5.25.2013

Words from Rob Ford



Hangin’ with Mason was like takin’ down a shot of good tequila. It burns goin down, it wakes you up, it makes you cowboy up, it gives you a killer buzz and ready or not here’s another shot.

I always felt like I was seeing stars when I was in Mason’s presence, like I was standing on my head on some crazy mountain peak, seeing the world upside down. He was a mad one, one who I came to Montana to meet. He told me one night around a bonfire after the bars closed in Bigfork on a warm summer night in July that we were going to run up to Aeneas peak because it was a full moon and it was the perfect thing to do. I just shambled after him up the steep switchbacks at 3 am in his old mountaineer boots which he insisted I keep, all the while he shouted at me that every day is an opportunity to get stronger and build endurance and stamina and “HOW YA DOIN BACK THERE BOB!!” When we stood at the top and just stared at the huge yellow moon for a long time, he didn’t say anything, just smiled at me and nodded.

Rumblin down the Jewel Basin road in Big Red, he shouted over the engine noise that I need to quit my obsolete job of teaching English at the high school and join him in making some real money doing a real trade, that he would teach me everything he knows and we’ll go on mountain expeditions. “IT’S TIME TO STOP LYING TO YOURSELF BOB AND START LIVING!!” I just stared at this mountain man lunatic and all of the dust of the earth in his red truck, his calloused rock climbing hands, one steering the wheel, one handing me a cold Kokanee and I started seeing stars. All I could think then and still today was “He’s right, he’s right, he’s right – ahhhhhhh” But Mason was a one-of-a-kind and I knew I could not keep up with him.

For me he was one of the mad ones that Jack Kerouac wrote about, one who I would chase after because he was interesting as hell, one who was made to live, mad to talk, desirous of everything at the same time, one who never yawns or says a commonplace thing, but burns, burns, burns like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight and everybody goes ‘AWWWWWWWWW’ – that was Mason for me. 



I can hear his contagious laugh in my head right now and I only wish that I could have more time with such a talented free spirit. He had a truly unique and courageous philosophy of life that I feel blessed to have witnessed.

By the way Mason was quite a head-turner and indeed he turned my wife Ansley’s head. I should have been green with envy when she talked about handsome, handsome, handsome Mason and I think she saw stars. But I could not help but just nod my head vigorously and agree with her and cherish any opportunity to daydream about being with Mason Robison.

-Rob Ford

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