A Knife in my Pocket.

The single thing I carry at almost all times is a pocket knife. I started carrying one when I worked around my Dad’s ranch because it was such a useful tool to have.

My first pocket knife wasn’t all that much. It had a tiny handle that had two knives that folded into it. It was given to me as a Christmas gift from my Grandpa. I was about ten.

Grandpa ran a store in Costilla, New Mexico. In it, he had this display case that had over two dozen different kind of knives in it. Most were simple folding knives. Some were what I later learned were Swiss Army knives with corkscrews, scissors, and screw drivers. The case was a source of endless fascination for us kids.

I had the knife well into college. I used it out in the field when feeding cows to cut the string on the bales. I used it to sharpen pencils. I used it as a screwdriver. And I used it to help loosen tight things. Then one day I was trying to pry something loose with it and snapped the blade.

So much for that knife.

I’ve had numerous pocketknives since. Some I still have and are tucked away in a drawer. Some have been damaged by years of use. All have a story.

My current knife is a Gerber folding blade. My son carried it in Iraq and Afghanistan. He gave it to me when he returned from his last deployment.

The stories that knife could tell!

It’s one of my most treasured possessions.