddy Treadwell, A Good Man Gone Too Early.

It seems that lately I have written way too many things about people who have passed on. It just seems like we have lost a lot of people in the last several months and I guess that is just kinda how I mark the passing of people who have had an impact on myself as well as others by the way they lived their lives or what they did to make their mark. I have always been in awe of people who did whatever they did well. I have always been a little disappointed that what I seem to be skilled at is politics. I guess it is hard for me to picture politics as a noble profession. I wish what I was good at wasn’t so intangible. I have always had a great deal of respect for guys that took their living to the next level and were respected far and wide for their skills and abilities. Buddy Treadwell was such a person.

Buddy left this earth at the age of 57 which by today’s standards, is much too young. But, he packed a lot of life into his 57 years. Buddy was a farmer and rancher and was really good at it. He had a knack for the cattle business and a work ethic second to none. I delivered his eulogy a week ago Wednesday and did everything in my power to try to capture the essence of who he was. Buddy lived everyday to its fullest. Not only was he a good cattleman but he was also a musician, songwriter and a very good Christian who truly loved and cared for his family with all that he had. His family and their future was extremely important and I believe one of the reasons that he worked so hard. Buddy was an advocate for agriculture and worked extremely hard on issues that affected not only local and state agriculture, but also on national issues as well. He was a deep thinker and was certainly not selfish with his energies and helped many ag producers deal with government and the bureaucracy that can sometimes derail your operation.

It is extremely hard to lose a friend, a husband, a father and a grandfather especially when it does not seem like the timing was normal and natural, as was the case with Buddy. But, that is where our faith has to kick in and where as difficult as it is, we have to know that God has a plan and that there are sometimes reasons we cannot see or understand. One reminder that it hammers home for me is how precious everyday of our lives can be because we have no guarantees on this earth. Maybe his life was to teach us to live ours more fully. Do not put off that family vacation and remember, as Buddy Treadwell always did, what really matters. As I said at the end of my eulogy at his memorial service, “the big pasture weeps for a good man today, may God rest your soul, my friend”.

If you would like to contact me while I am at the Capitol, please do not hesitate to call
1-800-522-8502 or send an e-mail to donarmes@okhouse.gov.

And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; But by the moments that take our breath away…..”