Retired life in a small town

“Mom these green beans are delicious! I can see why ‘Papa’ got a purple ribbon for them at the Fair.” So spoke my great-grandson as he was eating freshly picked green beans from my garden this year. Wisdom from the mouth of babes; spoken by an eight-year-old!

I wrote this column on Saturday the 29th reliving an event from the past brought back a flood of memories. Both Grannie Annie and I grew up on nearby farms. A part of country life for a kid in those days was to help our moms attend to large gardens each summer. Kind of in that tradition, I too over the years have grown gardens raising vegetables for home use. Our moms canned the excess but Grannie drew the line on that one and sold her canning equipment when we moved off the farm.

Reflecting back it was a healthy life living and working on a farm. Our family subsisted in great part by eating those home-raised vegetables. Mom also had a big flock of chickens. Many mornings she’d catch a young roster, off would come his head then dipped in hot water the feathers would be wiped off. Washed and butchered we’d have fried chicken for noon dinner. The female chickens would be kept for layers and eggs sold would be what paid for the groceries that we didn’t raise. We also raised and milked a few cows and sold mild and or cream to help cover living expenses. Home-churned butter is the best.

This week I have picked at least a half bushel of green beans. Some of those we enjoyed ourselves but the majority we gave away to relatives and friends. From the bounty that I picked this morning, I was sitting in our kitchen snapping beans and casually watching afternoon TV. My mind wandered back over the years of growing up on a farm and the jobs expected of kids in that day and age. Pleasant memories as I enjoyed that life and it was a good preparation for a successful set of careers in a long productive life.

On TV, the main topic seemed to be the discussion of the ruckus caused by the release of a country and western music production called “Try That in a Small Town!” by C&W artist Jason Aldean. I being a long-time champion of our life here centered on a small town agreed with the side championing the sentiments of abiding by the law and treating others with respect. The more liberal faction could only see racism and white supremacist thinking as being the justification for the BLM and George Floyd riots that caused so much damage a few years ago.

Typically of modern music, I was unable to understand the lyrics sung with a mike touching his lips and all sorts of gyrating around! Modern music—ugh but I could read the objections of his detractors. Still, I have sympathy and understanding for those who live in small towns USA and don’t think much of rioting, shoplifting, and destroying property belonging to others. Yes I know. Get off welfare and go to work to earn your way!

This week marks 75 years since President Thruman signed a bill to desegregate the military. I am proud of how my Air Force seemed to be the branch that led that movement. It has made our country a better place to live.

That is how I saw it.

Dick Trail