As you noticed on the date of the above letter to U. S. Congressman Rep. Pat Williams the pre-
vious letters and the following letters that I was working with these very importnat men in and
from and while I was traveling back and forth with my daughter and to see and be with my
daughter...Desiree Sophie Lynn "Little Waterfall" Standley.  During this time period I not
only sent him updates on my materials, but I sent him the idea that I had been working on to have
the United Nations come into the United States and help United States homeless and runaways
through some of their programs that applied to refugees around the world.  I was discovering that
we had more homeless and runaway children than many war torn countries had in total refugees.
The letter below is a response.  For years following I stayed in touch with Rep. Williams and his
office and would always try to make sure he had my updates on research.  Because of his position
in Washington I knew that if he was moved...he could move others that could help change and
help these kids that I have not been able to get off of my mind for over 3 decades.

---

The State of Texas
Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Sept 28, 1983

Benford, I thought you might be interested in this.  I hope you are doing well.

Sincerely,
Sam Gorena

Sam sent me the following letter from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.  I had been working
and doing all my calls and visits to the Capitol to get some legislation moving for runaway kids
in Texas.  With the letter from the Lieutenant Governor was article out of paper:

House Committee To Studio Problem Of Runaway Children.

AUSTIN--The problem on runaway children will be studied this year by the Child Abuse and
Poronography committee, chairman Rep Doyle Willis of Fort Worth said Friday.

---

I was very proud to get this letter up in Montana, because I new that the resolution that I had
written and the work I had been doing in Texas was going again to give some help to these many
thousands of kids that were in a despirate need.  As a man of letters and research, I always felt
that in words I was making some changes in the way that important people looked at the needs
and problems that children were facing.

During these times I was giving everybody a copy of SOME RAN EAST...SOME RAN WEST.
I did not have to say much...the words told all.  And it could not be denied.

As I had mentioned  I had brought Michael Martin Murphey up to do a show in Missoula, which
was a benefit for Friends to Youth, a Missoula based program for runaway kids.  I had spent
a good bit of time trying to also get involved in the local scene.  Michael was a old friend and had worked
with him on several projects.  Long story short...back in the early days of 1973, I had worked close
with the Governor of Texas and several departments regarding children and youth.  I had been involved
in the setting up of PEACE OF MIND, now known as The Runaway Hotline, which is a dile-800
number that was set up to help runaways and has been run out of the Governor's office for all these
passing years and has helped many many thousands of runaway children across the Nation.  I am
proud of my involvement and that years later I still have the chance to work with the organization.

Anyhow,  later in 1984, after I would leave Missoula, because of divorce and not being able to make
a living there and having to ride the ole Zoola roller coaster...I did the introduction and work to have
Michael Martin Murphey become the National Chairperson and work with the Governor of Texas's
office and represent Runaways around the country.

Here is a flyer of a show I did in Austin, Texas after I left Montana and inbetween my
travels back and fourth from Texas to Montana...Most of late 1983 through 1984, I cut a
beyond "Lonesome Dove-Butch Cassady and the Sundance Trail between Texas and
Montana.  I would not let it go over 45 days that I would be with my daughter Desiree.

In what may be some of the best momements in my life, Desiree's Mother would let me
take Desiree to Texas with me and sometimes be gone for two months.  I know Dez went
through some sad withdrawal being away from her mom, but I gave her 100% of my time
and not one time would I leave her little two year old side, leave her with baby-sitter...
nothing!  She was with me all the time.  Most of the time we would be traveling in a van
or camper.  We were going to Willie Nelson shows, camping in National Parks and she
was on the road to becoming the very interesting little girl that she is right now.

For the next couple of year, I would spend my life in Austin, Texas and Missoula, Mt.
where I could be a dad and let me daughter know me during these growing years.  I did
not have this chance with my dad, her mom had come from a divorced family, and I did
not get to raise my son, so I had no matter, what be with this great little girl.  I would
make sure that it would never let 45 to 60 days go by that I did not get back to her, or
just go up to Montana and pick her up and head back to Texas with her.  Sometimes
I would stay in Montana a few months and be her dad there.   In some ways these were
some of the best times of my life, when Dez and I had our travels and times together.
And which we would continue until she had to start the first grade.

I think back on her birth and how fast her mom went back to work, and because of the
producing work that I was doing I got to be with her day and night...I guess for the first
two years of her life she sure saw a lot of ole dad looking down at her being silly and
talking like some kind of happy fool.  Rough year on the ole financial time, but the fact
that I was doing her diapers, feeding her, taking care of her all day while her mom worked
and all the quality time that I got to be with her in those infant years will stay in my
memory for ever.  I feel the closeness even now...as she becomes a young woman.
 
 

© 2001 Benford E. Standley
All Rights Reserved.