Steve Earle is a wise man, as described by the old owl

To The Daily Sun,

Paul Karanikas, a dear friend of long ago, well-known for managing the Goffstown Ghosts of New Hampshire’s once-thriving Tri-Mountain Baseball League, often found time from his passion of the ballfield and farmwork to dabble in amateur poetry. Recently, while rummaging through some of his works, I came upon one poem in particular I’d like to share entitled “The Owls” Here it is:

The young owl asked the old owl,

If one is a fool and does not know it,

What do you do with him?

The old owl said, “Shun him.”

The young owl asked the old owl,

If one is a fool and knows it,

What do you do with him?

The old owl said, “Teach him.”

The young owl asked the old owl,

If one is wise and does not know it,

What do you do with him?

The old owl said, “Awake him.”

The young owl asked the old owl,

If one is wise and knows it,

What do you do with him?

The old owl said, “Follow him.”

Over the years, I’ve read an array of Daily Sun letters, most of which could appropriately be linked to this poem. Verse #1: Some writers are indeed fools, don’t know it, and should be shunned. Verse #2: Some writers, such as myself, know we’re fools and would welcome more teaching. Verse #3: Yes, there are wise people of this community who don’t know it and would never give thought to writing to the Daily Sun. Folks that need awakening. Verse #4: There are wise writers that know their stuff and should be followed.

My favorite one to follow is Steve Earle. As it is with Tom Sowell (legendary economist and social theorist), Earle is strong and resolute in principle. He won’t accept fancy rhetoric or theories that sound good but fail the test of practicality. What has proven to work, or not work, from past legislative efforts is what keys his analysis. As I see it, he believes “caring of oneself” should be chosen by you, not imposed on you. In his letters to The Sun, he fights just causes and tries to tell us ignorance is expensive.

Earle doesn’t use words carelessly. He ignores inconsequential differences of opinion. It’s also easy to see he’s the kind of person in the everyday workplace that would be as friendly to the custodian as he would the chairman of the board.

If Steve Earle walked into Meredith’s Circle K, a favorite of mine for early morning coffee, I wouldn’t recognize him. I’ve never met or talked to Steve Earle. I just love how he writes and couldn’t help thinking of him when I read an old friend’s amateur poem.

Roland Jutras

Meredith