"Barb"ed-wire

Corrals, fences, plats, and cattle ranches, are laid out, ordered, and made more efficient, by posts strung together by Barbed wire, running to and fro. The first wire fences deployed in America only used one strand of wire, strung post to post, to define a specific space which was often broken-down by the weight of cattle pressing against it. Before Barbed wire, the lack of effective fencing limited farming and ranching practices throughout the land, and limited the number of people who could safely and comfortably settle down in any particular area; whereas, with the invention, addition, and application of the twisted metal strands with Barbs all about, the West was won and was changed from a vast and undefined expanse of prairies and grasslands, into useful and productive grounds for farming, ranching, grazing, and community development. The sturdy Barbed-wire also gave birds, to include the Western Meadowlark, which is the MONTANA State bird, new, safe, and secure grounds, from which to perch upon, observe, and sing a new song from. It was in November of 1868, that the U.S. Patent office first granted the rights to the Barb on a wire; it went to Michael Kelly, and then later to Joseph Glidden in November of 1874; who further defined the Barb and helped to shape the emerging market and prickly history of the twisted wire with many Barbs!!

When we come into contact with Barbed-wire, we quickly learn that it can easily snag a piece of clothing, put a hole in a pant leg, bring forth red blood from one’s skin, and entangle a disposition. Now then, today there is a whole new and different sharp little-Barb on a wire that stretches from post to post, sings her own tune, talks on the phone, rounds people up, brings them together, and sets them free, to live a more active and productive Life.  Barb is her name, therapy is her game, kindness is her way, and she reminds me of  a little-bird who tweets all through the day, wants nothing more from those that she serves than for peace, love, safety, and humanity; this little bird sits on a wire in the Physical Therapy office at one of the finest of hospitals in all of Great Falls, MT; picking and pecking on her computer keyboard, calling out orders, and flying down the hallways to meet, greet, and make better her patients found there. Barb is more than a bird, she is my boss, my colleague, and my co-laborer, in the effort and affront to confront the ill effects of weakness, dread, drear, and disease, found in the confines of healthcare settings nearly everywhere today. When little-bird Barb is on the wire, in the neighborhood, ruffling some feathers, and singing out her precious melody, you know that you are in good hands; you can safely sit back, relax, follow directions, move a little, take a deep breath, look up, and then all of the sudden, you realize that your pant-leg is freed-up, your disposition lightened, you feel stronger, more inspired, and you find that you can help yourself to do things that were out of reach, just two minutes before.

Tweet tweet tweet. .  .