Old Shotgun Shells
HOW MANY SAVVY EXPERTS DO YOU KNOW?
I was writing a scene in one of my novels and I had a question about shotguns. I wanted a lady in my story to pick up an old, first series Model 12 shotgun. But I wasn’t sure if modern shells would work in that model. That’s when I called my buddy, Jim. He’s an antique gun dealer. Sure enough, he knew the answer. Old Jim has plenty of gun savvy about things like that.
I Like That Word
You know, I like that word savvy. Picked up from the Spanish, it’s always been a cowboy phrase for knowledge or understanding. Oh, nowadays folks all over the country use it, but it’s never as colorful as it was out on the frontier.
I heard Jake Miller called a man with a lot of all-around savvy. “Shoot,” an old timer proclaimed, “that Jake is smarter than a bunkhouse rat. Why, he’s as wise as a tree full of hoot owls. He has more general information than a mail order catalog.”
Australian Owl
Both Savvy and Ignorant
What always gets me is how a man can have so much savvy in one area of life and be so foolish in other areas.
I just read about a brilliant brain surgeon getting his third divorce. Then there’s a math professor in a neighboring state who’s being tried for molesting a 9-year-old girl. And there’s a local guy who’s a genius at building aluminum welded jet boats, but he drowned after a boat accident. He was drunk at the time.
Who Is Wisest?
All the above had some savvy, alright. But not enough in the areas that really matter.
The Bible says, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom” (James 3:13).
And what does that kind of wisdom look like?
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).
Stephen Bly with his friend, Jim Grueter
Everyone An Expert
My buddy, Jim, is an expert at antique guns. Chances are every one of us is an expert at something. But if we flunk on spiritual wisdom, our knowledge is of little more than trivial value. For all purposes, we no savvy nada.
~~ Stephen Bly
Circa 1996
Shotgun Shells Image by Trevor M from Pixabay
Australian Owl Image by gholmz0 from Pixabay
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WESTERN WISDOM “My Savvy Buddy” audio podcast by award-winning western author Stephen Bly. Sponsored by BlyBooks.com Legacy Series.
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He hit the nail on the head with this one! (And I love having Jim mentioned in it, too!)