Before I finish out this month’s blog challenge, I’d like to take a few moments to talk about something to which most of us can relate.
When I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, my parents and grandparents taught us lessons. Some of those lessons came at the end of a parent’s arm, in the form of a solid hand landing on a padded behind. That was before the days when self-expression was encouraged and corporal punishment was banned as being barbaric and cruel.
I’m just making a point about the differences in society between then and now.
One of the big lessons taught in our household, and in many other homes as well, was that there were places in the world where people went hungry on a daily basis, and that we should be grateful for what was placed before us on the table.
I think everyone between the ages of 45 and 100 has echoing voices in your heads right now that testify to that piece of instruction.
My family was considered slightly poor by the standards of children raised in town, whose folks worked in a shop, for IBM, or the university. My dad was blue-collar, and we lived in the country. Those were big considerations back then, too. I didn’t know any of that until high school.
We didn’t go without food, clothing, shelter, fun, a good car, or the rest of the material things that “mattered.” Most of those living in the country had as many or, in come cases, more of their needs taken care of, than those in town, without our mothers having to work outside the home.
We knew we had it good. It was understood. We learned by example when Mom took the time and effort to feed those who came to the door and asked for food and something to drink. Hobos were common in those days.
Our country culture demanded that we provide sustenance to those in need. It never occurred to her to turn someone away without at least a meal and clean, cold water to drink. Usually she gave them iced tea and whatever was leftover from dinner the evening before.
All of which brings us back to the question of that hunger lesson. I know that there are thousands of children all over the U.S. who go to bed knowing real hunger. I was never one of them, thank God, but I’ve known my share of them over the years.
I got to thinking about that this afternoon, and the admonition drilled into children to this day at the dinner table. Children cannot relate to something they’ve never experienced or seen first-hand. Unless the child who lives in the well-kept house, with all the toys scattered unthinkingly throughout, actually sees the consequences of hunger, it’s impossible to get the lesson across.
I’m tempted to wager that the majority middle-class and upper-lower-class citizens have never known hunger in this country. They haven’t gone a few days without something to eat and decent water to drink. If they had experienced real hunger on a regular basis, I doubt it would not exist in the country for long.
The realization of this difference between my generation and those coming up blazed
I was on the road and weary, walking all the day.
Evening came with cold dark skies and I looked for some weeds within to lay.
No one had I seen to hitch a ride, the pain in my head grew and hunger deep inside.
I hauled up underneath a tree, amongst some savory weeds that looked ok to me.
To stem my hunger I grabbed a few, put water in my cup, a hunk of shoe and started my hobo stew.
As the sun was sinking my fire was warm and I was thinking.
This soup is mighty tasty with those funny weeds, why I should put more in, I’ll add some seeds.
Evening sun was yellow and almost dim when I heard “AHEM’ coming from a wee little fellow.
I jumped in surprise two feet high, he just stood there, backlit, his vehicle near by.
He said as I settled against the tree, ” you were looking tired and a ride I have for just a little fee “.
I stammered ” WWWhat might it be you could possibly want from me?
He smiled a funny crooked smile so wide with lips so thin and skin like desert dried hide.
“Why some of your tucker, I’ve come a long long way and I missed my supper.”
I looked at him and then my cup. I shoved over what was left and invited him to sup.
As he sipped like a gentleman of taste I watched for sign he might lay me to waste.
He did not though and only spoke of wondrous things while stuffing more weed into his poke.
He said to me it must be grand for you to have such food and all this land.
I said it was and looked around. No other living thing could be found.
He finished with a noisy slurp rubbed his round tummy and let out a burp.
The earth it shook and rumbled, the sound so strong in made me tumble.
I got back up as he laughed so loud it laid the grass so low it looked plowed.
He said ” Because you were so kind to share your fair, my ride and I will take you anywhere”
He spread his arms and looked to the skies, a twinkle in those deep purple eyes.
I asked if there was no limit, he said ” not for you my friend anywhere you wish and time can’t dim it.”
I pondered a bit . You don’t get a chance like this often so I searched my whit.
I looked out and pointed saying “Among those stars?”
He chuckled a little saying “yes I’ve been there but I’m not so sure take some care!”
I cried “YES YES out there’s the place, no more running this crazy race!”
We hugged shoulder to shoulder. He pointed the way and walked me over.
He stuffed me in a funny machine while he slipped to controls in between.
The engines fired with a shake, we bolted like the strike of a snake.
We flew through the universe his eye on his dial. I said I was tired and slept for a while.
When I awoke though it was with a bad omen you see for he had left me under that same old oak tree.
Now some say it’s wondrous and some say it was the weed but I say I slept soundly on old shoe and seed.
UPDATED! A reader reports that the Loftus Store shipped her one of the old (unabridged) books, and one of the new (abridged). If you order from these sources and you want the unabridged editions, be sure to request the versions with the illustrated (painted) covers. The photo covers are the abridged editions.
Alicia, aka Love2Learn Mom, has just returned from a trip to South Dakota. One stop on her route was De Smet, the town Charles and Caroline Ingalls settled in during By the Shores of Silver Lake. Alicia writes that she found
two gift shops that still had quite a few copies of the [unabridged] Little House
prequels available for sale (and were willing to ship telephone orders).
Here's the info in case you'd like to pass it along...
The Loftus Store
www.loftusstore.com
1-866-335-3271
Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society
1-800-880-3383
This one had at least five copies of most of the books
They have Caroline books as well as my Martha and Charlotte novels.
Alicia, aka Love2Learn Mom, has just returned from a trip to South Dakota. One stop on her route was De Smet, the town Charles and Caroline Ingalls settled in during By the Shores of Silver Lake. Alicia writes that she found
two gift shops that still had quite a few copies of the [unabridged] Little House
prequels available for sale (and were willing to ship telephone orders).
Here's the info in case you'd like to pass it along...
The Loftus Store
www.loftusstore.com
1-866-335-3271
Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society
1-800-880-3383
This one had at least five copies of most of the books
They have Caroline books as well as my Martha and Charlotte novels.
