Sam\'s monologue in Cowboy English -- from The Last Picture Show

 
(1971)


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just come out here to get a little scenery. Too pretty a day to spend in town. You wouldn't believe how this country's changed. First time I seen it, there wasn't a mesquite tree on it. Or a prickly pear neither. I used to own this land, you know. First time I watered a horse at this tank... ...was more than 40 years ago. I reckon the reason I drag you out here is... ...l'm as sentimental as the next fellow when it comes to old times. Old times. I brought a young lady swimming out here once... ...more than 20 years ago. It was after my wife had lost her mind. And my boys was dead. Me and this young lady was pretty wild, I guess. In pretty deep. We used to come here on horseback and swim without no bathing suits. One day she wanted to swim the horses across this tank. Kind of a crazy thing to do, but we done it anyway. She bet me a silver dollar she could beat me across. She did. This old horse I was riding didn't want to take the water. But she was always looking for something to do like that. Something wild. I bet she's still got that silver dollar. Whatever happened to her? She growed up. She was just a girl then, really. Let me help you with that. Why didn't you ever marry her after your wife died? She was already married. Her and her husband was young and miserable with one another... ...like so many young married folks are. I thought they'd change with some age... ...but it didn't turn out that way....but it didn't turn out that way. - Is being married always so miserable? - Not really. About 80% percent of the time, I guess. We ought to go to a real fishing tank next year. It don't do to think about things like that too much. If she was here, I'd probably be just as crazy now... ...as I was then in about five minutes. Ain't that ridiculous? No, it ain't really. Being crazy about a woman like her is always the right thing to do. Being a decrepit old bag of bones, that's what's ridiculous. Getting old.