Musings of a Simple Country Man
By Hobie Morris
(Brookfield, NY – March 2015) Recently this simple Brookfield country man and his beautiful wife Lois read some extremely powerful and meaningful words in Nelson Mandela’s book LONG WALK TO FREEDOM.
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his
skin, or his background or his religion. People must learn to
hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for
love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
The passing of our good friend Bobby Holmes and many wonderful remembrances of Bobby’s widespread and lasting legacy of love and colorblindness reminded me of the radiating ripples of a single pebble tossed into a pool of still water. On and on the circle of ripples goes, seemingly into infinity.
Several years ago Bobby’s brother Reggie asked me if I would talk at the annual Holmes family reunion to be held in Bridgewater. I consented and began a several month historical odyssey, where I carefully peeled away the generational layers of the Holmes family. Ultimately I found myself on a tidewater Virginia plantation where African slavery had existed for many generations. The ancestors of these 19th century slaves had been captured in Africa and sold into bondage in colonial America. One such slave on this plantation would eventually flee to freedom. One branch of his family would eventually come into central New York and become outstanding and contributory citizens. Bobby’s siblings’ father would become the first Black mayor in the history of New York State.
Nelson Mandela, who passed away in 2013 at age 95, was unquestionably one of the greatest men in our generation, maybe of any generation. Mandela was called by one writer a cross between Christ, Gandhi and Churchill. Bobby Holmes and Mandela looked startlingly alike and could have been in the distant past biologically related.
Both men epitomized the ultimate victory of love over hate, peace over war. Mandela was noted for his charm, respect and a disarming charisma. Bobby possessed similar traits. Both men conveyed a self-confidence and intelligence. A confidence in the value of their beliefs and life experiences that they believed would help others in their life’s journey. Mandela was the world’s greatest liberator. Some 40 million Black South Africans were ultimately freed from the deadly clutch of apartheid.
Bobby Holmes and Mandela made people around them better, more decent and kind. It was a privilege for this country man and his lovely wife to meet such a person as Bobby Holmes. A unique man who comes into one’s life all too rarely. Indeed, the ripples from his life will continue on into the pool of history.
Love indeed is a many splendored thing.
Hobie Morris is a Brookfield resident and simple country man.