Photos from a Bob night a few years ago....





Well I guess this is when I am going to tell my story of the day we said goodbye to Bob Childers.

This will never be the story that it could be, because I am so worn out from living it, that I don't know that I have the energy to properly tell it. The day started out with 2 hours sleep and a 2 hour ride to Ponca City. Jimmie rode with us and we got to the funeral home early to make sure we got inside. We were afraid so many people would show up that they couldn't contain them all in the home and we wanted to be sure and take part.

There were lots of nice photos of Bob around and it was nice to look back at the part of his life that I missed out on, let me tell you he was so handsome and full of life. Sigh...

I never did see Bob at the funeral... or a can of Bob, or a box of Bob or anything else.. the thing that really bothered me was I asked several people if they had seen Bob and no one had... my thought being, "Well, shouldn't he be here?"



The minister that presided over the service was awful. I don't care who hears it. He clearly didn't know bob, who he said was on a spiritual journey... looking for the awnser. Let me tell you, if anyone in the world is good with who they are and where they fit in... it was Bob Childers! He knew the awnser... hell, he may have even came up with a few on his own.. or been the awnser to a few himself! He wasn't searching for a spiritual truth, he already knew it!

The minister said album titles wrong "Nothing more neutral" (we gasped, nuetral? Did he say Neutral?.. somebody stop him!), he also said Bob wanted us to accept Jesus into our hearts and said we would never see him again if we didn't get saved (what?). He said Bob recorded 12 gospel albums too.... really? Like Sister Sarah said in a quiet moment rather loudly "I didn't know Bob wrote that many songs about Jesus"! To which Lee and I already sobbing while crying added laughter to the whole ordeal.... did you know you can loudly laugh and cry at the same time? To find humor in sadness? Trust me you can. At the end, the minister was trying to close and we just couldn't let that go on.. we poked and prodded Lee into going up and saying something, she had no plans, but did anyway, waving her arms wildly while walking up to the podium...interrupting the minister in his closing apologizing but saying "I just have to do this...I just have a few things to say"... and ended up making us laugh...she is my hero.. she saved the day. She and opened the door to other people doing the same, interrupting him time and time again. Sadly it was too short still, but at least Bob got some justice from this outrage... Spoken were some real words about the real man who walked among us gracing us with his kindness and beauty. Such insightful songs, such a beautiful man, quick wit and such grace. Love Love Love I have for him.

After about 40 of us went to eat at the mexican restaraunt/strip club which of course we know Bob would have approved of and ate some good food and drank lots of beer... the Binky records guy was there and some other noticable names from the old days... then we headed to Webbs World of Fun.. we figured it was the least we could do to say goodbye to Bob... we went and had a pickin in the back... drank some more beers.. sang Bob songs and cried.

It was the least we could do. Telling Bob stories, smoking and drinking out back, you know how it is at Webbs. It was a beautiful day.. a good day for all our friends to be together and talk about someone we love. I'm just sorry so many of you had to get back in the vans and roll on... but we will see you at the next Bob gathering... you know when it is.

Lets just try not to get the cops called this time... you know who you are.