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I guess that we all know that as time goes by, things change and so we have to learn a new way of doing something. When we were small, it was the radio and the movie houses that we got our inside intertainment from, and as the years went by, we progressed into using a television along with the radio for our inside intertainment. That was and still is the main source of enjoyment for most of us. Of course we try to get out as much as possible, but after a hard day at the job, we only want to stay at home and rest while watching our favorite tv show or a sporting event. Such as been the case for many a year, but now there are more things to do with your time. I, in 1995, purchased a computer and I embarked on a journey, that to this day has been very rewarding and has helped me learn a lot more about this world and the people in it.  Starting out with a computer is sort of scary, and it takes a lot of fortitude to stay with it.  As you start out going into the depths of knowledge, that are stored in that vast world of the computer age, you find that you are lost as to how to get out of that program and back to where you started. You want to give it up because you don't understand how it works and it is making you nervous. You finally get off it and you wonder how you were able to get off. You say to yourself that you are not going to work on it anymore. And it isn't long before you are right back there on that computer, trying to learn more about it. And that is the answer to all your thoughts. You must keep at it and be the master of it. Don't ever let a computer take you over. You have to controll it. So you ask yourself how you are going to be able to use that computer, to help you make it in this computer age. It is all basic, in that you learn as you go. That computer is no better than what you are. The Great Father gave all of us the greatest computer of all time and that is our brain. Your brain is only as good as the information that you put into it. The same thing goes with that piece of man-made equipment called a computer.   There is a wealth of knowledge, put in there by men and women who used their God-given brain to invent it. And you, the new user of that computer, will enter worlds that you never knew existed. I was very fortunate to have a grandaughter, who started me out on the right foot ,in learning about what makes that computer tick. And if it wasn't for the help of friends like Kent and Joe and Bill, who were always there to answer my questions, I don't think that I would of stayed with it. Every time I ran into a problem that I did not understand, I would write it down and then ask my three good friends how to do it. That is the best way to do it. Ask for help, because there are many of us ,out there that are  learning a new age, and we need to use each other to master that man-made computer. As you get better, you enter into the search engines ,to get information about different things and people. That is a great way to find what you are looking for, but you really have to be careful on what words you use . As the search engines work to find what you need to know, they use keywords, to find those sites that want. If you use a certain word for the search engine to search with, you might come up with some sites,that you or your children do not want to enter. That is the bad side of using a computer. If you don't install a program, that does not let you enter the dirty sites, then you and your children will be very shocked, to see what is out there in sites put up by some of the worst kind of perverts around. The best thing to do here is to install a program, such as "Net Nanny" or any other program that will not let you enter these sites. And there are always those hackers out there, that want to send a virus through the e-mails ,so that it will spread until it has done a lot of damage to our computers. That is where you need a good anti-virus program installed on your computer. There are lots of them out there , but like they say, you get what you pay for. That is where you use the knowledge of a good friend, or one who knows about computers. That piece of man-made equipment costs a lot of money , and it can be an enjoyable purchase if you follow through on the advice of those, who know what they are talking about. But if it will only be a short fad for you, then I really don't think you should put out that hard earned money for it. I wiil say that it started out rough for me, when I first started using it, and now I put in about three hours a day on it, updating my web pages, and writing these articles for the Kokomo Tribune. It is a thing of enjoyment to sit down and work this computer, and make it do what I want it to do. So, if you are thinking about investing in a computer, take time to shop around, ask questions, and to ask yourself ,if this is really what you want to do. Check out the programs out there and if possible , talk to those who have been with it for many years. Knowledge was meant to be spread around, and there is a lot of it out there for you to gain ,and store in that God-given computer called your brain. Just remember, that as you use that man-made equipment, don't just let it sit  and get dusty. Treat it as another source of knowledge. And don't ever let it do your thinking for you. God gave us the way to learn and to store, and we need to constantly use our brain to reason with, and to learn with. If you don't use that gift that God gave us, it will gather dust and soon will not do you and me any good. I hope that you have enjoyed reading about what I think, and I want to say that you are the reason that I write. It gives me great  pleasure to be able to be part of your past, present and future. As to what I have been able to do with my knowledge of the computer, you can check it out on one of my web pages on the internet at http://www.geocities.com/kokomoman/  All of this was only reachable because of what God has given me . The most important of which is called my brain. Thanks for reading and God Bless each and everyone of you.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

As I write my articles for the Tribune, I get praise and sometimes some negative come-backs ,on what I stand for and what I believe in. But the thing that really gets me proud, is for them to ask me what I think about what is going on in this world. They are asking me, because they know that I speak from the heart and I speak the truth. That is really something to know that I, just another peon, can get someone to ask my thoughts. Well, here goes. One question asked by one of my former co-workers at Continental Steel  was;  did I think that we, the workers and supervision, who were there until the end, were robbed of our rights by one of  the biggest con men that this country has ever see. Yes, we were robbed. We were not only robbed, but we were raped of our civil rights too. We not only lost our jobs, but also our full pensions, our health insurance, and our life insurance. Because of this happening to one of the best group of men that I have ever known, we lost many men who, because they  lost everything they had, they ended their own lives. All this because of one hippe, who bought into our mill by secretly buying the stock at a high price, without using his own name. This same man had his hand spanked and now lives off that money down somewhere in Florida. And they say that crime does not pay. In the same sense, we who lost everything, were not through losing. The estate was mis-handeled by a judge, who wrote his own price tag, along with a group of international union lawyers, who wanted their share of the estate too. These lawyers were already on the payroll, but they wanted and got more. They even were the ones who decided to sell the union hall to another steel workers group, even though it belonged to the Kokomo steel workers who paid for it out of their own pockets through dues and the sweat of running it. The reason that I write about the mill is so thst it will not be forgotten, and also to keep everyone elert to the fact that this can happen to everyone who has put their entire lives into a supposely secure position and then get the old heave ho. We must keep alive that fact that nothing is for sure if you don't take it seiously...  If you wake up one morning and find that everything has been taken away from you, how would you react to it? How would you take care of the family that looks to you for support? Then ,to put another bad taste in my and the other workers mouths, we get a group coming in after the place went down ,and said it was not a safe place to work, because of the hazardous waste there. They said that the ground area was contaminated, and that the air was unsafe. That is pure garbage , because there were many men and women that put in many years there and they didn't die of cancer. One man had over sixty years there and he passed away of a natural death. Others had over  forty years there and they all went the natural way. My gosh, I had over thirty-one years there and I never had to wear a space suit in there. The dirt that that group had dug up, because they said that it had lead in it, was said to be soon put in the spot where the mill comes out. The small traces of lead found in those yards came from the paint that was put on those houses years ago when lead was a base for house paint. Then the group brings in a crew of their choosing that contracts to tear down the mill, and then wants to ask for another large amount of money, because they signed for too low of a price. Listen here folks, tell them to take down that mill for the original price as they agreed to or give back the money already paid to them and then ride them out on a rail. How long are we ,as the city of Kokomo, in the state of Indiana, in the United States of America, going to stand still for people and groups taking us for everything we have. If you remember the words of Krusheve, when he said that the American people would be taken down without a shot being fired, then you ought to also remember that we, as the greatest country in the world got that way, because we were not afraid to fight for our freedom. How many of our elected officials in the House and Senate, tried to keep the jobs in this country? Check out how many steelmills that are left. Check out how many big companies are moving their plants to the other countries. Do we, as the descendants of a group of men who built this country, really care about what is going on. This old man cares and it makes me sick to see it happen. They now will have to decide what to put in the place where that great mill was, and a grant is being sought to pay another group to come in and decide what would be the best thing to build there. Why do we need another outside group to come in and tell us what is good for us?There are many things that the ground could be used for, but I and many others would like for this city and the people who run it to just let someone build a memorial to all the workers and supervisors who worked there. It wouldn't have to be a big one, maybe a fifty foot section, about where the main gate was. As a matter of fact, the gate is in the possesion of the city and it would be a great part of that memorial. If you ask why there should be a memorial, than you should think back to all the factories that are no more here in Kokomo, and where they were located. Most will not remember, and that is why we think  that one for Continental Steel Corporation is needed. A landmark of what was the backbone of this great city, so that our youngsters will know where we worked. Not much being asked by those who were cheated out of their place in the sun. Now getting away from that , we come to another question asked me by one of the readers. He wanted to know what I thought about the decision made by our top officials to cut down on spending by disbanding most of our military forces. Well here goes on that; In the first place we aren't saving any money , because they are sending that money overseas to the other countries. They are trying to buy peace, and you know that most of that money that is sent away never gets to the people who really need it. What it is used for is to purchase arms by those who will turn those arms against us. And what better situation than what they did to the military. Weaken your resistance, and wait for them to take us over. We should of never cut down on military spending as much as they did. That really makes me mad. How did our people in Washington vote on that?  I am all for helping others, but we should help our own first. And yet another reader asked what I thought of the crime situation in the whole world? Well, you can't fight crime by just a spanking. There needs to be some drastic changes made in the way that we go about getting convictions. Don't let the criminal plead insanity, or let him or her rat on another, just to get a lessor sentence. Let's go back to the good old days ,when if you did wrong, you paid for it. Lets put stiffer penalities on those who would kill. Send them away for life or death. That life that was taken, was as precious as that one who lived. And to keep on that subject, let's stop allowing  kids to be able to have their parents arrested for disciplining him or her. We have let this child abuse go too far ,and now if you or I were to be said to have abused a child ,and was found innocent of that crime, we still would carry that stigma of a child beater. That really is not fair to anyone. And yet another question that is asked of me is; why do I write my articles for a local paper instead of trying to go nation-wide. Well the main reason I write, is because I enjoy doing it. And through my thoughts, I just might reach someone who needs to hear what I say. There are those out there, that need  to hear that someone cares, and my gosh I do care. If  I alone, though my writings ,can reach one child enough to turn him or her away from drugs, crime, or dis-respect of their elders, then I have done well. What I write is what I believe, and it comes from the heart. As far as my opinions are concerned, they are mine and not those of the paper that prints it. Evidently I must be reaching a lot of the readers as my mail and my phone is full of the praises, and I sure am proud of that. As long as the Kokomo Tribune allows me to express myself in a way that it helps others , then I will comntinue to write. As always, this came straight from the heart.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

There are times when you wonder how those old friends that you had in school, and the old neighborhood, are doing, and if they are well. I get to see quite a few of them each week in my line of work, and I get to talk with them about the old days. There is nothing like getting with an old friend and reliving those great times we had together. Back when we were young, a friend was like a brother or sister, because you were always close. Friends were like family back then, and if you needed anything, they were right there to help out any way they could. I was very fortunate to have buddies that to this day are best friends. Then there are times, when friends must part due to moving and relocating to another school. That can be very scary, because you wonder if you will see those old friends again. You wonder if the new friends will accept you and be close as were the old friends. Such was the case with this writer , who in 1953, moved from Kokomo to New London, and thus from Kokomo High School to Western, to finish out my high school career. I remember getting on the school bus, and moving to the first empty seat available. I sat there really nervous because I didn't know anyone there. Well, by the time that we reached the school, I had made several friends, one of which was the one sitting next to me, by the name of Kelsey. Going into that school with friends already, made the rest of that first day a real pleasant one. Once, in the first class, and introduced by the teacher, I found a group of the best people around. Everyone there helped make my first day a very easy one, and instead of being alone, I was accepted into their family of friends, and the scare was gone. To this day, I remember a great group of school-mates, who because of the way that they were raised to respect and help others, made this young man a member of their class. We had our forty-fifth class reunion on June 17th of this year, at the Bavarian Inn, and it was great to see and relive those days when Rock & Roll was really great , and you could understand the words and you could listen to the music without danger to your ears. The music of the middle fifties was pleasant and you could dance to it as well as sing along. Something about 1955 was magical, in that the songs of Nat King Cole, Elvis Pressley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Supremes, The Cole brothers , and many othere were about people and the things that happen to them, and were set to music in a way to soothe the mind and the soul. To remember too, in the fifties, were the many eating places, around Kokomo, in which although the same food was served, it was in a different taste. Right in town, there was the "Hills Snappy Service" where you could get the best tasting hamburgers, and the best limp fries anywhere. Then up to the "B&K" root bear stand north of Kokomo, or the "A&W" root bear stand on the south side, where the root bear and hotdogs were tummy filling. Don't forget about "Louie's Coney Island" right in downtown Kokomo. There were many more right in Kokomo's downtown area, but in those days you wanted to cruise all the ones outside the area. "Rock Around The Clock" in the north end, and "The Lighthouse" in the south end, were about the boundries that we would stay in, with "Vics", and "Crumes", on the east side, where the bypass is now. Markland Avenue was full of those great places too, with the "M&G", "Wolfcales", and "The Hobnob". I could go on all day with just great places to go in the fifties, but let's get back to my story. As we met for our forty-fifth class reunion, we went over the past, and how we came into the present.  It was very refreshing to see that all but six of us were still here on this earth, and that each one had made their life to their preference and that each was very satisfied with what they had achieved in life. As each gave a short story on their life, you could see the happiness in their eyes, commenting about their children and their spouses.  To hear that they had achieved what they wanted in life was refreshing to each of us. And each of us gave our thanks to one of the best teachers, principal, and friend, Mr. Richard R Rea, who helped mold us into good solid citizens. And so as we parted, and said our goodbyes, we look forward to our fifty year reunion, where once again we will live the past up to the present and hope for a future. As I said, when I first went to Western, I was the new kid on the block, but not for long, because I was taken into the arms of "The Class Of  55", and together our friendship has never swayed. They say that friends are a dime a dozzen, but mine are priceless. So if you have a class reunion coming up, make sure that you take time to go and relive those glorious school days, with friends that never go away. Oh, and about those friends that I had before changing schools, they are still there, and we see each other a lot. They will always be my childhood friends, who like me grew up with new friends, but have never forgot thier first friends. Life without a friend would be a very lonely one. I can say that I will never be alone. May God Bless each and every one of them.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

Before we go down memory lane this week, I would like to enter this thought that I try to use in any problem that I have. It works for me. The title is "The Great Physician". Welcome to the Great Physician's Office, who's hours are as you come. He's a specialist in all problems, and His day is never done. He can heal a heart that's broken, He can mend the spirit, too. No matter what your ailment is, He does have the cure for you. His fee for service never alters, He serves rich and poor as well. He's our one chance for salvation, He alone saves us from Hell. There's no fee for services rendered, all He asks is that we believe, that He bled and died to save us, and all His blessings we will receive. Do you have a special problem, that is troubling you this hour? Then just simply leave it with Him, because you can find no greater power. Don't delay in seeking treatment, Please, my friend, don't hesitate, For His office is soon closing, and He'll shut and lock the gate. I wouldn't want you to suffer, While the Doctor's so close by,your whole life will be much better, If my Physician you will try.. That poem's author is not known by me, but the thought that it lays upon me is ,that no matter what belief you have, He is there for you. I have been to the mountain top twice in my life, ready to see The Great Father, but sent back, not because He did not want me, but because He wants me to stay here on earth to do something more. I know that soon He will call me home, and I will not fear that trip. I am not a member of any church group, but my belief in God prevails. I have seen things that only a true believer would see, and I have experienced many things that keeps my beliefs alive. God has something for this old man to do , and I believe that passing my thoughts on to you ,is part of it. Being given a gift of putting my thoughts into actual words and then into print, so that all can read if they desire too, is a blessing to me. So ,as we go down memory lane today, I hope that what you read brings back thoughts of joy, and that it also makes your day an enjoyable one. If you are my age or older, then you probaly remember taking a bath in the large galvanize washtub, in the kitchen. Mom would heat the water on the big cook stove, and when hot ,she would empty it into the washtub, and then call each of us, one at a time, into her waiting arms, and inform us that it was time to clean up. As the water cooled, she would add more hot water , until each and all of her children were clean for that day. If you were any size at all, it was pretty hard to squat down in that tub, so most of the time, you were on your knees while you washed up. Now, according to what the weather was outside, sort of decided how much time you took to get the job done. If it was warm, you sort of took your time until mom would tell you to hurry up and get through. If it was very cold outside, then you didn't waste any time getting your bath and towelling off in front of the stove. Man, you still froze to death trying to towell off. And isn't it funny how you were cold on one side, and warm on the other? On the other days, we mostly took sponge baths, close to the heating stove, with our backs to each other. We were not to look at the others, while they were bathing, and mom would make sure of that. Of course, after we had our baths and had our clean chothes on, we would help mom clean up the tub and all the water we splashed around. Mom's day was never done as long as we were awake and even then , she didn't get much rest. How about all the games we played ,and how sometimes mom would join us in playing those games? Let's see, there was hide and go seek at dusk, hopscotch, butterscotch, doubledutch jacks, kickball, dodgeball, mother may I, hula hoops, running through the sprinkler, Catchin' lightening bugs in a jar, playin sling shot, climbing trees, cops and robbers, cowboys and indians. How about those pillow fights , or sitting on the porch. Sittin on the curb just talking. Jumpin down off what we thought was high. Crowding around in a circle around the 'after school fight', then running when the teacher came. Eating Kool-aid powder with sugar. Buying penny candy and getting it in a brown paper bag. Remember when going downtown, seemed like going somewhere. Remember when there were two types of sneakers for girls and boys . Remember waiting for the TV to warm up, which took about five minutes. Remember when just about everyone's mom was at home when her kids got there. And just about everyone had a dog or cat. How about when you got gas, you got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, for free, every time. And, you didn't pay for air. How about those soaps that had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box. And can you believe that there was a time when any parent could discipline thier child or use him to carry groceries, and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it. When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed and did! Remember when being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to what you got at home for being bad. Our parents and grandparents were able to lay down the law and enforce it, and they did just that. But you know, having a little fear of what our parents would do to us for being bad boys and girls was good for us, because we respected them and they were only trying to make us know right from wrong. Remember how after a good scolding or a good spanking, and you were about to run away from home, there was mom there to take care of a cut , or a bump on the head from playing so hard. She was there to take care of those mosquito bites , and she was there to sort of tickle you, making you laugh so hard, your stomach hurt. Those were the days, because mom and dad were there to protect you, and to take care of all your needs, and you thought it would never end. Sometimes, I think that we need to go back in time, when we had to pull together, and each of us had a chore to do each day, and we were expected to do right instead of wrong. We need to go back to a time, when you were really cold or hot according to what the weather was. Go back to a time, when the only way you cooled off ,was by running through a sprinkler, and the only way to get warm, was to huddle up by the coal stove . Could this generation do that? I don't know ,but it could happen one day, and would we survive? Do we have it too easy, or is that what mom and dad sacraficed their lives to , so that we could be enjoying what we have today? We take so much for granted these days. We expect to get something without working for it, and we have our hands out for gifts instead of just for friendship. We want protection, but we want to tear down the people who give that protection. We put fear into the minds of good people that God will punish them, instead of that God will only reach out for them. We want jobs, without working, and we want pay without jobs. We are a society of a mixture of people, who let the other countries dictate on what we wear, and what we buy. Was this what mom and dad wanted for us? Was this what those two people who were God's servants worked themselves to the bone for us to have? I am and was very fortunate to have two parents who prepared me and my brothers and sisters, to know that to get something, you had to work for it. They taught us to respect everyone, regardless of their race , creed, and way of life. When you go to sleep at night and know that you have pleased them, then you know that you did ok. Sit back each morning and reflect on what you have to do and then just do it. Don't put off what you can do today. Thank the Great Father for yet another day that you can do what you were taught to do by those wonderful two people that we call Mom And Dad. I hope that I have started your day off right and that you will finish that day with lots of joy, and that those who have since departed from this earth, will say "Well Done, My Child"

Ray Day

#30

It gives me great pride to know that what I write about, brings joy to the many readers of my column. I try to write from the heart, and I try to bring back the memories of the past and how the people in the old days, made it a whole lot easier for all of us here in the present. How we , who are here now, use the expeirence of our fore-fathers, will tell the story of our children's future. My columns have not only brought back some great memories, but also they have awakened the minds of the youngsters out there who are now asking thier parents and grandparents, if it really was that way as Uncle Ray says. In the last month, I have recieved e-mails and letters from old and young ,telling me to keep writing about what it was like for me and my brothers and sisters in the days gone by. Some have asked me if I ever thought of writing a book, and I must say that I do want to some day, before my time here on this earth expires, write a book about the life of my family and my friends . In that book, if it is ever written and published, it will only be the truth, and it will be written straight from the heart, and it will show respect for the elders and will tell of all the hardships, that all the Moms and Dads went through ,so that thier children could reap the fortunes of this present time. I can only hope that this old man will have enough time to complete that desire. And while I am on the subject, of what those great people did for us, I cannot leave out the fact that the Continental Steel Corporation was a big factor in ours and other families fullfillment of life, in that it was the backbone of this great city ,and it put food on our table and clothes on our backs. Just the other weekend , we had our employees reunion at Highland Park, not too far from the Steel Mill grounds, and the joy of being able to sit down with all my old buddies and co-workers, and talk about the great times we had while working at probaly the toughest jobs ever, and filling our stomachs with food that only a steelworkers wife can make, along with knowing that we have survived the lost of our jobs, insurance, and the lost of those who have sinced passed away, made our weekend one of happiness. To know and to remember, that it could happen to someone else, is what we can leave to those who follow. Keep your heads high and always be on the lookout for those who will try to take you down. Now to get off that subject, I was asked to explain what I do to keep joy in my heart, besides talking about the past. So I have decided to tell you about one of my favorite hobbies, which is making a garden each summer. Not only do I do it for fun, I do it for food also. This year I decided to sort of drift away from the usual way of starting my garden, which is just to rotate my plants in different spots each year and to go to raised beds. This is a new thing with me and so I started off very early in the year, preparing the soil, by tillering the ground as soon as the weather permitted, and building up the dirt each time by raking and shoveling it about twelve inches high. That left a lower space between the rows for the water to drain and also for extra moisture to accumalate . I spread fertilizer down each time that I tillered, and probaly after several weeks, the rows were about as high as I wanted them. I then went out and got several bales of straw and spread it on top of the mounds of soil, so that any hard rains would not wash the soil away. Also the straw would act as a moisture holder so that when it got real warm and no rain in sight, there was enough water for the plants to survive.  Soon it came time to plant, and I usually like to get my garden in by May 10th, so it was very easy to just take my hand down into the loose soil ,and place that small plant into the soil, so that soon I could witness the power of what our Lord gave us in the warmth of the sun and the shade of the clouds, as well as the rain coming from the Heavens, so that the little plant I place in His hands, would grow to supply me and my family with good food. And was I surprised this year, as we have been blessed with plenty of moisture, and to see those tomatoe plants go from six inches high to six feet high. The onions this year are doing great and the melons, cucumbers, and peppers, are doing great too. To be able to still go out each year and grow plants in my garden, gives me great pleasure, because it not only gives me food for my stomach, it also gives me food for my mind. It is my spot in the summer to just go out there and have that little talk with God. There is something out there that tells me that he wants to talk ,and he wants to listen to what I have to say. There is a feeling that nothing can defeat me ,because I have that little spot to go and meditate all by myself. I look forward to going out there each day, and just look up into the sky and say thanks to the Great Father for all that he has done for me. This has been a great year so far for that little patch of land in back of my home, that I call "My Garden For God." I hope that what I have brought to you in this column has made your day, because it sure has made mine. I hope that you continue to read and that you visit my web site at http://www.geocities.com/kokomoman/ to read all my other articles, so that you will be as happy as I am. May God Bless all of you.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

As I sometimes give you the history of the past, and of the way that we were raised, I sort of try to connect it with what is going on today. And the ones out there who read my words often ask me how I feel toward the situations of today's world. So here is my view of what has happened to our society , and how I, as one person would correct it. I guess that the thing that I will never understand, is the removal of prayer from the public schools. How a small group of people who want to undermind all that is good, was able to force that removal, really puzzles me. When I was a youngster, we had prayer in school, and there was no forcing of any of the children in my class, to follow along with the others in the prayer being recited. If there was a child of a different faith in the class, he or she was able to say thier own prayer , or if the child just did not want to participate, he or she was not forced to. Where, in any law, is there a valid reason to remove prayer from the schools? They want to say that there has to be a separation of church and state.. Who is really getting cheated by that thought. Religion is part of history and history is a subject in the schools. Then you really get me mad when they say that the posting of the "Ten Commandents" is unconstitutional. That is very stupid in my book. Once again, they use that thought of separation of church and state. And most of the time they use the group of lawyers who are comprised of new students of the law, who can still be twisted around to believing, that they are right in denying the rest of us, the public use of those great rules of life. In no place that this writer has seen, is there any real basis to the removal of "The Ten Commandents", from the schools, any public place, and any city, state, and federal office. My gosh folks, we have pictures of the Presidents of this great country on all these walls, and how did they get there and have remained there? The other day I heard that the great tv show "Touched By An Angel", could possibly be taken off the air because it uses the word "GOD" so many times. An organization has petition the Supreme Court to ban it from the airwaves. According to the group's leader it is wrong for the tv to carry such a show. This is the same group that helped take prayer out of our schools and now are trying to tear down the "Ten Commandments". Where is it all going to end, if we as Americans ,don't shut these groups down. Our fore-fathers made this nation with those very things in mind. The ones who want to take that heritage away from you and me, will pay for it someday, but while we are waiting for that to happen, they are slowly undermining all that is good with this country. And to stay with the tv thought, have you wondered why all the great shows are taken off? They will tell you that the public through polls have decided for you and me what shows we watch. How many times have you been asked, what shows are the best? What they do is to say that a group comprised of a selected number of people, representing you and me, were asked their preference and we have to go along with that. Add to that, is the polls taken by special interest groups, at election time. They will tell you that a certain person running for office, is leading by a wide count as the favorite, in order to get you and me to vote for thier choice. Have you ever noticed that the other one running, will concede early, thus making the late votes useless. I have witnessed the tv stations projecting who is the winner with only half the votes tallied up. They seem to always know how the rest of the nation will vote. That really puzzles me, and I think that it should do the same to you. And have you noticed what teams in sports are always being telecast , and which ones you never get to see. All done through a selective group of people, who have the resources to tell sponsers, who to sell to the general public. What this old man is trying to say, is that we are tired of the small groups out there, who have the power to tell us what we can watch, what we can believe in, what we can keep on our walls, and who we can pray to, and we are not going to take it anymore. What we, as a nation under GOD ,should do is to quit fighting amoung ourselves, and to ban together as one, to rid this great nation of those who would take us down, by taking the very things we believe in ,away from us. As for this one old man, I will continue to pray when I want, and where I want ,and I will continue to follow those "Ten Commandments" until the day that The Great Father calls me home. I hope that when you have finished reading this week's article, you too will want to say that "You are tired of all this and you are not going to take it anymore. And for those who think that maybe I stepped on some very tender toes, well I hope so. And for all those who follow my words each time they show up in this paper, I hope that you thank the Tribune for allowing me to sound off once in a while. I am not a bitter old man and I try to never pass judgement on anyone, but sometimes you need to smell a rose, to find out that it does have thorns. So do you, and you need to use them once in a while, to wake up someone. I am very proud to be an American, and I am very proud to be part of the human race which was designed by the greatest ARTIST of them all. Say thanks at night and when you wake up in the morning to that beautiful sight out there, say thanks again. Never let that loved one leave without saying you love them, and never say goodbye. Just say "See You Later" And as always I speak straight from the heart and May God Bless each and every one of you.
 

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

I recieved a telephone call the other day from a reader, who said that he is a reader of my column, and he asked me, if I thought that anyone cared about my life as it was and is. This really threw me, because I was not prepared to go one on one with anyone on the question of caring. He then came up with these words; I care, and I know that many others care about learning  what life in the old days was like. Man, I was sure happy to hear that. Well, this nice man, who was named Bill, said that he was thirty and that ever since he could remember, after an argument with his folks, they would end thier little discussion with the words;"If you lived back in my day, you would see things a lot different." He told me that he was so sick of hearing about the old days from his parents,  until he started reading my words. He said that he is contantly asking both of his parents about how it was when they were growing up, and they answer with some great stories. He said that before he started reading my column, he was against hearing about the past, because it was always after a fight between him and his parents. Now thier little talks between parents and son are very intertaining to him and to his son who now sits and listens to Grandma and Grandpa tell about how it was to live way back then. This young man and I finished up our little conversation with hope in both of our hearts that I have reached many more young people, with my views and thoughts, through this column that The Kokomo Tribune allows me to write for them to send out to thier subscribers. And so,  I am writing this one to tell all of you that someone out there cares about you and about me. As I go about my duties at the store, I see many of my friends, who stop by and ask me about my health, and how I am feeling that day. They are aware of  my situation ,and they cared enough to ask. As I go shopping, or just walking somewhere, someone will always say hello and ask how I am feeling. At sporting events, they too ask if I am doing ok. And at home, my wonderful wife and my daughter, as well as my brother who lives two houses over , are always asking me ,if I am alright and if I need help in getting my chores done. This is because they care . I get e-mails from friends all over the country and the first thing they write is ;"how are you doing?" This is because they care enough to ask. We think that sometimes we are alone, because we have lost that loved one through death or through a divorce, or even because they moved away. We think that no one cares, but folks you are wrong. There is always someone out there who cares, and maybe you won't hear them say it but you will see that they do in what they do for you. Caring for your fellow human beings is an automatic function, that was placed in your body by the GREAT FATHER, so that we as HIS children would always help one another in ways that are needed to show that we care. Here in Kokomo, we expierence each year at Christmas time, the caring of all, for those who need help, who otherwise would have to do without. It is not only those who give every year, but also those who give without any names, who just want to say that they care. Each year I am amazed at what this community does for all those organizations who try to make someone happy. Each year "We Care Park" gets more lights , because Mike and his family cares about Kokomo and it's citizens. They take up collections and all of it goes to We Care. All expenses for running that "We Care Park" comes out of the pockets of Mike and his brothers, as well as some of his friends. It is because they care. This year, we have gone through some rough times in certain parts of the city, due to unrest and the way that the Police  take care of it.  I , as a good friend of both the fine people in those areas and of many of our fine policemen, would like to see a better partnership between both. The fine men, who go out each day to do thier job ,need to hear that they are doing good. They don't need to be on the constant defence, that causes them to be less helpful in thier jobs. Those great men in those areas,  that are trying to make that area a better place for all, need to be commended for it. We need to clean out those who would want to constantly cause unrest  in this and all other areas in Kokomo. Send those trouble makers on both sides to other cities to cause trouble. I grew up in the north end and many of my old childhood friends are still up there trying to make that section of town a place that anyone would want to raise thier children in. It is because they care about Kokomo and they care about all people, regardless of race and religion. And I know that those great men and women who put thier lives on the line each day so that we as a whole, are safe, want to have a better partnership with all of the people here in Kokomo and Howard County. They are only doing the job that they are paid to do. Maybe I stepped on some toes with that statement, but I said it because I care about all of you. Take a few minutes of your time, and just think back to what those who came before us ,did to get this great city of Kokomo as the "CITY OF FIRSTS" Wouldn't it be great to be the city that came together , because they cared about trying to understand the other man. All it takes is to just care. Reach down into that heart of yours, and understand what that other person is saying. Tell him you understand ,and that you care enough to help him or her in any way you can. Let them know that you will always be there for them, when they need you.  Just ask and you will recieve. Remember out there, that Uncle Ray cares about you, and if I reach just one each time this column is written, than I am doing my job of caring. Take care of yourself and enrich your life with a bucket of cares. As always send me your comments to uncleray@writeme.com .

While sitting down watching the tube, I sort of started thinking about television when we first got our set.  It was in 1950, and at that time if I remember correctly, you only had one station and that was channel 6. There was just so much air time for watching, and when there wasn't any shows on, you had a test pattern sitting there ,letting you know that it was time to shut it off and get some sleep.

We had already been used to watching television, because the people in the next block had one for more than a year, and they would place it by an open window, and all of us kids would sit there in this neighbor's yard and watch great shows like Amos & Andy, Lum & Abner, and many more comedies. It was real nice of those folks to share thier tv with all the kids in that great neighborhood. Neighbors cared about each other back then and they shared thier goodies with everyone.

Getting back to our own television, Mom & Dad sort of returned that sharing with whoever wanted to watch a show. I remember that they would tell all of us, that television was a gift to us in return for making sure all of our chores were done before the television came on. Many times my friends would help us get them done so that we could all enjoy a couple hours of viewing.

As I said earlier, the shows that we had watched at the neighbors, were still running and we continued to watch them. You just never got tired of watching those two great comedies. Other great shows like the "Old Redhead" himself "Arthur Godfrey" was a winner from day 1. That show lasted for a long time. I believe that he lasted until the early seventies. Some great talent was on that show, such as Julius LaRosa, , Frank Parker, Marion Marlowe, Tony Marvin,  Haleloke, and The Mcguire Sisters, all great singers. Arthur would sometimes bless us with his talent on the ukelale. You could watch this show and only get good thoughts from it. It was a great family show.

How many remember The Garry Moore Show? That show had some great talent on it too. Durwood Kirby, Carol Burnette, and many others. At one time Jimmy Durante starred with Garry in a great comedy show. Jimmy was a great singer and had a heart of gold. Remember when Liberace would come on and master that piano, and sing us a tune? How about Ed Sullivan who was sort of a mainstay for many years with his show. A lot of great talent came through that show and went on to intertain us for years.

Joey Bishop with Regis Philbin as his announcer and cohart made an impression on me , in that here was a man of comedy who could sit with others and talk about serious topics. Johnny Carson and his Tonight Show success was because of an earlier show that came on at late night which was called The Jack Parr Show, which had Hugh Downs as the announcer. That show laid the groudwork for all the late night shows  that followed

Great situation shows like The Real McCoys, Abbot & Costello, Alan Young Show, Laurel & Hardy, Luigi with J. Carrol Naish, Make Room For Daddy, The Honeymooners,  Beulah with Ethel Waters, Burns & Allen, Bilko, all laid the foundation for situation shows today. There was a lot of shows that featured talent that had not been discovered yet. Ted Mack's Amateur Hour, Art Linkletter Show, were just a few of those who gave us new talent.

Action shows like Gunsmoke, Highway Patrol, Have Gun Will Travel, The Cisco Kid with Pancho, Dragnet, Bonanza, plus many others laid down that foundation for great family action shows for us to see.    Musical variety shows such as American Bandstand, .The Kate Smith Hour, The Perry Como Show, The Lawrence Welk Show, all were foundation shows.  Comedys such as Sid Ceasar & Imogene  Coca Show, Groucho Marx, Milton Berle, Ernie Kovacs, Lucy & Desi, Danny Kaye, Doris Day, Eve Arden Show, Fibber McGee & Molly, Jack Benny, and Jackie Gleason, all were there to make you laugh.
 

The kids had Captain Kangaro,,Howdy Doody Time, Dennis The Menace, and many other great shows that were there to intertain them as well as teach them. There was something for everyone in earlier television, and that founation that was laid by all of those great shows should of been here for ages, but slowly but surely a crack in that foundation appeared, made by those who wanted more. As that crack widened, more shows that featured cuss words, nakedness, and disrespect for the law of the land , sneaked in before our eyes, and the result of that can be seen each and every day on that screen in our homes. As that crack gets larger, more of us will fall into that hole , that is there to swallow us up with filth. Oh sure, we can turn the station, but it seems that all the channels have gone that route. You could spend all day just trying to find something that you and your children can watch together.
And one show that I will never watch is the one titled "Big Brother". I remember a few years ago, when there was talk of someday that Big Brother will be part of our lives ,and that everything that we do would be watched ,and if we stepped outside the rules, regardless of where we were, we would be punished.. Sort of a solid police state such as the Soviet block had before it finally fell. I won't allow anyone to take my American pride and my freedom away from me. You can watch that show if you wish, but I won't.

Where will it all end? If we ,as the viewer, and as those who are buying the products that are paying for those shows, cannot let those sponsers know that we will not buy thier products, unless they clean up thier act. then what do we do to fill up that crack in the foundation laid out by all those great people who gave us some great shows?  I personally don't watch tv too much anymore, but there are our children who do watch for many hours and what good are they getting out of it?

As most of you know, I don't try to talk anyone into my way of thought, nor do I try to discourage anyone in how to believe, how to vote, and how to live. I only try to live my life as I want to, and I only take life one day at a time. Life is precious to me, and I know that soon The Great Father will call me home. Until then I will, through this column, try to bring you joy with memories of the past, as long as The Tribune will print it. If you out there have any comments or suggestions as to what you, the reader, would like to see, or what you think about my writings, let The Tribune know about it.
Ray Day

Once again, as I start this column, I must say thanks to all those readers, who let me know that they like what they read from my articles. As long as I know, that they are out there waiting for the next one, I will have the stamina and the willpower to write another one. I really do get a lot of enjoyment ,from writing about the old days, and once in awhile, something about what is going on in the present.  Like I have stated many times, it was hard to make it in the old days, but everything that we have today, is a result of what we had to work hard for in the past. There is a great feeling of pleasure ,to know that without the proper training and the discipline from our parents and grandparents, we would not have the luxuries of today.

I get a lot of calls and e-mails with questions about myself and my brothers and sisters. Most of them are questions asking more, about how it was to live back then, and I really get a kick out of answering them. But sometimes, there are those who are just people who want to meddle in mine and my family's affairs.

 I recieved a call the other day, and although he would not give a name, I listened to some of the questions put forth ,by what I consider a meddlesome person, and I let that person have it with both barrells. The caller first asked me if I believe in GOD. I stated that I did. The caller then asked why did I believe in GOD. I then thought that this caller probaly was asking for assurance, and so I answered that I have been close to death twice in my lifetime, and prayer to The Great Father was the only thing between life and death. In both cases, I was able to pull through and live my life here on earth for a few more years. I truly believe in GOD, and me being here now, is plenty of evidence that HE does exsist and that HE still has work for me to do before HE calls me home.

Then, that caller asks me if I go to church, and where do I go, and I asked  him why he wanted to know, and his answer to that was that he wanted to invite me to his church, so that I would really find salvation and be truly saved. That is where this old man draws the line.  It is no business of anyone, to ask anyone else, where he attends a place of worship. I made my answer very clear to that caller ,that it was none of his business of my religion, and of my church. I will state right in this column, that my heart tells me what to do, and my concience makes sure that I do it. If you belive that GOD can forgive, and if you can believe that Jesus is your Savior, and that he died on the cross for your sins, AND if you have been to the mountain top two times, what more can you ask for. I have heard many people say that the only way to make sure that you will be on that stairway to HEAVEN, is to attend thier church. That is fine for those who need that re-assurance of salvation, but I, like many good  GOD fearing people, don't feel that being a member of any church group, gives you the right ,that you can knock another for not being a member. You can pray anywhere, and HE can hear you. It really gets me ,when at a viewing of a loved one that has passed away, a visitor will ask if he or she has been saved. How do you think that makes the survivors feel? Once again it is no one's business, as to the beliefs of others. Our country was based on the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion..

And so, this old man let that meddlesome caller know very nicely ,that it was none of his or anyone's else busisness, as to my preference of beliefs. For me to really verbally let him know what I thought of his question ,would make me as bad as he is. I believe and I do in the ways that The Great Father wants me to. And I want to make this very clear that this rude person does not represent all the good people who attend the church of thier choice. I know many ministers, and they know what I am, and how I think, and they know that I am very happy with the way I worship. What else can you ask for.

Now, in no way, am I saying that being a member of a church group is of no benefit, because for many good people it is a place for them to really     come together and feel close to God. And the togetherness, that the group gives to each other ,is a function of the idea of worshiping together . The right of anyone to join, and be a contributing member of any church, is what this nation was built on. In no way, do I try to alter anyone's right to worship. What I do attempt to do by this article, is to proclaim my right to how and where I worship. God will let me know when and where he wants me to worship. At this present time, my place of worship is in my heart and all of my body. As I have stated earlier, it doesn't really matter where you worship, as long as you do take time, to give thanks to our creator for giving us all the chance to feel His presence.
 

The same thing goes with questions asked by some people as to who I am going to vote for. It is none of thier business. I vote for the one ,who I think is going to represent me and all the others while he or she is in office. I have many times stated that once a person  is elected to office, he or she then works for the people. He or she should not represent the party, and /or special interests groups. Too many of our elected officials use thier position to get furthur up the ladder to a better position. Many of them will leave an elected position to take a better and/or more money  job. My feeling is that when you are elected by the people to represent them, either in the local, state, or national level, then you should be bound to serve out that term ,except in the case of death or extreme illness or recall by the people. Ask that question of those who want to be your voice in government, as to what thier intentions are in completing the term, that they asked me or you to give them. And remember those who deserted the voters ,who elected them to office, and who left for a high profile position, that will put them in line for the top position in our city. Would that same person desert them again. Sure they will ,if the ladder is there for them to climb. But then that is your vote to do with what you think is best. I have mine to do what I think is best for me and all the others .

Now ,if  I stepped on some very tender toes, then I am sorry that you hurt, but as I stated earlier in this column, we live in a country founded with the rights  of "Freedom Of  Speech" and "Freedom Of Religion". Our country is made up of all colors , and all of us were made in the "Image Of God". What else can we ask for in the greatest country in the world? Try writing this column in the other countries, and see how long it is before you are arrested, killed or almost stoned to death. I wrote this column for you and me, because I love everyone and I do love GOD.

I, like always,  welcome  your comments and I know that The Kokomo Tribune welcomes them too. Let this paper know that you either agree or disagree with me. And as always, this and all my other articles are posted on my web site at  http://www.geocities.com/kokomoman/ . You can email me at uncleray@writeme.com  .May GOD BLESS each and everyone of us.

Ray"Uncle Ray" Day

The other day, I was asked by one of my readers , a question that didn't take me too long to answer. The reader asked what has happened to our young folk, and if there was any chance of saving the younger generation from causing thier own fall from grace. Well the first part of that question can be answered several ways, but all the answers will lead back to one reason why we have failed in our quest to make good solid citizens of our young folk. That one reason is that we, as the parents and grandparents of these youngsters forgot what got us here. We don't discipline the kids anymore, due to the conflicts with the silly laws that have been set down for us to follow. Any law that takes away the right of a parent to correct thier child in thier own way, violates every thing that we as kids accepted as proper discipline. And so without someone there to make sure that the child starts and maintains a straight narrow line in just about everything he or she does, there is not too much of a chance of this child growing up to adult-hood without the drugs, and crime being thier goal in life.

In answer to the second part of the question, it is easy to fall from grace, since it is against another silly law to display the "Ten Commandments" in the schools and public places. They took prayer out of schools because it violated others' rights. Don't you think that by denying my child the right to prayer in school, you are violating his or her rights. What we, as a nation under GOD have done to protect some rights of some people, is to deny others that right to decide for themselves, whether they want to be able to observe "The Ten Commandments" on any wall or if they want to join in prayer in school. Those who do not want to do this are not forced to do so. So in the sence of the idea, what is being done to protect some is denying others of thier right.

How did we get to this point where your hands are tied to what you can do and what you can't do? Very simple answer to this is that we as voters, allowed those who we elected to office, to make laws that benefited them and not those who they represent. We allowed laws to be enacted, that actually bind us in the proper training of our children. With our hands tied by these laws , and with the law enforcement people having to do thier job accordingly, and the judges having to follow the laws, that is the answer to the question from my reader.

Now where is the answer to how we turn this thing around? How do we as parents discipline and train our young , so that they, in one day in the future, will be the leaders of this country we call the good old USA? Well first, we start weeding out those who want to take this country down to it's lowest level. And you start with those who make the laws of the land. Put a question to those who are running for office, asking them thier stand or view of the separation of church and politics. Ask them if they are going to be willing to put prayer back in the schools and the posting of The Ten Commandments on the walls of the public places . If they say no or if they say that it is not possible to do so, then you can bet that I won't vote them into office. The problem in our government is that we as voters believed what the men and women running for office say and then it is too late to do anything about it. Well, there is something that you and I can do if our representative does not do what he or she promised, and that is what they call recall. Don't leave them there to make the laws that only benefits them or those groups that help in a money way to get elected. Dad always said that if you leave one rotton apple in the basket long enough, the rest of the apples will soon follow suit. You can sit there and listen to all the promises that these people make, and all you have is a promise. A promise will never be any good without acting on it.

Getting back to our young children, we ,as leaders here in Kokomo, need to establish a set of rules for our young folk to follow. Then we need to give back the right to discipline those who do not want to follow those rules. And then we need to make sure that the hands of our educaters in the schools are not tied to those silly laws tthat got us in this mess to start with. I personally have known the fathers of most of our elected officials here in Kokomo and they did what they had to do to make great citizens out of thier children. In the old days, your hands were not tied by laws that only benefit a few. Take a little time to think about it and if those parents are still with us, ask them what thier feelings are about the laws that have degraded the institution of parent-hood. Then take a little time out of your life and sit down with your children and lay down the law to them. There is still hope for our youngsters out there, but they need guidance,and they need the love of a parent to make it in this world.

Our young folk as a whole is really great but there are those out there that need to change in thier ideas and thier actions, before they turn into the drug addicts, murderers, robbers, and misfits that will take this country down. Too many times we look the other way when one of our young folk is in trouble. That is where we as the leaders need to turn that rotten apple into a good apple. How do we do that without changing back to what we as the old folk followed as to what our parents did to get us here . Well we could make an effort to give all those kids out there a place that all could go to without any problems of race or religion. We would need to establish a set of guidelines that all, including the ones that would be the overseers, would be able to follow. There would be activities that all could get into, or not if they didn't want to. A section of the place could be set aside just for those who want to just sit and talk, and another place in the building that those young folks could sit and listen to music and maybe join in in some of the singing. In other words give these kids someplace like thier parents have ,only without the drinks of the older folks. We need to do something for these kids so that they will soon know that we do care about them, and that they will want to follow the same path that we did as kids. Sometimes we have to bend a little even though it hurts so that we might pick up the broken pieces to try to put them back together.

Whatever we do to bring our children back to reality, we know that the benefits that these kids will get , will be well worth it. We can do it and we will do it, but unless we do it soon, it will be too late. GOD sent these young folk to us to nurture and train and to love, just like HE did with us when we came to our parents. It is a circle of love that should never be broken. One of my readers told me that she likes to read what I say, because I seem to speak from the heart. I try to speak from experience, from love, and I speak "straight from the heart". Take care of those around you and show your love for all your fellow men and women. What you can do for another, only takes a few seconds but it will last a lifetime for the person recieving it. As always, pray for me as I need it, and if the GREAT FATHER calls me home, then rejoice for me. Catch all my writing for this year of 2000 on my web page at http://www.geocities.com/kokomoman/ and you can e-mail me at uncleray@writeme.com

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

As I sit here writing this column, I think back in time to see what has transpired, and what it has meant to me now. As most of you know , I came from a large family of fourteen kids, that came from the love of two special people in our lives, who we knew as Mom & Dad. We lived in a time when hard work was the game of the day and a full meal in our bellies was the reward. We lived also in a time, when in order to keep warm in the winter, you had to prepare for it in the summer. Dad always kept the coal shed full of coal ,and I don't think I ever remember running out of coal. We kids had to go out and gather up wood and paper, and get it ready for those days when we had to sort of go easy on the coal. It was nothing for us to take the old wooden wheelbarrow or a wagon and go down the tracks, and pick up coal that either fell off the railroad cars, or was thrown off by the men on the railroad. Those guys had a lot of heart, and they knew that the people in our neighborhood could use all the help that they gave us.  And, of course Dad never missed a day of work, because he loved us enough ,that he wanted to keep us and Mom warm. Mom always kept up her end of the road, with those hot meals and plenty of love and kisses. Do you think that this would be possible with the youngsters of today? Well, with some who listened to those who knew, I would say yes, but in most cases, I guess the kids would not hold up, because they don't know how hard it was in those days of the past.

We walked to school about six blocks each day ,and we came home to lunch, and then back to school. In the higher classes, we walked thirteen blocks to school, back for lunch, and back to school and then home. That my friends, is a total of fifty-two blocks each day that we as kids had to do in order to get our education. And remember, that on each of these days, when we got home for lunch and later for supper, we were blessed with a hot meal made by the best cook around, our Mom. Could and would the children of today be able to do this? In my mind, I would have to say that they could not and would not do it.

And you had homework each night along with those chores that had to be done, and you still found time to enjoy some time with your friends. Of course the radio for the early years was the main source of intertainment, but when we got our first television, we made it our main enjoyment on those days, when weather did not permit us to play outside. Of couse, we only watched about two hours of television, because there really wasn't that much on. How many kids today would be content with only two hours of tv?

And, if you are one of those kids that used to sit with us, and listen to Mom playing her piano, or listening to her tell stories of her life as a young lady, then you are very lucky to have been one of our group of friends who had a second Mom. She was liked by all ,and she was respected by all in our neighborhood, because she made you mind and if it took a branch off the tree to do it, that was ok with the kid's parents. How far would  that kind of thinking go today? It is a darn shame to say that you can't discipline anyone today without fear of going to jail.

And back to Dad, who wouldn't stay home from work even though he was feeling bad, because he had to do his part in the raising of his kids. Here was a man who made a point of being the bread-winner in this family, and when he was home, he was the boss because he deserved it. We never went hungry, and we always kept warm because of those two people, who lived thier lives in the only way they knew how to, because the both of them came up in hard times too. Do the children of today realize how much was sacrificed to get them where they are now?

What we went through ,and what our Mom and Dad did to get us through those bad times, was what everyone who lived back in those times did too. There wasn't too many rich families, and even those had to do the same at times. The times were hard on all of us in the thirtys, fortys and fiftys, but what you got out of those hard times, will stay with you forever, such as respect, honesty, sharing, and staying friends with those buddies that were there with you and still have time to come in and talk with you. Just the other day, one of my old friends, Brother Bill ,came into the store and said that he reads all my articles and I tell it like it really was. We got to talking about all the things we did as kids and it was wonderful to do so. Thanks Bill, for being one of my buddies from the past, that remembers how it was and how it is today. Friends are forever and they are always there for you when you need that little lift. I am very blessed with the friendship of my childhood friends.

And so I look to today, and I ask myself if the generation of today has learned anything from thier parents and grandparents who did so much to get them the kind of life they have now. I can only say that as long as the ones who lived in the old days keep telling the kids of today about the hardships of the past, just maybe they will start listening and then maybe they will be able to be stronger for it. I can go into many a reason for those who think that life is a bowl of cherries, that they should make thier turn away from drugs, smokes , cursing, and start giving respect to those who made your life a lot more easier. Uncle Ray loves all the kids in this land and I want to be able to say that I maybe helped in you making that turn for the better.

As always Uncle Ray sends his love to all of you and he wants The Great Father to bless all of you.

you can e-mail me at uncleray@writeme.com

I get a lot of calls and e-mails  letting me know from those readers that read my columns , that they enjoy what I have to say. And also many of them will ask me what I think about what is going on with our great country, and if there is any way to turn it around to what it was like in the old days? Well,  really to be truthful about it, I would like to see us go back to the way we conducted ourselves, and the way that we respected our elders. As far as going back to the way we had to survive back then, my only response to that is that we wouldn't be able to survive without all those easy ways to do things today. We ,as a whole ,have gone from a work hard attitude to the old sit back and let someone else do it attitude. We are all couch potatoes, who can't do without our daily dose of television and fatty foods. Face it folks, could you or would you give up on all the convenient situations, where if you didn't want to fix a meal, you could just call for someone to bring it to you?

Believe it or not, I know of many people who, although they are well off in assets, and could buy just about anything that they wanted, they live just like they did in the old days. Sure they have inside plumbing and they have gas or electric heat, but they don't go out to eat and they don't waste thier time on sitting back watching shows on the television. They work at thier jobs each day and thier rewards are in a good hot meal and a kiss from thier spouse. People like that are never going to be without, if and when the time comes that we don't have all those goodies of today.

I was asked by one of my readers who read about my thoughts on "The Ten Commandents", and he said that maybe we could get by with displaying them under community standards, where each community decides what is right for them, as  in the case of the porno shops that went by the wayside because of community standards. That is a great thought, but until someone has the backbone to tell the supreme court that  they are wrong ,and until we put people in those positions to get us back to the way we use to be, then I really don't think that it is possible. As long as there is someone out there that will back the scum who want to tear us down, and get paid for it, then it will always be a fight that the  good people will lose. What harm was the posting of that sacred document doing to them. What harm was the saying of prayer in school doing to them. And when our space travelers wanted to say thier prayers while they were representing us in space, what harm was being done to  those people who wanted it stopped. The Supreme Court has long went along with the wishes of a few , and the result has been to hurt the rest of us. What we need to do is to post The Ten Commandents and reinstate the prayer in school, and tell those who want to make us stop , that we will fight to keep the right.

Another question asked of me, was if there was anyone other than my  parents and grandparents, who made an everlasting impression on me. I guss that I would have to go back in time to when I was a little boy, and I found out that there was a gentle man named Ray who first taught me what sharing was all about. This great man, who I still see once in a while and is still one of my best friends, one day told my father to send me over to see him. When I got there, he presented me with an almost new bike , and told me that it was mine to have and the only thing he wanted from it, was that I took care of it and rode it safely. I used that bike to pass my daily Kokomo Tribune papers, and I will always rember Ray for that. Add to the list three policemen who were a part of my life. Mr Wagoner and Mr Nicholas who patrolled on foot the neighborhood I lived in. Both of these men were a credit to the human race and to Kokomo. And Sarge Hurley who was the man who took care of all the school patrol squads, of which I was a member. He was very well liked by all. And then I would have to add to that list a man by the name of Circus John. Here was a man who knew both poverty and success. He was respected by all who played for him and there wasn't a better man on earth that knew baseball like Circus John. This man demanded respect and he was as honest as any person who ever lived. Old Circ didn't hold back on getting the best out of his boys and most of those young men will attest to his love of the human race.

Then I really would not have a complete list without telling you about a gentleman named Grandpa Holland. Here was a gifted man who could ,with the help of our lord,  heal you. When I was at the age of eleven years old, I had a very ugly wart on my right chin. I was very timid on people seeing it and so one day, my mother asked Grandpa Holland to come by and see me. He asked me if I believed in GOD and I said yes. He then said some words and then proceded to move hie hand around the wart on my face while saying those words again. When he was through, he told me that in a few days that wart would leave my face and never more return. He left with the thanks of my mother and I never saw him again. Two days later while sitting in my fifth grade class at Willard school, I started to touch that ugly wart which was there that morning. It was gone, and I never found it. That man who did this for me worked through his belief in GOD, and I have never forgot this.

And so I have answered some of the questions from my readers, and I will attempt to answer more in the next few columns. You keep asking and I will try to answer. Yes, I believe in our system of government, but I do think that the people should be represented by the people who have been elected to that position. Only then will the things that I mentioned come about. And remember that friends are forever, and also remember that miracles do happen.  I ask for your support in my quest to give you, the reader, the best in my writing about what goes on in my and your lives. Continue to pray for me and when you get time, look at my web page on the internet at http://www.geocities.com/kokomoman/  If I have done anything to make this day a better one for you, then I have accomplished my goal for this week. I take e-mails at uncleray@writeme.com and at arermdrd@netusa1.net  . Take care and GOD BLESS.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
 

There are times when I have thoughts about certain types of people, and so that will be part of my article today. We have in this world all types of human beings, that were sent here by The Great Father to make this place we call earth a better place to live. But as time goes by, I wonder if some people actually care enough about themselves.
Before we get too far in this article, I want to make it very clear that what I am saying in this column is of my own opinion and not that of any group. Everyone has the right to live as they choose and so they can do what they think is best for them. I would never try to change anyone's thinking on how to believe and how to vote.

We start with those who want to smoke and they do so even though they cough when they inhale. I would think that if it makes you cough, then your body is telling you to stop smoking. But we have those same people continue to smoke and soon they acquire a bad set of lungs and then they want to sue the companies that make that product. Hey, they didn't force you to smoke , did they? If all of those people would of stop smoking a long time ago, there wouldn't of been those tobacco factories making a great deal of money and so they would of stopped making those smoking products. The people brought that on themselves, and they have to pay with a lot of grief and lives.

Take the problem of drinking amoug the teens today. Did this happen overnight or was this a by product of those who have been pouring that alcohol down thier throats all this many years. Wouldn't you think that if something makes you dizzy or sick to your stomach, you would quit drinking or at least cut part of it out. Those kids out there get most of thier desire to drink from the older folks, and they think it makes them cool.

And then we go to the drug problem that is slowly but surely taking our young folk so far out on a limb, that they might never be able to recover. The furthur you go out on a limb, you have a greater chance of it breaking, and sending you to the ground. We in recent years have let the outsiders in to contaminate our youth and we have taken away the authority of the parents and the schools to do anything about it. As long as the present system continues, we will still have the problems. The DARE program is a great program and there are a lot of great kids out there that have joined it, but it needs to come to the point of all the kids needing to be part of it. If we make it rough on the people who are poisoning our youth with drugs, then maybe they will find some other community to contaminate. All you kids out there , just say NO.

Our medical system is a great one here in our country, but most of the time they are held back by the insurance companies that want to dictate what medicine can be used according to how much it is going to cost them. Hey, if they would cut down on some of that big overhead such as outrageous salaries given to those who do nothing to warrant it, then they might be able to lower thier costs and the doctors could get the people well. In my case alone, they would have me change to a generic medicine even though they have never met me and know nothing about my condition. The medicine that they want to change is the only one that works for me after testing with several others. I am not the only one who worries about whether the cost is more important than my life. What would you do if someone told you that your medicine was going to be changed just to lower the cost to the HMOs?

Take the cost of gas these days, where if you wanted to fill up your tank, you just about have to go get a loan. I heard a joke the other day where a lady had to sell her car so that she could buy gas for it. Well folks, this gas situation is no joking matter. I buy just enough gas to get me by and will continue to do so until someone out there has the guts to do something about it. Now I know that these service stations have to make a living and they have to go with what it costs them, but sometimes I wonder how the gas that was thirty cents cheaper yesterday can be thirty cents more the next day and it came out of the same tank in the ground and there has not been any refilling of that tank during that time. In other words you are buying the product at tomorrow's prices today. Does that make any sense to you.? In my way of thinking , I would be looking for a sale instead of a raise in the price. What we as Americans shoud do is to slow down our trips and stop jumping in the car to go somewhere, when we can walk to it. Exercise to good for you and it doesn't cost a penny.

Now getting to exercising, I have to commend my little woman Ramona for what she has accomplished in the last five months. She decided that she needed to lose some weight and she set out to do so. With the help of fellow walkers she has lost over forty pounds and she looks great. She tells me she feels better and she is really proud of herself too. Well I too, am very proud of what she has done and I hope that she continues to be proud. It takes a lot of guts to sit back and watch someone else gorge themselves and still stay on on her diet and walking. Great job Ramona.

And so what this old man is trying to say in this column is that we can change things around so that this is a better place to live. And although I have never smoked or drank of the spirits, I really would like to see our young folk stop with the smokes , the booze and the drugs, and begin to build on thier lives so that when it comes thier time to be the leaders of our great country, they will have a good base to work on. Hey, all you kids out there, just think how many babies have been born that have serious complications, because thier mothers have been subjected to drugs ,smoking, and booze. Think about what you are going to do with your lives , and then work on it to become productive to society and to your families.

And as we end our little visit with each other, I ask for any suggestions on how my thoughts to you can be better, and I ask for your prayers in helping me to continue on in my quest to help the younger generation make it in this world. We all only have a short time here on earth to do what we were sent here to do. Think about this; remember the day that a loved one came into your life, and and how long ago it was , and you, my friend will see that it was only a blink in your eye. We remember the past, we live for today, and we hope for the future. Keep reading my column and use what I say in your life as you see fit.
e-mail me at arermdrd@netusa1.net or uncleray@writeme .com .See all of you later;
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

As I start this column this week, I must say that the response from my readers is really making me proud that I have the right to put into words my feelings and my views. There are not too many countries in this world that would allow someone like me to write the things that I write for you. And so sometimes I get e-mail or calls asking me about topics, that I the writer ,would like to stay away from. But then I wouldn't be giving the reader a chance to hear my thoughts on the matter, and so here we go with some answers about topics of your interest.
I guess that in the last two months, the biggest topic from basketball fans is the firing of Bob Knight, and I will give you my thoughts on that and then I will drop the subject, and let the man go do what he is destined to do.

My first thought is the zero-tolerance policy which the IU president and the trustees came up with. That policy is a very stupid concept to put on any man , let alone Mr. Knight. Under a zero-tolerance situation, the person is working under a closed eyes, plugged up ear drums, taped up mouth, and tied up legs. In other words if you breathe, speak, hear ,or move, you are in violation of  that policy. No one can abide by that policy. That is abuse by the institution. In the things that Mr. Knight was said to do or not to do, that was said to violate that zero-tolerance policy, I must bring up this thought. Mr. Knight was under a contract to do certain things and he did them. The things that he is said to have passed up on were in violation of his contract. So in essence, Bob Knight was following his contract to the letter of the law, and so he should not have been fired for that. Now, I am not saying that Mr. Knight was not wrong in the way that he worked with his team, nor am I saying that he should of done it differently. What I am saying, is that he was this way for the last twenty-nine years and as long as he was winning, it was tolerated. Also , what I am trying to say is that they should of put him on notice, that at the end of his contract, he would have to look elsewhere for a coaching job. The situation at IU was handled wrong, and so there are a lot of us that probaly will think twice before we pour any more funds into that institution. . I do hope that IU does ok in thier basketball program, as they do have a very good man as head coach. Enough said about that subject and this writer will put the subject to bed for a very long sleep.

Now a topic that is really bugging this old man, is the talk about placing our social security program in an investment and stock program . The two men running in the national election would have our program up for grabs, as an investment venture. Folks, regardless of what the boys in Washington are telling us, there is no way that the present social security program can go broke. As long as there are those working and paying into the program, just like we have these many years, there is no reason to change it a bit. Think about it; as soon as someone starts to manipulate what to do with it, then the pockets will fill and the jar will go empty. As a man who has seen what one man can do with a pension fund and milk it dry, I have to stand up and say that you and I had better watch those guys who want to use our money. Let the program go on like it has for years and give our youngsters a chance to have something to look forward to. As a man who has paid into social security all my working life, I take notice when someone wants to change the system. I have found out that anytime someone wants to fill thier pockets with my money or invest it in the stock market, I get worried. There have been a lot of us who worked in the steel mill who invested our money only to see it disappear. Enough said on that subject, but I will monitor the situation as time goes by.
Again ,I raise the issue of the banning of posting of the Ten Commandments by the scum of this land. Cheers to those in Bedford who took it on thier own to do what should of been done a long time ago. Forget what some district judge says and just post them. Remember that by banning the posting of The Ten Commandments in the schools and public places , that judge is backing a few against the rest. Why should we sit still and let a group of want-a bees who are representing the worst group of scum in this land tell us what we can do. Let those creeps go over to Iran or one of those countries who appreciate them.  What we as a nation under GOD should remember is that those Commandments were what we were raised under and by following them we became the greatest nation in this world.. Those ones that I refer to as the scum of this land will one day have to answer for what they are doing. Not enough said about that but enough for now.
So in my words to you, I say that we have looked the other way too long. We are witness to the absense of any discipline measures because we want to baby our society. We are witness to the banning of all that is good, and we are witness to those who would gamble our system in the stock market. What we need to be, is witness to waking up and saying that we are tired of what is going on and we are not going to take it anymore.
Have I woke you up to some things that need to be corrected? I hope so, and I hope that I, through this column, have made your day. I will work on that and I take great pride in visiting you and telling you what this old man feels. Take care and continue to pray for me as I really need all the help I can get. Catch me on my web page, "Uncle Ray's Thoughts" at http://www.geocities.com/kokomoman/ and e-mail me at uncleray@writeme.com and at arermdrd@netusa1.net . May your road be straight and narrow on your walk of life.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

I, at times, wonder if what I think matters to anyone else, and so I do a little checking in my notes about those, who express themselves to me on what they read and how they read it. Now right here is where I want to ask you, the reader, to read this complete article before passing judgement on it. It is only my opinion and not neccessaryly that of this paper or of anyone else.

There are those out there, that are really informed about our system of government ,and how those who we vote into office, react to our wanting of honest representation from them. But I go back to wondering if most of the men and women wanted that position to do good for us, or just to have a job. You can look at that two ways, in that if they do a good job, then they stand a very good chance of being re-elected to that office again. If they are in it for just a job, and they find out that they can better themselves by flanking themselves with some of the do-gooders there in the statehouse, or in the federal government, so that a move up the ladder is in store for them, then they do not and will not represent the voter who put them in office. Many times we have witness the changing of positions to better the man or women, and thier vacancy is filled with someone else. Mind you now , this person who is selected to fill the post that you voted a person into, is not voted on by you ,and yet he or she is supposed to represent you. Was your vote honored in that respect?

As to the national election, when we, the people, have the opportunity to vote and elect into office our president and vice president, we still wonder if our vote counts. I go to this perspective on the way that we come to decide who we, the people ,pick in each party to run at those two positions. First, I look at the way that the primarys are run and how after each primary, we hear how that state picked the slate for president. As each state decides who thier choice is, and how the media passes that information on to us, we find that the list of both parties gets smaller and soon some of the people who would of been the better men or women for the position drop out, because they don't think they can win. As that choice gets to us here in Indiana, the field is narrowed down to just a few, and then the party is really the one that picks our choice for the highest office in the land. They go out to the conventions and they have a ball , while selecting the man or women to lead us in the national election in the fall. To me, I now wonder if my vote really means anything.

What I, as a taxpayer and one voter amoung many, would like to see, is one day for voting in the spring over the entire country , just like it is in the fall. Everyone votes all at once, and to make the process all the better, we should not allow the television and radio to broadcast the outcome, until all the polls are closed and the votes are counted. What I am trying to get across to you, is that if a person has not voted until late that evening, and he is listening to the broadcasts of how others are voting, then his vote can be tainted . In other words, he or she can just vote for the leader at that time, because they would not think thier vote meant anything. Now that is wasting your vote.

Another thing I would like to see is the changing of the way that we the people are approached by those running for office. Hey, if that person who wants to represent you has to come talk his or her way into your vote, then just maybe he or she would not be a good representative. My thought in that respect, is that you should already know what this man or woman stands for. If he or she wants to represent me and you , then they should of been active in the past, so that we the voter would already know who we wanted to vote for. My gosh folks, you know more about me through my columns than you know about those people who pop up and say that they want to be your voice.

What we, the voters, have to realize is that our vote does count, and how we use it decides if we are going to be represented the right way. The things that I have brought up are ones that I as a voter would like to see. We, here in this wonerful place called the USA, have the right to be represented correctly, and we should never give up on trying to make us stronger with the right people to lead us. The fiasco in this fall election should remind all of us that our vote does count and sometimes we have to make some changes to get it done right. I hope that when this is all done and we get back to living the American dream, we look back and realize that only in America, can we talk like this and not be afraid of any repurcussions. My vote and your vote does make a difference.

I do want to say that most of those who run for office are doing it because they feel that they can do all of us some good. But you also have to know that there are some bad apples out there that want to win an election so that they can force thier views off on us. Our two party system is a better system than any other in this entire world and we should always watch out for those who want to take that system down.

Now getting to another thought, there are those out there that don't get much praise for what they do, and this old man is ready to point them out to you ,and I hope that when you see any one of them, you tell them thanks for doing thier job. I want to say to all the policemen and women, the firemen and women, and the sherrif and his deputies, that I as a member of this community of Kokomo and Howard County, salute you on being what you are and for what you do. I know that all of you will uphold your positions as protectors of all of us, and you are ready and willing to do what you know is the best way to protect us. Keep up the great work that all of you do. Uncle Ray sure respects all of you.

Again I ask for your comments and I ask for your prayers to The Great Father  to grant me enough time on this great earth, to be able, through this column, make your day a better one and just maybe reach some of those young folk out there to rise to the desire to better themselves.

Catch me on my web site at http://www.geocities.com/kokomoman/ and I can be reach by e-mail at uncleray@writeme.com and at arermdrd@netusa1.net. Smile a little today and a lot more tomorrow. This is "Uncle Ray" signing out for this week. May you always be blessed by The Great Father.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

In this article, I will visit with you, and we will discuss the ways that you and I can be a possible deterrent to those people, who want to rob and hurt us. As we go in life , we sort of look the other way, or we think that it can't happen to us, when we hear or read about the people who pray on others, instead of going out and getting a decent job. They wait in the shadows, until they see a chance to fill thier pockets with what is not thiers.

It  amazes me, on how there are those out there ,that are out to take you for every cent you have.  It also amazes me on how many people are bilked into putting thier hard earned money, into the hands of some of the sleasiest people around. Most of the time they set thier sights on the older generation, who barely get by on what they have. They do this mainly because that scum knows that everyone who is on a fixed income, is ready to invest, as long as there is a great chance to make more money off of it.. After all, a little extra money in the pot, makes it a lot easier to make it in this world. So when you hear someone tell you that you will be richer for doing what they ask, your first thought is that you could do with more money. Folks, let me tell you this; don't believe anyone when they tell you that you will be richer for it. The only thing that you will be richer for, is the knowledge that if it sounds too good to be true, then most of the time it is not true.

Another thing that really gets in my craw, is the people who call you on the phone, and want you to give to some organization to help the needy, or to give to some benefit for children . Now, there are some very good people out there that are trying to do good with that money you donate to them, and I don't want to step on thier toes. But you have to remember that if you don't know these people, and you don't know of the organization that they are supposed to represent, you shouldn't be so quick to part with any money. Check on these organizations and make sure they are reputable before you give any of your hard-earned money away.

How many of us will answer a visitor at the door ,and allow them to enter the house to use a phone, or to get out of the weather while they try to sell you something, or to tell you about some great venture that you can invest in?  Hey folks, once you let them in , you are putting your lives in thier hands. If someone comes to your door, and you anwer it, keep a barrier between you and that person. Don't unlock that outer door, because you can hear anything that they have to say through that door. It is your life and your possessions that are at risk.

How many times have you walked out of a bank with your money in your hand, thus inviting someone to take it from you? Sure the car is just a few steps away, so you have time to jump in your car and lock the door, thus keeping that bad guy from robbing you. That kind of thinking not only will get you robbed, but also hurt very badly. The same thing applies to when you come out of the store with your hands full, and you put everything down to unlock the car. You are at risk, because there are some very bad people out there that are waiting for that chance to rob, kidnap, or hurt you. The key to this is to always park where there is plenty of light,  or where there are people that can see you. The bad guys don't like crowds and they don't like lights.
 

Another thing that this old man would like to talk about ,is the way that the people who use the computer to purchase items, and they use thier charge cards to pay for it. There are some good businesses out there, that sell off the internet, and of course the only way to pay for it is to use a charge card. Most of these businesses are of a good reputation and usually are working thier site in a secure operation.  But you shouldn't be too quick to give your card number over the internet without checking whether that site is secure or not. Let me tell you this; anytime you put any charge number or social security number over the internet, you stand a good chance of getting ripped off by one of the people they call hackers, who spend thier whole day on ways to get into your bank accounts, charge accounts and even your savings. Take this for instance;  you use a program for keeping a budget, and you put your account numbers in there so that you can keep that budget up to date. There are hackers out there, that might of planted a cookie in your system, so that when they wanted to, they could bring up your files and get that information and account numbers. You say that that would be impossible, because you have a secured site. Folks, if the hackers were able to get into Microsoft, don't you think that they would be able to get into yours. I have a system that I use in my budget keeping and I would be glad to share that secret to you if you want it. All you bad guys out there, don't even bother me about it because I won't tell you.
 

I guess after reading this column so far, you are thinking that this old man doesn't trust anyone, but that would be far from the truth. I would like to think that at least 95% of the people out there are trustworthy, and you could trust them with your life, but that 5% out there ,are of the worst kind of people and they are not those who put in a good days work each day. That 5% is of the worst scum in the land and the only way to stop them is to protect yourself with knowledge, commom sense, and good friends, who will be there for you when a crisis comes about. The main thing that I want to say to you, is that they are out there , and they will be ready to jump you , but with the protection of our law enforcement , we can hold them off. As always, if you think that someone is out to rob you or get money from you by pretending to be a representative of some organization., call that group or contact those men in blue who are out there to protect you. Checking first will mean that you end up last still with your money.
 

One thing I see in my everyday job is a lot of great children, and every once in a while when I say hello to one of those kids, I will see them get closer to thier parents for protection, and that is good. Parents, continue to teach your children to use you as a protection against those bad guys out there. Teach them to be cautious, and to be leary of other people who could be out to hurt them. And tell them to holler real loud if and when they might be approached by someone they don't know. The bad guy does not like loud noises and they will run away.
 

As always, this old man speaks straight from the heart, and what I say is of my own opinion and sometimes I get off the deep end, but I do it because I love you all. Without you out there to read my words, I would be nothing. Without this paper allowing me to write this column, I wouldn't be able to reach you and I thank them and you for that. May your days during the holiday season be full of joy, and may they be safe ones too.
 

If you have time, check me out at my website at http://www.geocities.com/kokomoman/ where I am slowly getting in range of 180,000 hits so far.  You can e-mail me at uncleray@writeme.com or at arermdrd@netusa1.net  . Until the next time when we will visit , I salute you.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

Many times this year, I have mentioned things about my family ,in the ways that we as children, were raised by our parents, and how it affected our lives as grownups. One of my readers asked me about my inlaws, and how it was with them, and how my marriage to one of the greatest ladies around, affected my life now. I must say that the readers want to know something more about this old man, and so I will answer them through this column, on how my life as it is, was affected by another family. And so, you will know how I was accepted into my second family, and how my life with Ramona came about.

In 1956, I met ,through a good friend of mine, a thin pretty girl of seventeen, who sort of hit it off with me right away. Here was a girl that was trying to make some money by baby-sitting whenever she could, and she was very good at doing it. So, most of her time was taken up by that job she had, and it wasn't too often that we could get together for a date. And of course I was working at the Steel Mill. , sometimes sixteen hours a day, and I really did not have too much time to go out either. So, many times our time together, was in the form of a hour or two after both of us were through with our jobs.  This was after eleven o'clock in the evening, and most people were already turned in for the night. This sort of made life a little hectic for both of our parents, because coming from large families and living under a set of rules set down by them, we were not supposed to be out too late, and our parents would wait up for us to let us in the door of our homes. Back in those days, as long as you lived in your parents house, you went by thier rules. It's true. It didn't matter how old you were, if you were living at home, they had the last say. Most people these days would not like that, because they want to be able to boss the older folks around.

Well, I remember one night that I pulled up in front of my girlfriend's home, and we stood by the house talking, and all the time the motor of my "46" Dodge was running, with it's mello pipes sounding off. It wasn't very long before her dad hollered out the window, to turn that noisy car off, and I did, even though I was getting ready to leave in a few minutes. Well, when I got ready to leave after a few kisses and several hugs, the car would not start, and so she had to ask her dad to take me home. I didn't have the nerve to ask him.  Boy, that was very hard to do because I really had not spent any time with him, and I sort of was a little scared. And my home with my parents was in New London about twelve miles away. But this fine gentleman told me that it was ok, and that he would take me home. That really was the first real contact with my girlfriend's family, and it turned out very good. I eventually met her mother, and her brothers and sister ,and it looked like they were going to accept me into thier lives, and that was ok with me. As a matter of fact, the kids sort of liked to see me come for a meal, because Mom Sarah would really fix a great meal for me and the rest of the family.  This great lady by the name of Sarah was a great cook just like my mother was. Bless that great lady's heart.

And so, as you start meeting your girlfriend's family , you start visiting her grandparents and uncles and aunts, as well as all thier children. I must say here, that this young man was treated like one of the family from day one, as I met each member of them, and ever since then, I have been treated great, and I have felt as ease with my second family. The Mckee Family and The Budd Family took me under thier wings and I have never regreted the day that I met Ramona and became one of her family. Back in those days when family was very important, it was the thing to spend a lot of time with your girlfriends family, because it was like being home with your own family.

You hear a lot about men and women, who have problems with thier inlaws, because they meddle in thier life. But I have to say here that my inlaws always accepted me for what I am and at no time did they ever tried to meddle into our lives. If anything, they have always been there for me, when I needed help and will always be part of my family. That was the way it was in the old days. Families were more close. The families that you married into, were ready to accept you into thier lives. You didn't see too much of children born to single parents. You had reunions each week ,because all the cousins were always around to see and visit with. And you called your uncles and aunts by that name. You were taught from early childhood ,that grandparents, parents, uncle and aunts were special and they were to be respected as such.

I remember one time when at the age of seventeen, I addressed my aunt by her first name instead of aunt, and my mother let me know real quick that you respect your aunt by calling her by Aunt Liz. It didn't take long in those days to get a point across about respect. So, when I entered into my wife's family , I knew better than to call them by only thier first name. But to this day, even though Mom Sarah and Pop Harold have been called home by the Great Father, the memories of them still exist in my heart. Here were two people who came from great families themselves, who were ready to offer this young man a membership into thier lives. Here were aunts and uncles who did the same, giving this young man a chance to enlarge his family. To say that I felt special would be wrong to say, but to know that I was accepted was a feeling of being special.

What a wonderful thing it would be if we could of been able to be together as a family, without some members of that family passing away. Think about all the things that we could sit around the table and be able to compare with what we have today. What those who lived before us made possible for our young folk to have today, will live on in all our lives, and will be a memory set to music someday. Someone will one day want to travel back into time in the thirties, forties,  and fifties, and put together those memories into a story of love and sacrafice by those great people that we all called Mom & Dad

As we grow older and we see our loved ones leave to be with the Great Father, we only have those who are left and with the memories that still lie inside my heart, we wait for that time when the Great Father decides to call us home to once again be with our loved ones. What more can we ask of our life than to be a part of several families who want to share thier love with you. To be able to say that my life here on the earth has been worthwhile, and to know that I was loved not only by my parents , but also by my wife's parents, and all the families connected , I can only say thanks for the memories. And if anyone out there who is a part of those families want to know that they are loved, then here it is. "I LOVE YOU." As always visit my web site and continue to send me e-mails at either one of my addresses. They are arermdrd@netusa1.net and uncleray@writeme.com  Until we visit together next time, I ask for your prayers and  I ask GOD to bless each and every one of you. Until then this is Uncle Ray signing off.

#45
 
 

Once again we visit with each other to talk and discuss what is happening to us and the world around us. There are many topics that this old man can talk and write about, but we can only do it one at a time. So this is my thought for this week, and I want to make it clear that this is my opinion and not to infer that you or the Tribune would think the same way. Thank goodness that The Kokomo Tribune gives me the opportunity to write my column each week, and allows me to say it my way.

Well, as I think back into the year 2000, I remember all the things that many predicted would happen, because of all the possible computer problems, that might happen as a result of how  the date was displayed. I remember all the people who dreaded the turning of the new century, because they were afraid to be without power and food. All of this is well and good, because we should be prepared to do without all those convenient goodies that we enjoy having around. But it was just that. We were afraid because someone told us that we should be afraid. What upsets me is that after it was all over and all was good in the land, we went back to the good old life , without thinking what we should of learned from it.

What if it did happen, and we were not prepared to do without some food, heat, and television for several days. Would we of had riots, or breakins at the stores to satisfy our need for a more convenient and comfortable situation? Would we of taken what was not ours , and so let others do without? I have given this a lot of thought and I really think that deep down, most of the people in our area, would of been out there taking charge and keeping order. We still have a lot of the elders around who did without for many years , and who would be the first to step forward to lead the rest of us in keeping calm and safe.

Many times in my life, I have wanted to be able to just ask my elders what would be the best way to do something, but that is not to be because most of them have left to be with "The Great Father". So in my situation, I have to make a choice about how I would take care of a situation, that could cause my family some harm. That is what each and everyone of us has to do, if we are going to survive something like the Y2K situation. That particular problem should be over, but will there be other problems coming forth into our lives, that we should be prepared for. Preparation is the beginning of the winning over what could happen to us. Knowing that anything could come up, that could do us harm, causes us to be prepared for it. That is what we did before the beginning of this century, and just because it did not happen, we should not let up on being ready for the worst.

And so as we enter into the new year, we get ready to meet all challenges, with preparation, maybe not in the outside of our bodies but within our bodies and minds. Save a little money each week, store a little more food each week, stock up on some warm blankets, keep some water stored, and most of all, know that if we do suffer some problems, that we are not alone. We must be prepared to be willing to help others , when they need it whether they ask for it or not. We need to make piece with our enemies, yet still be aware that they can turn on us at any time. We need to forgive those who have done us harm, yet make them aware that we won't sit still if they do us harm again. We can never let our eyes close in danger, because we need to be able to see where to go in order to be safe.

Some will think that I am predicting another scare in this new year, but that would be far from the truth. All I am saying is that we are only human, and the fear of being hurt is in our minds, and so we should be ready to do what is needed to keep that from happening. If this was back in the old days, most would already be prepared to do without, because most things needed to survive, was in the form of the profits reaped from thier everyday chores they did each day.

I live each day of my life, not in fear, but with the knowledge that this day could be my last one here on this earth. I am not only prepared  to survive another day, but also prepared to die. I know that when that day comes, and my time here is over, that I will go home to be with "The Great Father". But until then, I thank Him each night for that day, and when I wake up each morning, I thank Him for one more day. Several years ago, I wouldn't of told anyone this because it was and still is a personal relationship between Him and me. But after He gave me a second chance at life and He gave me this gift of writing, I know that He still has something for me to do before He calls me Home. I let those who want to know that He is with me each and every day. And I take each day one at a time.

As time goes by, I see more of my friends and my family leaving to go home to The Great Father, and I miss them very much. But also I see more being sent by The Great Father to be raised and nurtured by thier parents, and I know that all is well in the land. I really feel deep in my heart that no matter what problems come up, we will survive it and things will be better. No matter how bad things can appear to be, they can be overcome. So take a little advice from this tired old man, and be happy. Sing a song of glory, help another in need, and be prepared to meet the Great Father when that time comes.

I hope that as you read my column, you do get something from it. And I hope that The Kokomo Tribune will continue to let me write for them. The year 2000 was a great year for me as a writer, because of The Kokomo Tribune and all of you out there that lets me know that you enjoy what I have to say. If  I can help anyone though this column, then the time spent on it is worthwhile. As always, I speak and write straight from the heart. So as you walk the road of life, try to walk straight, look out for those small holes that you could fall into, and don't take a shortcut just because it is faster. What is at the end of the road will still be there when you arrive.

If you want to read some of my columns from earlier in the year, you can catch them at my website at http://www.geocities.com/kokomoman/  .

If you want to e-mail me, you can do that at both of my address at uncleray@writeme.com or at arermdrd@earthlink.net   .

Thanks for letting me visit with you this week. Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

Sometimes this old man gets some pretty good questions about what my feelings are toward certain subjects and so I will try to answer some of them today. One of my readers is an adopted child, and he wanted to know if I had any personal feelings about adoption. Here is a subject that requires a lot of thought before you bring forth your views on it. First if you say the wrong thing, you could break that person's heart or you could break the heart of those two people who chose to adopt that child into thier family.. My feeling is that there are times when things happen for a reason, and that when a child is adopted, he or she is done so with love by two people who want to share thier love and thier life with another person.

Sometimes you have to look at the full picture to find out why this came about in the first place. I believe in Angels and my belief is that when a child is born, he or she is an Angel sent by God to two wonderful people who will spend most of the rest of thier lives nurturing that child with love and devotion. But there are times when a mother will decide that she can't care for that child in the way that is needed and so she gives that child away for adoption, so that her child that she carried around for about nine months, could have a better way of life. My thought on this is that if God did not think it was a good idea, he would of let her know in some way. That mother gave her child away out of love in most cases, because she knew that she could not take care of it.

So when these two adoptive parents decide that they want to adopt a child, they are doing it out of love and also because they were destined to do so with the will of God. So as the years go by, the child will naturally wonder if he or she was abandoned or given up because they were not loved. My thought on that is that he or she was loved enough by the natural mother, so she gave that child a chance at a better life. God works in mysterious ways, and sometimes it is better to just accept it and go on with your life. But what happens when that child starts wanting to look for the natural mother, and they start asking questions that will hurt the feelings of the adoptive parents. They wonder if thier natural mother really cares about them and so they start looking for her. For some adoptive parents, that can cause some bad feelings and for some , that child will recieve some help from his adoptive parents in trying to locate the natural mother. My next thought on that is that I really believe that the real mother knows where her child is and that in most cases is comfortable enough to leave it alone.

Whether there will be some problems between the child and both sets of parents depends on how the search started and for what reason. Sometimes there is a medical reason behind the search and that is ok in my book, but I have to look at this in the way that I would feel, if a child that I adopted and loved for all these years decided that he or she wanted to find thier natural parent. I would feel hurt because it was myself and my wife who chose that child to love and raise. The key words here are chose and love. They chosed you and they loved you, and just maybe the search for the natural mother should not start. Only those who are involved can make that decision. If that child and the adoptive parents can be comfortable with it, then start the search, but be aware that somewhere down the line, someone will be hurt , and my thought on that is that you have to use some common sense in this matter

Just remember that you were chosen to be part of a family by two wonderful people who will always be your mother and father, and they are the ones that you really need to think more about. But just because you were given up my your real parent, don't hate her. She in most cases was thinking about your benefit and not hers. As I have stated many times, things happen for a reason. We have to know why it happen sometimes, but we don;t have to hurt someone to find out.

As always, I want to make it clear that this is my opinion and not that of the newspaper nor anyone else. I can only tell you how I would feel, and what I would do. I hope that anyone who reads this, will take some time to think before they act on this matter. Love is a gift from God and we should never take it lightly. Life is a gift from God and it too should not be taken lightly. The love of life is yours for the asking.. Do as you see fit and always walk that straight narrow road of life with lots of love in your heart. As always I speak from within my heart, and I write straight from the heart. What I do here in life will follow me in death. To love is to be loved, and there are many out there that need that little bit of love to make thier day.

Until we visit again, I bid you my love and I ask God to bless each and everyone of you. Don't forget to pray for me as I need it very much. Talk with you later; as I am signing out for this visit.  Uncle Ray
 
 

    Well ,it is that time again ,when you and I, through this column visit each other, and I must say that I look forward to it each week. Those of you that like my column have always let know that you do, and so you ask things of me that normally I keep to myself.  But I want you, the reader, to know me and what I stand for and what I believe in. As most of you know, I was raised in a large family and taught respect, honesty, and loyalty. I was taught that your elders were the ones to look up to ,and that they would be the ones to answer most of the questions of life as it was and as it is now.
    One of my readers wrote me that I always speak the good word about others, but they have not heard how I feel about things that I don't like. So, in this column for this time only, I will let it all out about things that really mad me mad. Remember that what I say is of my own opinion and not that of this newspaper who lets me tell it like it is. In no way do I expect others to feel the way I do, but I know that there are many out there who feel the same way as I do. So here goes with my list of "gets me mad".
    I guess the first thing that comes in mind is the lack of respect that people have for each other. One person will talk behind the back of another and then still act the friend of that person. In the same sense, we have those who will hate someone, and yet go to a funeral of that person and tell everyone how good a friend he or she has lost.
     Another in that same sense is the tele-marketeers who call you to get you to buy something. In most cases these people really do not know what they are trying to get you to buy. They have a sheet in front of them that they read from. Have you ever tried to tell them you are not interested without slamming the phone down? Don't get on them, because they are just doing thier job. My thought on this is that if I want something, I can go get it myself.
    Another thing that burns me up, is the parking in the fire lanes, even though it is clearly signed not to do so. Parking in these lanes is not only against the law , but it also takes up the space needed by the fire dept. and the ambulance needed in a emergency. Many times I have wanted to walk up to the driver sitting there and tell him to move. These people have no respect for the laws. And have you noticed that sometimes they are parked right in front of the walking area, so that others have to go around in order to enter or leave that store.?
    Staying with the drivers of cars, I really get mad when out on the bypass, in very bad weather, we have these so-called great drivers who will come up to the rear of your car, causing you to speed up past the speed limit, and then dart around you, and pull in front, thus causing you to have to hit your brakes suddenly. These people are the ones that are causing the wrecks of other cars by mis-using thier four-wheeled drives, and dis-respecting other drivers. Many times I have pulled up to the rear of these drivers who thought they were going to beat the light only to have to stop for that light, and I have thoughts of reaching in and pulling them out to do harm to them as they would of done me or others.
    And as you are traveling down the highway and you see a car stopped at a stop sign waiting to go out onto that highway, and you think that he is waiting for you to pass by. Wrong ,my friend, that driver will wait until you are right up on him and then will dart out in front of you. Many times this old man has held back on a comment on that crazy driver.
    And how about those drivers who have to smoke, talk on the phone, and eat, while all the time, thier little child is moving all over the car. And those cars with the speakers blaring ,cauing your car to vibrate, as well as probaly helping the driver to one day lose his or her hearing. The other day, I observed a car in front of me driven by a young lady who was talking on her phone, eating a sandwich, and smoking, while tring to hold onto that steering wheel , and while her child was climbing over the seats. Mind you, this was with snow on the road. I have to say that there was one stupid lady who really does not care about anyone else , nor care about life itself.
    How about when you go into your favorite food store expecting to buy fresh meat and when you get home, you find that it is real dark inside. This causes me to think that the ground beef is recycled from what is left from the previous day. To eat that meat is to endanger your life. To continue to shop at that store would be a mistake.
    I guess my biggest "gets me mad" is the way that people who are very healthy, get put on the list of disability, and recieve monthly funds from the government. Many of these so-called disabled people do a lot of things that some of the "healthy people can't do. My gosh, I have back trouble, my legs are going bad, I have heart trouble, and I still put in 40 hours a week, because I am not disabled. I know that too, there are those out there that are actually disabled and they are barely getting by on the check  from our  government. Maybe if they weed out the ones who are not disabled, they would have more for the ones that need it. That is my opinion only.
    And how about those husbands or wives who get monthly checks as survivors , or have the children to take care of. Now most of these people need and use those funds to take care of themselves and the children, but there are those out there that use the funds only for themselves and nothing for the child. In my feeling of this, I can only say  that one day those people will have to answer for thier sin. I could never treat a child like that, because that would show dis-repect for the person who worked so that if anything happened to them, then the child would be taken care of.  Just another degree of dis-respect for the dead and for the living.
    Now don't get me wrong in that this sounds like a lot of bad talk from an old man who doesn't like anybody. That would be far from the truth. I was asked if anything gets me mad and I told you what does get this old man mad. But that is as far as it goes. I don't mention any names as that could cause bad feelings among that particular family. And I am not foolish enough to mention any company names either. What I do say is that there are those out there that just do not use the brains that "The Great Father" gave them. Anyone who cares about others  would never put that person's life in danger, nor would they do that to others..
    I guess that these thoughts come up once in a while in this old mans thoughts , but they are quickly put away in the file thirteen thought tank. I don't carry a grudge, but I don't forget either. You have to be on the elert if you want to survive. As always, Uncle Ray does care about you and I hope that this writing has waken someone up to these problems and and they will look out for the things that I have mentioned.
    May your days be full of joy and may your road of life be without pitfalls and detours. As you walk the path, take a look at all the beautiful sights around you, and breathe in the air of goodness. As you go to sleep tonight , say thanks for a wonderful day, and ask for another one.. It is there for the asking and to do with the way you choose. And while you are at it, say a little prayer for this old man who enjoys coming into your home each Sunday with his thoughts.     Until we visit again, this is your "Uncle Ray" signing off.

You know what folks? This old man just has to have his say about what goes on in this world that affects him and his family. Many times it is only my opinion and not supposed to be what others would think. But the other day, some of my friends were talking with me and we sorted drifted off in the past about of all things, food. We reached a point of no return when someone mentioned how my mother could cook. That got all of us talking about all the wonderful foods that this great lady could make with just the bare essentials. Many times, although we were a large family, there was always some room for one of our friends to sit in and fill his or her belly with food fit for a king.

First off, I remember that the first thing that Mom did in the mornings was to put on a pot of  8:oclock coffee, which was freshly ground, and the aroma went throughout the house. Man, that woke you up. And then it was time to start making that great breakfast of bacon, eggs from the henhouse, bisquits and gravy{ which Dad always wanted to make}, and there was always jelly made from the grapes that we grew. When you were through eating that breakfast, you were ready to take on the world.

Mom was one lady that could take coal and make diamonds out of it, if that coal was food and the diamonds were the result of her time spent at the cook stove. It didn't matter what she used, it still came out good to the taste. She could make the best soda bisquits around, and when you put some of that oleo-margerine on them, the mouths would water and the accolades  given to her was all she wanted to hear. Back then , it was nothing to have a big kettle of beans, a large cast-iron skillet of cornbread, and a large skillet of fried taters waiting for you when dinner or supper came about. Throw in some chopped up onions, and a glass of kool-aid, and you had some happy belly-full kids ready to dig in and help mom clean up the kitchen, only to do it all over again for the next meal .Mom's work was never done, but she never once griped about it.

That great lady, we and half the neighborhood called Mom, was always doing something, but she always had time to teach all of us how to cook, sew, iron, make beds, and clean house. She was preparing all of us to be able to take over if and when it was needed. In addition to all that, she made sure that each of us did our daily chores each day. She taught us to respect our own home and homes of others. She stressed at all times that Dad was the breadwinner in the family and that he deserved all the respect of a father that was making sure that his wife and children were taken care of.  Neither of those two great people ever asked for anything else but respect from thier children, and to the day that both of them left to be with The Great Father, there was respect given by both to thier family.

Dad had one thing that made him happy and that was to come home to his family and to a hot meal. He never asked for anything else. He was content on being the breadwinner and Mom was content on taking care of her man and thier kids. What a wonderful pair for God to send us to. Would we of changed anything if we could of? I don't think so, because we were taken care of , and we had great parents. The things that those two great people taught us will live on until it is time for us to go Home.

Which brings this old man back to the present, when things seem to look bad with the thoughts of the factories laying off some people and thier thoughts on how to survive. The problems with many are that they lived on what they made and didn't put anything back for that rainy day. Many have max themselves out on thier credit cards and are driving around in cars that they can't afford. In other words, the things that they were taught by thier elders did not put a dent into thier thick  heads. And that my friends is where we went wrong. We threw all the things taught us by our elders out the window, and we did things our way. And I must say that those who didn't heed the advice and education of thier parents are probaly wishing that they had someone to take them under thier wings and get them back to prosperity and then maybe use thier heads when they get there.

I guess that just maybe that was the reason that Mom and Dad taught us to care for ourselves. They knew that someday they wouldn't be around and we would have to be the ones to make our lives ones that we can be proud of. I have to say that they did one heck of a job. But you know , talking about that good food she made, I got hungry just thinking about it. The past is not easy to forget when you have memories like ours. I could talk about our Mom and Dad for hours. I miss them very much as I know that my brothers and sisters do. Life is just that. It is history, it is present, and it is the future.

Take a little time and go back to your childhood, and while there think how many times that you said thanks to your Mom and Dad. Come back to the present and take time to tell them thanks for everything. Whether they are still living or up there with The Great Father, they will still hear you. Thanks Mom and Dad for doing all you did for all of us kids. We love you very much.

Uncle Ray is signing off for this week and I hope that our little visit was as good for you as it was for me. And if any of you have some history about Kokomo and Howard County, send it to me.

As I grow older and I look at the things that are happening , I look back to the days of old, and I see something that really bothers me. What I see is the way that rules, honesty, loyalty, and good common sense , have taken a back seat to the reverse. No one wants rules that bind them to hardship and harm.     . Some like to bend the rules and see how far they can get before getting caught. Most of the time rules can be bent a little without harm, but it is wrong. If there is a rule made , then it must of been for a good reason, and it should be followed without any problems, unless it was made by special interest groups who's only desire is to get what isn't theirs in the first place. That is where rules interfere in the everyday life of most people. Before we post new rules, we should disect every part of that rule to make sure that it benefits everyone and not just a few.

Then we take a look at honesty and it makes you sick to see people take what  is not thiers. To take something that does not belong to you without permission is stealing in the very sense of the word. I really get a dose of reality when I observe how people steal and why do they do it. Stealing is a disease that works on the mind telling you that it is alright to take what is not yours. I have witness the taking of such by some pretty well to do people who do not have to steal, yet they are only slapped on the hand and left to continue to take what is not theirs. And the way that the kids get started on this path really ticks me off. If a child brings home something worth some money without money to buy it, the parent should be asking where and how did he or she get it. Too many times we look the other way and hope that it is just a part of growing up. But it is the start of a long hard road for that child as he or she will move on up the ladder in theft and dis-honesty. Yet someone who is falsely accused of something he or she did not do, will carry the stigma of one who took something that was not theirs. I have a friend that falls into that stigma although I know that he is a man who would not take anything that was not his. I hope that he does not carry a grudge about this because he is a fine man and a good friend.

Which brings me to loyalty. Where does loyalty start and where does it end.? A person can be a very loyal worker doing everything asked of him and still be subjected to false accusations. How he or she takes it is subject to what kind of person he or she is. A company can be loyal to thier workers and yet be waiting in the shadows ready to leap upon the first wagon to fill thier pockets with money from another source who wants to buy them out. What happens when this happens depends on the type of company that buys them out. Will they be loyal to thier new employees or will they do what all others have done and that is down-sizing, which results in the loss of jobs and family? Remember that the best way to do away with your competition is to buy them out.

Which now brings me to just using common sense. Go by the rules at work and by the rules in everyday life. If they are rules set down by the laws of the land and they force a hardship on the people, then those rules need to be abolished. The only way to do that is to take those people out of office who are representing a few instead of representing you the voter. Then put someone in that will try to represent all the people. I know that it sounds easy but I know that it isn't. But remember that just because that person is in office for two or four years does not mean that you and I can't bring them back home for a spanking and sensor.

What I am trying to say to you is what my father and mother said to us. Don't take what is not yours. Follow the rules and work for a change in those which are wrong. Be loyal to your employers, because you came looking for a job. They did not go out on the street and drag you in. Expect your company and friends to be loyal to you. If there is one thing that I could say to those out there who fall into the groups that I mentioned, it would be to be someone that your parents and your children are proud of. If you do that, then the rest just falls into place

So as we go down the path of glory and we know what is waiting for us up ahead, we walk a straight line, staying away from the potholes and detours, until that day when you make the trip to the Promise Land and upon getting there, The Great Father looks at you and says "You Did Great, My Child." Until the next time when you and I visit, I ask for your prayers, and I ask for The Great Father to Bless each and everyone of you. Catch me on my web site and e-mail me at uncleray@writeme.com Thanks for listening. Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
 
 

Take a walk up to Havens and Lafountain Street, and on the southwest corner, there was a white house with a picket fence all around it. The gate in the front always opened to the outside, so you had to be sure and keep it closed, because there was always people walking on the sidewalk. There was a back gate that opened both ways, and that was where most of our walking traffic was. Dad always parked his car next to that gate because he didn't have too far to walk to the house. Our property took up about one third of that whole block, because it has another big lot to the west of it. That was where most of us kids played and it also was the place where every year we had our garden.

In the side yard to the south, we had fruit trees. There was Black Cherries, Apricot, Peach, Pear and Apple there . To the west of those trees, we had a chicken coop. There was lots of chickens there, but I didn't like them and they didn't like me. I had to go out and get the eggs from the nest, and I went at that chore with trembling hands.

Right to the west of our house , there was the coal shed which was fastened right to the house. Dad made sure that there was always plenty of coal there ,so that we could keep warm and Mom could cook. It was our duty to make sure that the coal made it's way into the house, so that the heating stove always had some to throw into it when the fire got down low. Also it was our duty to remove the ashes from the bottom of the stove when it was needed. Ashes in the winter time were used out on the sidewalks so that no one would slip on the ice.

Going to the south west corner of the house we find the wood that is chopped up and stacked so that when it was needed for cooking or heating, it was not too far away to bring in. That also was the duty of us kids to make sure that the wood was chopped and ready at a moments notice. Back in the old days, you used whatever means available for warmth and cooking. As I mentioned earlier, the rest of our property was used for play and the garden that fed us in hard times. If it could be planted and if it growed, then it wound up in our bellies sooner or later. We never were hungry because we had Mom and Dad who knew how to take care of thier kids.

Ok, enough with the outside, we are going to go into the front door of that home and the first thing you see was the living room, and that was where Mom had her piano. Boy, she could sure play some great songs on that piano, and the kids from the neighborhood would gather around her as she played all the songs of that day. We always praised her for being able to play that good. We eventually find out that it was a player piano and there were different rows of slotted music in the sitting stand and that was really where most of the music was coming from. Mom knew a lot of songs on her own, and she would always grace us with them. She taught a few of us some songs, and love was always in her heart for all of us kids.

Going into the next room, there was the Florence heating stove, which kept most of the house warm except the upstairs . Right above that stove was a transom in the ceiling that allowed the heat to drift up into the bedrooms above. Off to the south of that stove was Mom and Dad's  bedroom, and to the east of that was where the girls slept. Going to the west of the heating stove we went into the kitchen, where we ate and where Mom did her wonders with food. We had our cook stove there which needed to be maintained with coal, wood, and corncobs. Corncobs were great for getting a stove's fire going and for maintaining the proper heat needed to bake with.

Leading off the kitchen to the west, there was the utility room where most of the food was kept. It was alway pretty cool in there, so you could store most of the food there so that it would not go bad. To the south of that kitchen there was the back door which led to the back porch where our icebox was kept. We always had to make sure that the iceman did not forget us, so we always watch out for him. If  he missed us, all we had to do was to go across the street to the icehouse and buy the ice and carry it home to the icebox. Man that ice was cold to carry.

Going to the east of that kitchen there was a stairway that went to the upstairs and that was where the men of this family slept. Man, it got so cold up there that when you woke up in the mornings, there was ice on the top of your blankets. Sometimes when Dad worked midnights, he would sleep up there where it was quiet. That man  did all he could to keep his family going, and he deserved being able to rest.

And so you have made a memory trip with me back to my old homeplace, and I hope you have enjoyed the trip. But I really would not be giving you the true memory without letting you know that it was a great neighborhood to grow up in, because it was where all of my childhood friends came from. There were the Hogans, and the Fowlers, and the Kirbys and the Weavers, who to this day have been my friends. There were the grocery stores operated by the Witacers, the Frenchs, the Winburns, and the Martins, who were there to take care of us when we needed food that could not be grown in our garden. And back then the word of the customer was good enough to just put it on the bill. They knew that come payday, that bill was taken care of.

That was a time when you could sit outside at either end of the house and not have to worry about someone breaking in. It was a time when you didn't have to lock your doors during the day, because all the neighbors were good people and trustworthy. People back then looked out for one another, and they helped each other.

Would you of wanted to live back them? It was and is a part of my memory of a time that will never go away. The things that we as children learned from living back then turns out to be the basis of what we cherished today. Sometimes you have to look back to see how far we have gone. The old house is not there anymore but once in a while, I take a trip down Lafountain Street from Monroe to North Streets, and I relive my boyhood all over again. Without the past, we would not have the present. Without the past and the present, we would have no future. Make the most out of what you have learned and put it to use to make those who follow us appreciate what you did.

We took a trip down my memory lane, and it sure felt good. Take a trip down your memory lane and relive those days that got you to where you are today. Remember to prayer for this old man who enjoys writing this column. Ask the Great Father to give me more time to do the job that he sent me here to do. As always, my website is there for you to enjoy and you can reach me by e-mail at uncleray@writeme.com. Thanks for the memories.  Ray " Uncle Ray" Day