I Made My Phone Calls...How About You?

I got an email alert from a concerned friend advising me that in my rage against BIG OIL & GAS I made a few blogging errors. I'm hoping I repaired those errors enough so that the message intended got across.

Last night I attempted to inform y'all that DISH needed some help from the CAVALRY. Do you remember what I said I was going to do today? That's right...you remember.

I phoned Mr. Patrick Nugent's office. I thought maybe I'd be too late because it was nearly 4:30PM and I had just returned with my son after acquiring his new driver's license. I hurriedly typed in the number, which resulted in a polite voice informing me that the number I had dialed was invalid.

What? Wow...I started thinking that possibly thousands of people had already called and Mr. Nugent had to disconnect his phone! Not quite, I had just punched in the wrong number. I tried again and on the third ring a frazzled man's voice answered and I could literally hear two or three other phones ringing in the background. Could it be that his phones haven't stopped ringing all day?

"Pipeline Association." "Hello, Mr. Nugent?" "Yes." "My name is Joely Trujillo and I live in Wink, Texas. I'm calling today to inform you that I support Mayor Tillman and am asking that you clean up your mess in DISH and please leave those people alone."

I'm not sure what other people have said when they've called or what the tone of their voice may have been, rather it suggested anger or not, but I must have taken Mr. Nugent by surprise, because he thanked me for calling and then he said, "Calvin Tillman is a good man." I agreed and added, "I wish Texas had more mayors like Mr. Tillman."

Heart beating fast, I then took a breath and dialed the next number to Ms. Romero. She didn't answer like Mr. Nugent, but instead another lady did telling me that Ms. Romero was in a meeting. I left a message with the lady giving her my name and phone number. She inquired as to what state I was calling from. I then figured I should beef up my Texas accent and resounded, "I'm calling from Texas, West Texas that is...the true heart of Oil & Gas country." (I love saying that, it makes me feel like I'm some kind of expert)

She gave a little giggle and said that she wasn't familiar with the 432 area code and just wanted to make sure. By this time I had my Texas Twang down pat, and laid it on really thick. I told her that DISH was lucky to have Mayor Tillman and that I wished the Oil & Gas industry would clean up that town and leave the people alone. I told her that I understand first hand the effects of drilling, that my little town of Wink is sinking and that soon we may have to start shutting down our county roads because they are unsafe.

I also told her that we're going to have a fundraiser in March for cancer victims and that participants were asked to create a poster which included the names of each family member that has succumbed to cancer. I told her that as the posters were brought, the sensation it created was one of despair as I saw for just a little town of 900, that the number of victims was staggering.

I explained that sometimes test results can be manipulated, that people who are supposed to protect you don't, and that votes are bought. I explained that there isn't a Calvin Tillman in every city and town, that he is a man of rare substance and a true elected official that is doing his duty.