Cougar Jack's List

Today, April 20th, is Cougar Jack's birthday. Cougar Jack was Latigo Flint's occasional drinking buddy. I say was, because Cougar Jack died alone in a motel room outside Bakersfield a while ago.

Cougar Jack liked to keep a list of things that build character. Apparently he'd been keeping it for years. He called it, "Cougar Jack's List of Things That Build Character".

Cougar Jack left the list to Latigo Flint in his will. Latigo Flint reads it every day, but twice on April 20th.

The first item on Cougar Jack's List of Things That Build Character is: Go for twelve days without speaking.

Number two: Watch the woman you love marry another man without breaking down, even a little. Bonus character points if you can manage to grin.

#3: Listen to a child die.

#4: Drink under the table every last one of them smiling bastards who walks through that door for the span of exactly two years.

("Two" was crossed out and replaced with "three and a half". "Three and a half" was crossed out and replaced with "Goin' on fourteen". "Goin' on fourteen" was crossed out and replaced with "Reap it you laughing, ghostly dancers.")

There were only four items on Cougar Jack's list, but Latigo Flint reckons four is as good a number as any.