My Truck

I like pickup trucks. I really like old pickup trucks. There is just something about them. They are practical. You can help your friends move. You can pull stumps. You can drive around in the mud. You can haul your campaign signs (correctly spelled) around. I had a great truck, a '94 F-150. It ran great. It was white, and had that silver band around the bottom and a chrome bedrail. I bought it from my cousin back in 2002 and it had over 100k miles on it, just barely broke in. When I got the call to go to Iraq in 2007 I passed it along to a friend of mine. It's still running and I get to see my old friend, and the fellow who drives her, every once in a while.

The truck I have now was a surprise. The family had bought it as a homecoming gift when I came back from Iraq in 2008. I don't know how all the grand kids and my wife kept it a secret all the way home from the airport in Memphis. When we pulled up to our house that night I thought my uncle was here. No, Uncle Steve wasn't here. "Well who's truck is that in the driveway?" I asked. Jade Ashlee, always direct and to the point said "Papa! That's your truck! We got it for you." Well, it's a beauty. Black this time. Full of little stuffed 'trunk monkeys', one for each grandchild. Big enough to carry the whole family. And it has all kinds of gadgets in it. I would have never picked out a truck like this for myself. I'm happy to roll down my own windows, and slide around on vinyl seats. But I do have to admit it is really nice to be able to change to 4-wheel drive without having to get out in the rain.

Yeah, there is something about a pickup. This truck is more than just a vehicle. It is a reminder to me every time I get in that I have a family that cares about me. I want to make a difference for my family, for your family. I'm Jim Hardin, I'm running for State Representative, District 81, and I'd be honored to have your vote.