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After the printing of my column about electing our president, I received many emails concerning that article, and questions were asked of me about my personal feelings about how we elect our people for governmental office. So here are the questions and my “back at you”.

I was asked what I thought about those who are running for office while at the same time are supposed to be representing you and me. It is my opinion that anyone who is running for office should have completed his or her elected term in office "before" trying to make the next step. In other words, if you are serving an elected term in our government whether it is city, state or federal, you should complete that term "before" running for another elected position. However, if you are in office and you want to be once again elected to the same elected office, you need to do your job and let the ones who elected you to determine whether you did good enough to stay there. Too many times, we have those who should be doing the job they were elected to, going out on yours and my time to run for office. Let the deeds determine if you can be sent back to another term. To put it in a small nutshell, do the job we sent you there to do.

Another question that was asked was how I felt about the wasteful spending of money to be elected, and so here is my opinion on that. It really gets to me to see all the money spent globe-trotting around the USA, going from state to state to get the exposure so that you can get elected to office. There should be some way that a person can get his or her word out without using large sums of money that come either by donation or by the use of our money that was given to run our government. Special favors lie in the doorway for those who gave large sums of money to the person they feel will represent them as an outside faction any time smoke blows their way. Special concessions to those who give the most.

Another question asked was about the hidden agendas that those who want to be elected to office have, that lie in the closet until that door is opened to spring out on unknowing voters when it is too late to do anything about it. That is why I think we should only elect to office those who are “already in that chair” or those who have completed their elected obligation, and not in office at that particular time. The only way that you and I can vote with knowledge is to know how that person has done before or how it is today.

I was asked about how I felt about the possibility of a woman as president. My answer to that is that if we know enough about her and she is capable to do the deed, then she should have that chance. I was asked about a man of color being elected to be president and here I have to say the same thing. If we know enough about that man or that woman and we know there are no closed doors that might spring open too late, then they should have that opportunity to be our president. So if you think my opinions hold water then I have answered your questions. To sum it up in a way that is easier to note, here are my thoughts. There should be no closed doors about those who want to represent us. There should be no favors hanging on the doorknob of that closed door to be given out when successful. There should be equal representation for all and not for a few. And we as voters should use extreme caution in electing someone in office who has a short fuse and who could ruin this wonderful country we live in. And all primaries should be at the same time so that the voters are the ones who elect them to office. We should be the ones who choose those we trust to do the job.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 
 

In the last month, this writer has lost many friends who have been called Home. Of course, we all know that our time will come one day and we will enter into a new eternal life in Heaven. But while we are here among our friends, we, many times, don’t acknowledge our thoughts about those around us or even those who we grew up with. Having been a resident of the north end of Kokomo for many years before moving out to the farmhouse, I was blessed to have many friends who played a big part of my growing up years. I still see some of those friends but many have passed on or have moved as we did in 1953. And that is what this column is about.

We grow up and we forget those that we grew up with. The childhood friends, who were my good friends even though I moved away from the area, are still my good friends. Recently three of my those friends got the call Home, and I wasn’t able to be at their viewings  because of sickness in the family. Therefore, to be able to say goodbye was not in the cards for me and I ask for forgiveness for that. We just do not take the time to look up old friends and let them know we care about them. Even though we see them occasionally, we do not take the time to let them know we care. Just a holler across the street and we are good until the next time. That in my thoughts is wrong, as we need to take a little time and find out how they are doing health-wise and how their family is doing. Just taking a few minutes to renew our friendship is all we need to do to bond closer together for life.

Recently I saw my old friend Bob, at a store and he was moving down the aisle on one of those motor carts. We exchanged greetings and we talked for only a few minutes and then said our goodbyes. I wish I could of taken a little time and talked some more, because a couple weeks later he passed on. Just one of those times where we just do not take the time to find out how both of us are doing. That is the way that we all do anymore. Is it because we have no extra time to spare, or is it because we don't care? Whatever the reason, it just is not a good reason, because that chance might never come forth again. So for the families of Bob, Harry, and J.C., this writer asks for forgiveness. I saw a friend that I haven't seen in 50 years at the heart doctors office and we knew each other right away. Odd isn't it?

And staying with this subject, I think back to the new friends I picked up at Western High School. Man, those students at that school knew how to make a new kid feel better. My first day was one that blessed me with some great pals and great teachers too. So this writer was blessed with old and new friends and to this day, we do see one another occasionally. Add the friends I picked up at Continental Steel and those at Sears, this writer has friends everywhere, and that is good. I have always said that if I had a million dollars, the first thing I would think of doing would to bring all my friends into one spot and have one big party. Man wouldn’t that be one great party. We just don’t take the time to go out of our way to renew old friendships, because time as we see it, will not allow it to be. Can that really happen or is it just a thought and not a fact? Whatever way we go in doing this, we still leave many friends standing for the bus on a corner not to be a bus stop. Take the time to tell a friend that you care, because it could make a difference in both lives. And you will feel better for it.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 

I like to go back in time to remember what and how it was to live in my time as a young child. Life wasn’t hectic like it is now because, as a youngster, we hadn’t had to worry about paying bills and working all hours of the day or night. Life was one of adventure, and each day was a new one. I remember the friends I had back then who still are my friends now. As soon as school was out and our chores done, we would all meet outside to decide what we were going to do and how much fun it was going to be doing it. If it was warm, then we usually played softball. We had the parking lot of  Globe American Factory to use whenever they weren’t working. And we had the lot that Dad planted our garden on if he hadn’t started the garden yet. We had Dunbar Center to visit where Mrs. Madrey would allow us to play Gin Rummy or Rook or Old Maid card games. There were always good books to read and she was always ready to read to us anytime. Some people can read to you and do it so well that you feel like you are right there in the book too. We could always play on the corner playing “Kick The Can”, but you had to watch for cars that would show up about every few minutes. We never got hurt doing these things because our parents taught us to always be careful. You had to watch for those things you don’t see. One of my favorite things to do was make a punching bag out of a paper sack filled with rags and tied at the top and hanging from a tree limb.

There were times when we would go “Junking” where we would look for metals to sell to the junkyard. We always used this method to get money to use when we went to the Saturday afternoon movies at the Fox, Wood, Colonial or Isis Theatres. There we would enjoy our Cowboys and Indians, like The Lone Ranger, Roy & Dale, Gene Autry, Gabby Hayes and many more great cowboys who rode off into the sunset for another week. If you had the extra money, there was popcorn, and pop to enjoy while you watch the movie. Kokomo was blessed with at least 6 movie houses back then. Or if the movie was over , you could just walk around the downtown area and just enjoy all the scenes in the store windows.

Needless to say, when you got home, you had a lot to talk about and Mom was always there to listen. She and Dad always knew that we would behave ourselves when we were off somewhere away from their eyes, because they trained us that way. One of the things I enjoyed the most, was sitting there in the front room, while she played the piano. She could even carry a tune and she could always tell the best stories. Many times our friends would sit on the porch with us and listen to her tell her stories, which sometimes were sort of scary and you had to watch them as they went home until they were safely in the house and into their mother’s arms. School work was very important in our parent’s eyes and it was the first thing to do each school night. Then it was getting a supply of coal and wood built up so the house would stay warm all day and night.

We had a Florence Warm Morning Stove in the middle room and a cook stove in the kitchen. Our ice box was out on the back porch and the ice man who was just across the street would always keep it filled with a large block of ice. You didn’t have to worry about anyone stealing anything back then because neighbors were like family and they looked out for each other. That way of life has really changed with the times and nowadays you have to make sure your doors are locked. Things & attitudes have changed, haven’t they? See you next week.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 
 

This month, it has been 22 years, since the day that we, at the Steel Mill, were told it was our last day. The mill was broke and the people of Kokomo had no mill  for steady work and to raise their families on. That day was one that we saw coming for a long time, not because of the money flow but because of improper top management. They needed a cash flow from somewhere, in order to keep their cement business in the east, above water. So Continental Steel was purchased by secretly buying stock until it had enough stock to control our mill.

Starting out, it wasn’t too bad because we seemed to be making the money and no departments were shut down. Orders continued to come in for rebar, wire, rods, and nails, welded fab and chain link fence. At one time we made the best sheet metal, roofing and culvert stock , sold all over the United States.. Our product was one of the best in the steelmaking business, and our nails did not bend . Our welded fab was used in the construction business, as was our rebar. Our product was the best..

As time went by, we found that concessions had to be made, money wise, in order to stay afloat. This was in a company that had been a profitable one for decades. Concessions were asked several times with stock ownership being the return. It turned out that our ownership of the stock was in name only and we never got anything for those concessions.

Many of our supervisors were removed from their jobs and sent to the streets even though they had been in the union prior to becoming a supervisor. It seems that they had signed their time away in order to keep their supervisor jobs. I was in supervision for 16 years after having 15 in the C&T Clerical Union. I never signed my time away, by throwing the letter that was sent to me, in the waste basket to be burned up. I never thought for one moment that one day that would be a benefit for me as one day I was told that I had better hit the street because I was asking too many questions about how the money was being spent.

I finished up my last five years as a traffic clerk and one day we got the news that our mill was no more. No one can feel the hurt that 1200 plus people felt when that news came. Even though we knew that one day it might, we couldn’t bring ourselves to admit it. On that day, the air was close and anger was in the air as we sought to find some relief from such a blow to our being. Many families went broke while trying to find work, Many got bad sick because they couldn’t accept what happened. Many went back home to the south after spending most of their family life here in Kokomo, Indiana. There were jobs out there, but you needed the experience to get them.

I went to Sears to work when the sales manager of The Home Improvement Dept let me know there was an opening. It was time to learn a new vocation, and get on with my life with my wife and 2 children. I was successful in the new job because of the training I got from quality salespeople that had many years of selling. Life was a little better for me although I sure missed the Steel Mill and those great friends I had there. The Steel Mill was the backbone of this city for many a year and should be remembered as such. Those were good people who worked there.

I want to say here that working as a steelworker was a blessing to me because regardless of nationality, they were good friends. The grounds where the mill sat is empty now and it sure would be nice if Kokomo would honor those who worked there with some sort of a memorial on those grounds. Long live the memory of Continental Steel Corp. More later.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

As one who is always asking why things are done like they are, this week I am going to give you some of the things I find doubts about. How many times have you heard or read that something is good or bad for you and a few years down the line, those same bad things are suddenly good for you? I bet you know of several just like I do. How many times have you read that a certain food has so many calories and should be eaten with restraint so that you won’t put on those extra pounds on that body you look at in the mirror? How many times have you taken a medicine that supposedly is to help you get your system in check, and then read what the side effects were? I bet once you find that out, you stop taking that medicine, even though it cost you a fortune and you have to dispose of it. You can’t give it to someone who could use it because then you are breaking a law. How many times have you seen where a friend has bought a new home with all the goodies although that same person has no way to pay for it if they lose their jobs. The same goes with a vehicle with all the trimmings. You listen to the sales pitch and you buy even though you know you can’t afford it, because at the time you are riding on cloud nine , listening to someone who just wants the commission sale. We are a group of wanting to believe everything that sounds good, without looking way down the line to see if there will not be problems doing it.

Everyday, I will be sitting watching the television, and I will see lawyers telling people that if you think you have been done wrong, to come see them and they will get you what is coming to you. In reality what is coming to you is a lot of headaches paying that lawyer for nothing. My reasoning is that if you have been done wrong, you will have already gone to a reputable lawyer to get justice. Lawyers who advertise on tv are just like the ones who follow the ambulances to get customers. How about the medicine ads where the companies advertises a new medicine and tells the tv viewer to ask your doctor about it. My reasoning is that if the doctor thinks that a medicine might be good for you, he or she will have already prescribed it for you. What the ad does is to put doubt in your mind that you are not treated with the right medicine. My thought here is to trust your doctor first and not believe the ads on tv. Your family doctor is the one that knows best about your particular illness.

At one time I heard that coffee was not good for you if you use it in large quantities. It will keep you awake at night, and your body will suffer from that. This is probably true with a lot of people but in my case, a cup of coffee helps me rest enough to fall asleep. Matter of fact, I have restless legs and it bothers me until I get up and fix me a cup of coffee and that helps me cope with it.

So to put this column in the field of fact not fiction, we need to know that no one on television knows how you feel. They can’t tell you what medicines are better for you. That is what your doctor is for. No one who practices law should be able to advise someone via the television. Only you are the one who knows and you can get advise from a lawyer right here in your city, who will help you, in any problems that you feel done wrong about. And just using common sense, you yourself can make a correct judgment on what you can afford in the way of a new home or a new car. Don’t let someone else make that judgment for you. Don’t put good judgment where you can’t find it.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 

It will soon be the 51st anniversary of Ray & Ramona, a couple who found love in the eyes of each other & have continued to find that love is still the company of each other as they blend into one being to live as one.

Back in the days of old, a young couple in love was like a waterfall in that it continued without any stops and sometimes the overflow is overwhelming. It was like having the world at your feet, not to worry about anything but the love of each other. Having places to go at any time was a big plus for 2 lovers, as there were plenty of ice cream shops, burger joints, & movie houses to go to. Kokomo was not hurting for places to hang out without someone chasing you away. Rock Around The Clock was one of our favorite places because you could get any sandwich or any pop and you could listen to the music that filled the air. Another place that had inside seating and sold the best food for either a meal or just a quick sandwich and drink was the HobNob. Music to your tastes was there too, and it made for a nice date on a Saturday night.

One thing I always did was to hold off of the onions. Nowadays I use as many as I can. As a matter of fact, both of use are heavy on the onions. Down on the south end there was the Lighthouse, where once again you could eat inside or stay in the car. If you went inside you played the favorite songs and you sat across from each other looking and smiling like there was a big secret you wanted to tell. All of these spots were there for young and old lovers to just sit back and take in the feelings of contentment, and to tell your love that you will be together for a long time.

And if you wanted to spend your date downtown, there were many places to go. If it wasn’t to late, you could get a nice sandwich and coke at Kresges and there was Mary Lou there to serve you. Mary Lou Budd is Ramona’s aunt and she still is one great looking lady. If you are ever out at Friendship Haven, say hello to her. Hello Mary Lou.

The fifties was a great time of life at it’s fullest, and it was a time when there wasn’t a chance of any kids going wrong with drugs or holding up places, because not only were we raised right and we knew right from wrong, & there were places run by responsible people where two people in love could hang out and then be home at the proper time set forth by the parents. And yes, many times the parent was still awake until that son or daughter was back safely in the home.

Yes, those were the days when love meant a lot and having places to go , & gave that love a chance to bloom and eventually blend into the flower garden of life. Respect of each other and their respective families, & the blending of that respect upon each new member through the years grew abundant, and to this day, it is still there. Through sickness and health, richer or poorer, the love of two as one is still in the air. The raising of two daughters was part of the blending of eternal love and still is.. So to put it all into one neat little package, here is my message to Ramona. I take Ramona to always be my love of my life, through sickness and in health, richer or poorer, in good times and in bad, in joy as well in sorrow, to honor and respect you ,to laugh and cry with you and to cherish you for as long as I live. This I promise with God as my witness to you, my love of all these 51 years. Many times we might go without saying it, but my love for you is greater each day. I know that you feel the same too.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 

Trying to find a show on TV that I hadn’t seen, or one that was worth watching a second time, isn’t too easy to do, since.I don’t care to watch the so-called modern music-dance-crotch holding shows we have in today’s world. In my day, a singer or dancer showing off their talents, was well groomed, and could carry a tune well or could move the feet well. You didn’t see un-kept hair, dirty clothes, and the hollering that you see now on shows being viewed by those who prefer that type of entertainment. The saying of the same words over and over, combined with the constant picking of the same strings on the guitar over and over is today’s sound sought by the generation of today. Well, this old man will stay with the mellow tones of Elvis, Tony Bennet, Frank Sinatra, Kate Smith, Loretta Lynn and all those singers who really do have talent in music. Add to that ,the dancers of yesterday, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rodgers, and others who gracefully moved across the stage. The stars of yesterday blended their music with a clean look and those who sat in the audience were greatly rewarded by getting their money’s worth when they bought a ticket to the best show in town.

Needless to say, this writer is a bit opinionated, when it comes to taste in music and showmanship.  I look at a person’s talent to sing a song that gets the listener to sing along, and when a dancer moves across the stage, the eyes follow along with the watcher’s feet moving to the beat. Folks, the good sounds and the good shows are out there but you won’t find too many of them on your TV set, because what the sponsors want is the young generation, and the hollering content and suggestive motions bringing them into the fold, where they will spend lots of cash for their product.

Now here is the problem with that kind of thought. How many times have you watched a commercial and then wonder what it had to do with the product advertised? How many times can you even remember what that product was? It really blows my mind, how much money is spent by companies who want their product seen by the public, yet do not even realize what they are paying for in commercials. And adding to that fact is the placing of up to 8 commercials, one after the other, coming across your TV screen, when your show is interrupted for that commercial. Count them sometimes and then try to remember what they were. Sponsors, you are being cheated many times because you are paying for the same space that others are.

And how many car lot ads are being viewed on television, where they tell you one price to get you in there and then all the fine print is viewed at the bottom & that you can’t read it. I know that commercials pay for the shows we watch, but we are also paying to watch that show. Every month we get a bill in the mail charging us for the channels we get, but about half of those channels are ones that we don’t want or need, but we pay for them so that they can be viewed by others who pay for them too. You would think that in today’s world, we would have the option of getting the channels we want, but that isn’t the way that cable works, unless you want to pay a fortune for it. That is my opinion only. You can make your own opinions on that subject. As far as ads are concerned, since I was in sales for over 17 years, my thoughts are that the only true way to advertise is when you put it in black and white, with all the fine print right there for you to see, before you make a decision to purchase a product. You only will see that type of ad in the newspaper or magazine. You have solid proof when you go to a store to buy something, about what it is, the cost, and the warranty that it carries.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 

The subject of this column today is about medicines that many people need but can not afford. We, in recent years, have sat quietly by and watched our cost of medicines escalate to where you have to decide if you want to buy it and stay alive or do without it and see what happens. As a retired person living on a limited budget and trying to make each penny count, I find this appalling and an insult to all the retirees and all those poor people out there that just lost their jobs or for that matter just went through a big medical bill where their co-pay took everything they had.

I remember one day, while waiting in line to get our medicines, a young fellow  was just getting his medicine and since he had no insurance, he was hit with a cost of close to one hundred dollars for two medicines. As he turned away to leave, with a tear in his eye, I asked him if he was ok. He said he was but might not be ok later on as he couldn’t afford his prescription and he was out of work, and didn’t know when he would find a job. I took him aside and told him to keep his head up because there were more like him that are going through the same thing and it isn’t getting any better.

I asked him what he thought of someone having health insurance and paying the monthly premium on time each month and still having to pay the full cost of my medicines as well as my wife’s He was shocked to hear such an absurd story because he knew that by having insurance and keeping up on the monthly payments he would feel great having to pay only a small co-pay.

That is where I explained to him how it works. You get your insurance through a group or with Medicare itself , you pay your monthly premium and you pay only about 25% for brand meds and 10% for generic meds. That is "until" the total of what you paid and what the plan pays amounts to $2400.00 and then you are placed in what they call the coverage gap, which means that from that moment on until you reach $5000.00 your meds will cost you plenty.. Now remember that you are still continuing to pay your monthly premium all this time. Well by this time I had a group around me listening to my every word and agreeing with me, and I had to move up and purchase my meds and get out of there before there was any problems with the Pharmacy.

Now I will tell you my thoughts on this problem. First of all, every day we see that our country is giving money away to help other countries to combat the illnesses over there. We see the people that own the places that manufacture all the medicines giving to the poor and ill in other countries. We see our leaders in Washington spend billions of dollars to fight a war . And if  you check into it, you will probably see where they don’t have to pay for any RX medicines needed by them or their families.

Folks, I have stated it before and I will say it again. We need a better solution to our health networks. We need to be able to afford our medicines without having to worry about going hungry. We need to be able to keep the doctors who are giving up their practice because they are bound by rules that only benefit the wealthy and not the common man. And we need to govern the manufacturing of the medicines so much needed by us now and you later. How much longer can you and I go before we are like that young fellow with a tear in his eyes? As the saying goes, “I am now what you will be later.” Are the people in Washington listening to our pleas? Do they care? Will they do something soon? I don’t think so unless we start making a lot of noise. It truly is a shame what is happening.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 

With the May Primary coming up here in Indiana, I have to take notice on what we need to look for and need to know so that our vote will not be wasted and regretted for four plus years. Many times most voters will come out and vote for that person who they think will be the best for that position without thinking it out first. I was like that when I first started voting, and I really did not think it out first. The person was running and so I thought that they must be ok because they were involved and they were willing to give of their own time to be my representative in government. Since then, I have taken a deeper look into who is running and why they might want that position.

Now, let me get started right by saying that I believe that any person running, other than the incumbent ,should not already be serving a term in office and that term still has a year or two still to be served. If you are elected for a four year term by the voters in your state, then you should serve it and then afterward, make the move to run for a different office. Too many times we vote someone in to represent us and they decide to go up the ladder on our time and our vote. That should never happen. They should serve their time and then go for the brass ring.

How many times have we been fooled by those who want to help us and then they do what a group wants on other policies? How many times have we voted a person in because of his or her convictions and later found that we were fooled into believing that he was gong to do whatever was needed to turn this country around, and we find that he had plans of his own to take care of? Do we just vote a person in because of his or her party affiliation, without finding out if he or she could work together with all representatives who were voted in to represent those who voted them in? Do we really look into the past or closet of those who want our vote? We should take the time to find out This year, there are three persons wanting to be the top man or woman to sit at the head of the table and what do we really know about them. Do we care that we could put someone else in that spot to decide if our country deserves to stay free? Is that person qualified enough to decide whether or not we try to live in peace or we go to war again. Do we want someone in that office who had a grudge against another country? Do we want someone there who is still wet behind the ears and who could push the panic button too soon? Do we want another person in that position, who gives all our money away to other countries and lets those in this country do without medical help and supplies.

How many times have we gone to the well to help those overseas when a tragedy occurs, and yet have to take time to check out the perils of our country before giving aid? Folks, this election that is coming up this year will be one that could be a healing one or it could be one that will send us further down the beaten path of agony. We need to open those closets and we need to look under the piles and on the shelves to see if there could be something there that will hurt us later. As one who will be there to cast my vote, I am looking and will continue to do so and that when my vote is counted it would be for that person who is the most qualified to head this country where it should be. I don’t want to regret my vote like I have the last several years. Now it is your time to decide how to vote and who for.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 

I remember when we had wars & we had peace. I am not an authority of the actual events of those wars, but I am expressing my thoughts as they pertain to why we engaged in the wars of my time. Those wars  were  WW2 and The Korean Conflict, and then in later years we had our involvement in Viet Nam. Before that, there was WW1. We went into WW1 because our world was in danger of destruction as a free world with those who wanted power over everyone. That war was supposed to end all wars, but as time goes by the presence of dictators and power hungry men grew & the idea of taking over the world as one, grew and more heads of countries felt that it was time to once again emerge from the gates of  Hades and spread fear.

Many good soldiers died in that war but victory over the power hungry roaches of  Hades prevailed and throughout the world, people started to put their lives back together and attempt to live in peace. However, deep down a force of one of the worst servers of  Hades in the form of Hitler had thoughts of a nation filled with hate of all those who didn’t believe his way and the things that his forces did to good people of faith will never be forgotten. In addition, the families of those killed in Pearl Harbor will never forget the way that Japan brought America into the battle. I remember listening to our radio when President Roosevelt came on & told everyone that we were at war. Being a young child, I didn’t know the impact of such a statement until I grew up and I saw that we still are trying to stay a free nation under GOD, but the roaches still lurk in the confines of their deep holes waiting to reach out & grab that freedom away from us.

We went into the Korean War to try to keep that country from falling to communism with the North fighting the South. To this day, there is still that fear that once again the ugly head of communism will spring up & take its toil on the freedom of the South. In Viet Nam, we went in for the same purpose but the results are the same as the threat is still there waiting. We go into the fields of Afghanistan and Iraq, and we try to save those who really don’t want us there, and we pay with the killings of our brave men and women who are serving as soldiers in a land of hatred of the American people.

Many will conclude from this column that I have hate in my heart for those who would promote wars in order to give them more power over the freedoms of others. But hate is a terrible word to use, as it is disgust that lies within my mind for all those who would sacrifice the lives of others in order to promote their agenda of power and oppression.

We need to bring  our soldiers home as soon as we can and place them all along our borders and  let the world know that we will not go down without a fight. You protect what is yours and you protect your loved ones from harm. Take this from a man who is proud of our armed forces and being an American. Losing face in a war that can’t be won isn’t a bad thing but continuing to lose our sons and daughters while trying to decide whether to stay or come home is a bad thing. Coming home to protect our homeland and our loved ones should be a priority now and not later. As a proud American, let us support our troops here in the land of the free and home of the brave. Let’s bring them home and support them and their families. Freedom is not free but the cost of it now is getting out of hand. Those who have died, & those still serving, I salute you and your family, & I thank you.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 

A reader asked me about how it was in the old days when weather played a big part in what you could do each day. Well, that got me to thinking about how it was for me and so here is my column for this week. We did not have closed school days when it got bad in the winter. We went to school no matter how bad it was with ice or snow and if there was a bad storm coming, the teachers at the school knew how to protect their kids who were there.

I can remember several times when snow was about a foot deep and Mom would always make sure we had our boots on. We had buckle boots that went high enough so that you could tuck your pant legs in them. Of course we hit every puddle there was, and the pants got wet anyway. We had raincoats that had it’s own hood and they were yellow and if it was warm out, you were wetter inside more than outside. And Mom did not want any of her kids coming down with a cold. Of course, if we did, she knew how to chase that cold away. Mom always gave us some pinex in a small bottle to take to school with us in case of one of us having a bad cough. Seems like I used it the most as I was always losing my voice.

Getting back to the bad weather, we wore MacAnough coats, and a sock cap on our heads and always a warm scarf around the neck. Many times, there was an extra scarf to cover the nose and mouth too. Boy, Mom didn’t take any chances , because she knew that missing school was something she wanted to avoid. Therefore, to see schools closed now because of bad weather, brings back memories of my youth at Willard, Central, and Kokomo High Schools. And when we moved out to the old farmhouse in New London, we went to Western Schools and we had the school bus to pick us up and take us to the school’s doorstep. All we had to do was to get to the bus stop, which was at the end of our driveway, which was about 200 feet. And walking in the tire paths made by Dad when he went to work, we did not have much excuse to miss that bus unless we woke up too late and there was no one to take us to school.

Our bus driver like to chew tobacco and every once in a while he would spit a wad out his window while never taking his eyes off the road. You did not want to have your window open if you sat on the left side of the bus. He was one great man who drove safely and he cared about his charges. Mr. Taylor, we thank you for that. When school was over for the day, he was always there waiting for us and he knew who was or was not there and he made sure before driving off, that there was a good reason if one of the kids was not there.

As school work was very important to passing a grade, Mom always checked to see if we had any and if so, then it came first before the chores and playing outside. I personally made sure that mine was done at school and the only time that I studied at home was if we were to have a big test the next day. Really, I don’t know how Mom did all she did with all those kids she had to watch and nurture but she did one great job doing it. As I have stated many times, Mom did without so that all of us might get what we needed. She surely was one angel from heaven. And could she make the music on her piano. That was the one thing she treasured along with her family. To watch her play and see the warm smile on her face, we felt good and so lucky that God selected her to be our mother.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 

Anyone who knows me well, will say that I look forward to putting out a garden each spring. To me that is the goodbye to winter and hello spring. It also is the time when we get some hard rains and always the chance of that last hard freeze that every year tries to hold us up another few days before getting out there in Gods gift to us and use it for some goodies that only come from doing it yourself, and come harvest time, start filling up the freezers with the ones we can’t eat fast enough. Getting out there in the garden also gives me that one place where there is just God and me and we do a lot of talking with each other. You don’t hear Him speaking but you feel the wind blowing and the birds singing through him. And the feeling you get  when you know he has answered you is one of refreshing and soul filling, that can only be gotten when you have felt the heart of  God next to yours.

This year might be the last one I plant because of my health but I won’t know that until that time when the winter winds start to go away and the urge to once again start planning for one more year of gardening. I take it “one garden at a time”.

As the month of April came into focus, and the arrival of my onion plants from the state of Washington, that urge got bigger and as soon as the ground was dry enough, I put out over a thousand onion plants and then the rains came and that stopped me until once again as soon as it was dry enough, I put out a thousand more. Then I can wait until the first week in May to start putting out tomato plants and pepper plants. Maybe some cucumber plants along the fence, and maybe some green beans in whatever space is left.

People have told me that I put out too much but when you enjoy something like I do about planting my garden, it really isn’t.  My freezer will be filled once more for the winter and we will have all those goodies to digest all winter. Have you ever eaten a lettuce, tomato, and onion sandwich with salad dressing on the bread? You ask where the meat is and I will tell you that meat is not needed as this sandwich will give you all you want and not put on those pounds.

Every year I find some story to tell about what has happened while I am out in the garden. One year I came face to face with a pit bull  looking  the size of a horse and while keeping a cool head, I eased out of the garden, back into my fenced yard and then hightailed it to the back porch. One year I decided to work my garden while it was muddy and I fell face first down into the mud and I had to crawl out because I couldn’t get up. One year I went out into the garden at the far end and a big rain suddenly came forth and I couldn’t hardly see where to walk and I fell over the fence and rolled into the drainage ditch.

Man, do I have fun each year out there where I have both my peaceful times and some rough ones. But that garden is my own space and I love it. It is a place where I find peace with all things and the therapy is good for me. So it is not just the food I grow that keeps me doing it each year. It is the peace I find out there with a one on one meeting with my Creator, and as long as he allows me to do so, I will be doing it each year. To see the growth of a new life coming from a small seed that is part of the never ending cycle of life, I feel so good. If you have the space, try it this year and have fun.

Ray “Uncle Ray“ Day
 

This old man needs to get something said before it gets too hard to swallow and I choke from it. We here in this great country called the U.S.A., have for the last few years, gone to not seeing, or hearing, and being ignorant of those things going on right in front of us by our leaders, and its time to say we don’t like it and we are not going to take it anymore. Most know me as an easy person to get along with and I don’t discriminate, nor do I try to judge anyone. But folks, there is a time when I have to let it all out and say my piece.

Recently we all received letters in the mail, which told us we “might have stimulus money”, coming to us. Do you know that it cost over 41 million dollars to send that? In the last 5 years, we have sent almost a trillion dollars over to fight a war in Iraq that we can’t win due to the civil war that is working its way among the people there. We have allocated money for people who did not  lose anything to Katrina because they did not live there.

Did you realize that we have been selling our souls to foreign countries in exchange for loans to keep our system going? Do you realize that we are leasing our land to other countries to maintain without asking our people first? And do you know that we are losing our factories to foreign countries every day due to those companies wanting cheaper labor resulting in higher profits for them? And do you realize that the companies that are still here pay their CEO’s millions of dollars a year just for sitting on their backsides while the companies look for new ways to make more money? So far, my friends the things I have just said is only a thumbtack in a sack of nails that will be used to render this great country helpless and that scares the pants off me.

Our leaders in Washington will soon change and what will we inherit from their leadership? The ones who right now want to lead us have come up with many promises of change, but how are they going to do that without the resources to do so? If there is no money in the cookie jar, then taxes will have to be raised to do so. Where will those taxes fall? I will tell you right now that you and I will take the biggest hit. We need to change what is going on but we can’t sacrifice any more to do it. Those three people who want to lead us have no idea where they will get the money needed to get our country back in shape. I sit there each evening and I hear all three telling us what they promise to do and that is all it is, a promise.

We need experience in our leaders, and working toward a common goal, and that is to get us out of debt, get us out of a war, and bring our factories back to America where they belong. We need to get all the business’ to start from the top instead of the bottom and cut down the outrageous salaries of those top dogs, which really are not needed to run that business. Come the New Year, we will have a new president and many new representatives and we need to let them know that we will not tolerate any more of the things I have mentioned. We need to let them know that we will take them off those jobs if they don’t try to bring back prestige to those posts. No man will be exempted from doing the best job possible and we need to let them know that they are accountable to us and not to a foreign country.

There I have said my piece, and you can take it to the bank or toss it in the basket. You know now how I feel, and I hope that I have made a point. Enough said.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 

One must admit that probably the most important of a family is the mother who tends to the every need  of her children. Back in the days of old, most mothers stayed home  to take care of  it and to tend to her kids that she and her spouse became parents of.  She kept the home fire burning as she cooked, she cleaned, and she nurtured. She always had a great meal prepared as her mate came home after a hard day’s work and she made sure that the bellies of her children were full of all the nutrients needed to help them grow into fine men and women in their later lives. Such was the ways of our mother who always was there at the door when her children left for school and when they came home. Such was the ways of our father’s wife as she kissed her mate goodbye and kissed again when he came home from work.

Our mother was a pretty brown haired lady who like to put on the makeup once in a while to impress us and Dad, but it wasn’t needed because to us, she was the best. Many times I saw our father come home so tired that Mom had to unlace his shoes and pull them off.  Many times Mom would walk very lightly around the house telling us to be very quite because Dad was resting after coming home from a midnight turn at the mill. Many times, we saw Mom fix a meal that Dad liked that might have been a little different from what we got. Maybe an extra biscuit or an extra piece of pie was placed in front of him. We kids didn’t mind because we knew how much she loved him.

As to the love she showed to us kids, there were no limits as she kept us clean, warm, and fed with the type of food that only a loving mother could cook. Mom could even entertain us with stories and also the playing of her piano, while our friends and we listened. Mom was one in a million and it has been 25 years since she received her rightful place in Heaven.

Ramona’s mother was also a very important part of her family as she always kept them fed and clean while taking care of the home place and also tending to the needs of her mate, as he came home tired from a day’s work. I can only tell you the things about her after I first met her and she was one fine lady. She was a good cook and she could make the best yeast bread I ever tasted. Mom McKee was a diabetic and she took the shots every day. She was a tired lady who still gave everything she had taking care of her family. She took her rightful place in Heaven in 1978.

Each and every one of us has been blessed with having a loving mother and that is the reason that we set one day aside to remember them for what they did to bring us up and to always show a caring love for her children. But to most of us, we remember our mothers each day of our lives as everything we do has that little speck of love that she instilled in us. It is always there and sometimes as we remember her, we feel the tears of her love leaking out of our eyes and we feel her presence as we go about our daily lives, and we say “Thank you Mom for the memories”

Have you taken the time to remember the things that wonderful lady did for you? Have you thought about how it would be if she were still here? Well, take it from me, I do, and I miss her. If you still have your mother here for you to greet each day, take the time to just let her know how much she means to you. And if she has gone to the better place, then just sit back and thank God for the time she was here.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 
 

Back when what seems a long time ago, we had what they called “Rationing”, which regulated the apportionment of items in short supply. That way the distribution of those items were somewhat equal to all. It wasn’t satisfying to all but it was necessary to achieve a distribution that was fair and you couldn’t hoard it. It was in response to our country being at war and was done as an emergency.

Before the World War II, merchants were free to place limits on the items that were scarce and many times good friends of those merchants got more than an equal share. Therefore, our government decided that a real equal plan for rationing was needed. When Japan did the intolerable act of bombing Pearl Harbor in 1941, our government created a system of price administration and brought forth local boards staffed with volunteers to decide what was in short supply and also what was needed to better the war effort. Rubber was rationed, as were stoves, leather and even rubber footwear. Sugar, coffee, can foods, gasoline, and coal were on the list too. There were price controls on the price of all foods, and the renting of homes. Most Americans accepted it because it was very necessary, but black market violations started and some made money on the misfortunes of others. Gasoline could not be used to run pleasure equipment, because each had a limit on what they could get.

Rationing was achieved by using coupon books, ration stamps, or certificates with the amount on them. The rationing stayed until the end of the war and then slowly was eliminated. We haven’t seen any thing close to rationing except maybe the possibility of it happening on our supplies of oil and gas products.

So having been a youngster during this time of rationing, I and most of those still alive can only know that it was a necessary thing to do back then and we survived it. Can that come about in today’s world? I hope not because there are too many ways to beat the system. There will always be someone out there that will take advantage of the misfortunes of others, fill their pockets with wealth, and live high on the hog while others will barely get by. Oh yes folks, the so-called black market has been active ever since the big war and they lie in wait to take advantage of others.

In the USA, we the people are free to go about our lives being free and being able to live the dream. Also, we sit back and watch as profiteers fill their own pockets using the savings of the middle class as a way of maintaining their wealth. We, the people, use the plastic card to buy what we want without thinking how they are going to pay for it. If that credit card holder would sit back and look at a chart of what the ending amount would be when their card was paid off, they might think hard about maxing that card out. There are those out there too who will get your information and open accounts in credit that you will be hit with later. It really gets to me when in the mail we get applications for charge accounts that we didn’t ask for. If someone else gets that mailing, it gives them a chance to really put you in the hole. And don’t think it is impossible to do, as there are those varmints out there who would steal your underwear while you are wearing them. I think it should be a crime for sending those charge papers in the mail, but then they would find other ways.

As for worrying about whether we will ever have to ration again, we just have to know that maybe we will, and it would be such a blow to everything that is sitting there right in front of you now. It takes you and me to see that we don’t have to do it again. And it takes our government response to a problem that might arise. You, I, and They have to be together on this. Scary isn’t it?

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

Other than constant pain,, I have always been able to keep fairly healthy otherwise. Most of the things that happen to me health wise are taken care of through my own system of brain to body takeover. What I mean by that is that I meditate a lot in order to cut down on the amount of pain in my body.

What I do is to get comfortable in my easy chair, fold my hands together, place my feet squarely on the floor, and close my eyes. While close, I raise my head up just enough to lighten up the dark insides of my eyes. Ok, let us get on the same track here before you send someone to take me out via the white coats. If you close your eyelids, you can still see, but nothing outside your body. With your eyes closed, you can move your head from light to dark and see the change. That is what I do, that puts me into my meditation state, and I sit there concentrating on that area inside my closed eyelids. After getting my self all ready to meditate, I do so for about 20 minutes or longer if I fall asleep. What it does for me is to lessen the effect of pain upon my body.

I talked to a man once who showed me how to do this and he said that it was his way of getting all his files in his brain back to where they should be. That sounds a lot like what a computer does when you de-fragment the hard drive. Files have a way of being lost children in a computer and you have to get them back in their proper place if you want them to work right. Your brain works the same way. You have in that brain a place where certain types of files are kept and you have to clean your system occasionally to get the most out of them. The computer that you and I use in our homes is a “copy” of the greatest system ever designed, built by God for each of us to use every day of our lives. But if you don’t take care of it, it starts losing very important data and once you lose it, it is very hard to get back.

Now with that in mind, we go back to my way to meditate. I am not saying that my way will work on you as all of us have our own system but remember that all of them was built and designed by the Creator Himself and that is the starting point for the opportunity to get your files in order and in proper sequence so that you will get the most from it. Remember that the system only works when you yourself decide to turn it on and use it.

Well anyway, while I am meditating, my mind is clear and my body is benefiting from the rest and the pain subsides a little. I do this everyday and many times I do fall asleep while doing it and when I wake up, I feel good enough to take on the world. But my daily chores come first and I take care of that pretty lady sitting in the other easy chair who has been sick for quite a while. My days are never long because it seems like it is bedtime before we know it. So now, you know about the crazy old man up there in Northview who “Meditates” his pain away.

As far as my life as a caregiver, it really is rewarding and I know it was what I escaped death for 2 other times in my life. God said that there was still something for me to do and I believe that the first one was to help our daughter in her last 5 months of her life with cancer and the other was to take care of my wife just as our vows stated. Through sickness & health. We are so richly blessed with God’s Creations. And I think that he still has more for me to do, so bring it on.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 

It seems to me that we are a society that only runs if there is enough information available about us. We live in the information age where we are known mostly by numbers which turn into information about what we do, what we know and who we are. The information is out there waiting for someone with a dishonest motive to use not only against us but also to fill his or her pockets with our money. We have cell phones which turn out a signal to tell where we are and used to be able to rip them off while away from home. Those same cell phones are used in department stores when a customer is using their credit cards to take pictures of said card and thus getting the number off it. Next time you are using your card, take a look around you and watch who is checking it out. Telephones are used every day to collect information because you give it willingly to someone you don’t know without checking it out first. Another way the phone is used is when you answer it and the caller on the other end asks you a question and tells you to punch 1 or 2 or 3 for an answer. Many times, a computer is on the other end using those numbers to lock you in so that your line can be used to make phone calls all over the world resulting in a dramatic rise in your monthly bills. And you won’t know about it until your billing date comes up.

Did you know that many of the places you go to find information about family members so you can do a family study, have social security numbers listed right there on the site? And many people do their purchasing over the internet, using their charge cards, thinking everything will be safe. Not all places that say they have a secure site really are. That number is sitting there waiting for someone to use to make more purchases. How many times have you made out a form and it asks for a social security number? As soon as that form leaves your hands, it is open to whoever is there to take it. And so we leave our doors open so that anyone can drop in and rob us of our being, thus putting us in the pocket of despair. We are what we sow. We are what we do. And we are what we fear. Poor unsuspecting victims of a society of numbers that tell our story.

What can we do about this problem? Well we can’t do much unless we care enough about society as a whole and not just yourself.What we need to do is to wake up to the fact that not everyone we know is honest. There will always be someone out there who is looking for an easy target to bilk someone out of their hard earned money. We have to realize that most of us want to be lucky enough to come into some added wealth in an honest way, and so we don’t stop to think first. Remember these words that my Dad always said. “If is sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn’t”. Don’t trust the person on the other line unless you know them enough that you know they are honest. Be careful of buying off the internet and giving out your credit card number. Leave empty those places where it asks for your SSA number. If you have been there before, the last four numbers will be enough for them. Don’t leave important information out where others can see it. And something I haven’t mentioned yet is the medicine bottles you throw away after they are empty. Scrape all the information off them before discarding them. They walk among us and their goal in life is to do good people harm. This is not to scare you but inform you that you have to be on your toes at all times. Some have no conscience nor do they respect you. I can only tell you what I know. Take care of your information.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

Back in the days of old, during the middle fifties, the world seem to be at your feet waiting to be explored, by anyone who wanted to take that extra step in life. There were places that are not there in today's world but locked in the memories of those who lived it. Places to spend that wonderful date with the pretty girl sitting there on the other side. There she sat with her poodle skirt, bobby socks, and two-tone shoes. Her hair fastened in a ponytail and her lips with a fresh coating of lipstick. My, she is one sweet looking lady and she is all mine.

We would start from her house on Gerhart Street, and from there we would just about make all the eating places, stopping at some and others we would just drive through letting the world know that two people in love were out on the town to have fun that only happens once a week.

Our first stop always was at "Rock around the clock" on Morgan Street, and then the hot dog place on Washington Street. Then cruising south on Washington, all the way to the "HobNob" where we would go in and drink a coke while listening to the music of that time. If we bought any sandwiches, my lady would tell me not to get onions. After leaving there, we would go all the way south to the Lighthouse and go in to get another coke and visit with the others who were out on their special night too.

Heading back north on what is now the bypass, we would cruise at "Vic’s" and maybe stop long enough to visit with our buddies and have some great music playing on the speakers which could be heard all around the parking lot. Across from there was "Crume’s Drive In" which now has McDonalds on it. Going down Markland Ave., you could stop at the M&G or Wolfcales. Then being a little tired from all the driving and putting away a lot of eats and cokes, it was time to find a filling station to stop at and get rid of the liquid in our system. Sometimes we would just sit there and talk before heading out either to a drive in movie or to head up to the square where we would meet with our other friends who were out to have fun too.

We would see friends from uptown Kokomo which was anything south of the square and from downtown Kokomo which took in anything north of the square. Whether you lived north or south friends were friends and together life was a ball. If you wanted, you had a choice of a lot of picture shows, as there were six theatres right there to choose from. Kokomo was blessed to have the Fox, Wood, Isis, Sipe, Indiana & Colonial theatres, and a day at the movies was fun because you could rest up from all the driving and you could hold the hand of the pretty girl next to you. Once the evening was about to end , you had to head back up to your lady’s home because her mom and dad expected her home at a certain time and if you didn’t get there in time you might lose the chance at a date the next week.

Life in the old days for a young man and woman was one that placed a lot of memories in my bank of thoughts and today I look back and I smile because that pretty lady named Ramona is still by my side through sickness and health, through good times and bad, and even today those pretty blue eyes sparkle and they remind me of a time that only lies in the memories of an old man who treasures life one day at a time, and who is so glad that she said yes on that special day in our lives as we became one. A marriage of one man and one woman just as God intended it to be. I hope that I have opened your thoughts to your special memory of the days of old, a time to remember.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
 

This week, instead of me getting on my soapbox or remembering the days of old, I am using my column to bring forth some honors that are not usually noted. We start out with those young people who graduated this year from High School or College. It takes many years of a young person’s life to complete the 12 years of education, having progressed through grade school, middle school, and finally high school. To walk the walk to the podium to get that diploma as a reward is the first step, to one day moving into a position in business, sports, and government that will continue to open other doors to enter. Many will go on with more education and make the moves to being at the top of the mountain. Many will be ok with just that 12th year education, and many will want to further schooling later on when they can afford it.

I remember my graduation just like it was yesterday and I was proud to be recognized by the state of Indiana with a scholarship to Indiana University. I wanted to study law and I knew that one day I would reach the top of my mountain and live with the confidence that I had made the most important move of my life. But money back then, just like today, was hard to come by and my move at that time was to keep my mountain in view, and one day finish my education so that I had gotten the best out of life and that was ok. Today, after having been retired for 5 years, I am happy with how my life has gone and life goes on. So to all the people who this year finished that first step in your lives, I ask you to make every move you can to further your education, so that you can stand on your mountain and feel content with what you have accomplished. Don’t ever think that you can’t make a difference in yours and others’ lives. You are the ones who one day will lead us in this country as maybe president, representatives, mayor, governor, or heads of our large American companies. I salute you.

The next group to recognize is all those volunteers that you see in the hospitals, missions, miracle walks to raise money, homes for humanity, and also those who are there to help whenever there is need for them. I personally was a recipient many times of help from those hospital volunteers, who do a lot to help ease some of the load of those nurses and nurses’ aides who are very busy most of the 12 hours they work. Nurses rank high with me as they have a job that many can’t or won’t do. Our family has been the recipients of the wonderful care that is given by those angels in white. And when those volunteers take up a little slack that gives those nurses a chance to do more for the patients. Being a volunteer has to be a rewarding thing to do in life after retirement, when there is spare time available and someone wants to do something more in their life. It can keep you young in heart as well as in mind and physical being. And the time seems to go by a lot easier if you are doing good things. Just being available is doing a lot. I salute you.

Now I can’t forget about those wonderful people who seem to be there for someone as soon as there is a problem such as home damage, fires, or just checking in on someone who is ill. Where would we be without these wonderful people who do without being asked? And don’t forget those men and women of the police and fire departments who protect us each day. Their job sometimes is one that gets no praise but they still do their job. Whether it is night or day, they are there doing their jobs as only they can.

These groups are Angels on earth, who wake up each day with their hearts of gold ready to serve us in any way they can.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 

I went by the old steel mill grounds and as I looked way out towards the south end, I saw life and I don’t mean someone moving about. What I saw was in my bank of memories filled with many good times mixed with some bad ones at the end of its existence here in Kokomo. What I saw was that the place, which was here, was the backbone of this city and now all you see is land that has been said to be unsafe for humans. I even saw a dog and some cats in there looking for food or just somewhere to lie down and rest. Folks I have stated it before that if someone built me a home on those grounds, I wouldn’t be scared one bit about living there. As I stood there, I felt like letting the tears flow, knowing that this place could of  been still running if not for a group of people who only wanted it to keep their cement business going. Many things went on in those last days, but the people at the top didn’t care one bit about its workers and supervisors down in the plant, as they only wanted to find ways to get more out of us until that day when they would find  that no more was to be had. Concessions from the workers had gotten to the point that there was no more to get and katy-bar-the-door, they hit the out button leaving workers and supervisors alike on the outside looking in. So many things went on in those last five years that when the end was near, records were somewhat lost. That is all memory now with the bitter taste still being felt by those still here on this earth.

Since that last year, a group of people has met one day a year for a gathering to have fellowship and relive those wonderful days that are no more. This year on July 26, 2008, they will get together again. It doesn’t matter what your job or position was, you are welcome to come and that includes any family member of those men and women who worked at Continental Steel Corp. As long as there is someone left, there can be a gathering of good men and women to relive the good and bad days of the life of a steelworker who worked in the cold, heat, rain, and icy conditions just so that food would be on the family table. On top of that, there was the swing shift that they worked although never getting used to it. Sleep was a thing that you got on your days off because trying to adjust working midnights one week, days the next and then afternoons just didn’t work.

I remember back in 1955, when I first went to work there, I was on the labor pool, which was then called the extra board and I was sent to the furnace repair, where I was then told to slip on wooden shoes, and given a bucket and told to wear something over my mouth as well as wear lots of clothing. This seemed silly at first but when it was my turn to go down into the soot tunnels, I saw the reason. It was very warm in there and as you crawled into the soot tunnel, which was about 4 ft high and about that wide, you filled your bucket with soot and slag that has fallen in there from the furnace above. When you came out ,which seemed like a long time but only was about 15 minutes, your shoes were smoking. Needless to say, many of the workers only spent that one day at Continental and they quit. Continental put food on the table, and you didn’t quit because of the conditions of the job. There is one thing you can say about the people who had time at the mill. They are good people. Memories of that place lie deep in my heart. Hope to see you there. And if you can, bring a dish of good steelworker food to share . Umm  umm good. I will be there.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
 

There are times when you go with the flow and other times you let the world know what your thoughts are. Today we look at several things that I can’t do anything about but I sure can tell you what I think. In this recent cluster of primaries all over the U.S.A., we the people voted yet did we know what or who we voted for. As I have stated before I think that any one person elected by the people they represent should finish out their term before trying to move up to a higher position in our government. That means that those who would want to be our President should have completed  the task given to them for being elected to represent the state they live in. And that service would be something to base that person on as to how he served his state.

And I think that our President should be determined by the most votes of the people and not that of delegates of their party. Too many times in our recent history, our president has been elected not by the people but by the party delegates and I think that is wrong. Also I have never understood how two candidates can try to tear the other one down for several months and then be friendly at the last. If you say something bad about your opponent, wouldn’t it be the same when it is over. Or are we just playing politics and who ever were smart enough to fool the people got the right to go with the nomination. If you say that you are the better man or woman for that job, wouldn’t you feel the same afterward?

As a member of one party, you vote for that person who you think would be a better and stronger nominee to go against the other party’s choice. Then when the actual fall election comes up, you vote for the person you know will be a better president than the other. That is the right that you have being an American and proud of it. Now here is another look at what the system needs. We the people vote for our choice but we have no say about who should be the Vice President. How many times have we had a president elected with a man or woman that we don’t know anything about? So here is where the person that wants to be our president should declare right from the start who will be his or her running mate. That really gives the people a chance to vote in a more clearly way because they would know who might be the man to step up in an emergency involving the elected president.

Now before you party members start getting heated up, let me tell you that these are my opinions and for some they would provide some laughs but to most, these ideas will get the people wondering why this wasn’t done before. I believe in the two party system but I also believe that the people should be the ones to actually elect the man or woman to run our system of government. If I were to make these types of statements in other countries, I would be taken down or put away for a long time. This is America and we live in the land of the free and home of the brave. We can say what we think  without fear of punishment. And that is where I am going with what I have stated earlier. We need to really know who we are electing to lead us, and we need to know about that person’s background and ties to other factions. We can only stay free if we do the things to keep us that way. To have four more years of the worst leadership is something you and I cannot afford. This last administration has placed us in some bad situations and we do need a change but one we can live with. Personally, the people who earlier dropped out probably would have been better for us, surely not worst. It is in your court.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

.One of my readers asked me what my feelings are about our armed forces and right here is where I tell you that I am a proud American and I support every man and woman who has joined together to protect you and me from being taken over by another country or group of power hungry killers who would want to take us hostage and killed. We need the Armed Forces for that purpose only and we shouldn’t use them to regulate peace for the other countries.

And to set the record straight on where I stand about kids going to war in those countries when they are members of the National Guard. I have to stand firm that they should only be used right here in the United States to protect us at our borders. And not in a foreign land where they have to put on the hardware of war and do what they can to stay alive while protecting someone in that country. Too long have we been in those countries where the people there will not protect themselves, nor will they ever have peace in their land. In those countries when there is a civil war, we should not have any soldiers there, let alone some kids just out of high school. In those countries, you never know just which side each one might be on and you could be working right alongside someone, who when given the opportunity will try to take you out.

Our country should never intervene in a country’s civil wars “period“. Let them fight it out and come to a end at the cost of  their people and not ours. That is my stand on it and I stand by it with pride because my country is free and I want to keep it that way. Stand up and support our troops, but bring them home to protect us and not the other countries. Enough said about that from Uncle Ray who has had many members of our family doing their job protecting us when the need arises. And remember that the last four letters in American is “I can“.

Another reader asked what I thought of the crime in our country. So let me air out the laundry on that subject. I don’t think you can stop crime with just a spanking. Nor do I believe that we should plea bargain with a crook in order to get a bigger one. We don’t do our job if we continue to let guilty people go because they snitch on another. Don’t give in to the sanity pleas of one who really knew what he was doing. In the old days, you did wrong, you did the time. For those who kill, then there is only one way to get justice and that is life without parole 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. That is my two cents worth on the subject.

I enjoy doing this column each week because it gets me out to the world during times when I have to stay in to take care of my pretty lady. It also is great therapy for me since I had major heart surgery in 1998. To be able one day to be known nationwide for writing about “The Days Of Old”, written by Uncle Ray in Kokomo would be the shiny brass ring of life. To be able to bring back memories to those my age or older pleases me. To be able to get a youngster to ask his or her parents about the old days is gold at my fingertips. The future is only one day , but the past is a bundle of days well remembered.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 
 

I have heard some weird sayings and today I bring them to your attention. Remember the sayings are not my words. But I give my thoughts on them.  “Eventually you reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it“. I never could figure out why anyone would not give their correct age. That’s like being ashamed of being born. “The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for“. Well, If I got in line then it must be worth my time. “Some people try to turn back their odometers“. Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way“. “I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved“. There are times when it isn’t easy to walk the road of life, but you do it. “How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are“? That saying in itself is stupid and can’t be reasoned with. “You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks“. That my friends is a part of growing old. Some have the problem, and some don’t. “I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top“. Well maybe that hill was just part of a bigger hill. “One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young“. You know, taking life one day at a time, you don’t notice that change so much. “Ah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable“. The difference I have found in old and young is just a blink of the eye.

“Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald and have such terrible eyesight, they don't recognize you“. Now here you are getting into my field of play. It is odd that so many of the friends my age still have all that hair. “If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old“. Sometimes laughing at a problem just makes it a bigger one. “First you forget names, then you forget faces. Then you forget to pull up your zipper“. That’s not as bad as forgetting to pull the zipper down. “Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today, it's called golf“. Like in those old times, you have to be able to vent out all that pressure or it will vent itself out.

Those sayings are as old if not older that I am, and some make sense and some don’t. They might apply to you as well as me, but one thing is for sure and that is that life can be hard for some and easy for others. Some will have a straight well paved road to walk in life and others will meet some blockages in their walk of life. It is true that you have to take life as it is given to you and you make the changes that will make it easier to walk. Life can only be as tough as you let it to be. In my walk , I have found several blockages in my path and I have been able to go over or around them to get back on the right path. I can see that there are still some up the road waiting for me but I might be able to get them out of the way before I get there. One thing for sure is that a straight path is a whole lot easier to walk, and you still see a lot of God’s garden of life as he wants it to be. I guess that people my age feel the same way that I do, and they have some pretty rough days where they wonder if life will ever get any better. I can tell you right now that life is taken one day at a time and you just look at today as one that ends with tomorrow, with a promise that that day could be better if you let it be.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day,
 

Many times this column is written about the old days and my experience and memories of those times so long ago yet only yesterday. There are times when my readers ask me about certain subjects, I will put my opinions right here in this newspaper for all to see. I have had people walk up to me in a store or at a ballgame and ask if I am the Uncle Ray that writes for the Tribune. Each time this happens, I get a new subject to write about. Now I have read columns that make no sense at all and many that tell a story like I try to do. All it takes is a subject that people are talking about and put in your own words in a way to hold the reader’s attention. Anyone can write but not everyone can tell it like the reader wants to read.

Occasionally, I step on someone’s toes and boy do they get mad. I remember one time when I wrote asking why people move away from Kokomo when it is about the best place to live. The next week, I received an email from someone down in Florida and he took me down a couple of notches. After I explained what I really meant by that statement, the other person apologized and hopefully he is still reading my column each week.

Every once in a while I bring up something about the old mill and what it was like to work in conditions most people would like to stay away from. There are still a lot of those workers still kicking and just about everyone thanks me for not letting the memory of it die. I even get a little static about my thoughts about the people who are cleaning it up. I don’t get many thanks from them. I wonder why?

I get a little involved in the political scene and many times, I let my mouth over-ride my backside when I question some of the things happening with our leaders here in this city and county. I would say that more should get involved so that a clearer picture of what our officials are doing to make our money work for our area. Certainly I am not perfect, nor am I educated all the laws of the land, but you have to stand up some times and let them know you are watching and what we see is what they get come election time.

I believe that the raising of our children starts from day one in the home and preparation for school does too. Then the education of the child falls into the hands of our trained teachers and while they are in school, the educator is the one who trains them for their entrance into the world of business, or whatever path they choose. As many who know me can say that, I believe in strict discipline and my parents were strict enough to make us aware that they were the leaders and we were the followers. I think they prepared us for out lives outside their home well and we thank them for that. In today’s world, it is the child making threats to the parent or teacher that he or she will call the law on them. They have gone too far with the child abuse law. Many times, I have been asked about how I feel about the gay community and all I will say here is that it is their lives and not mine and so my opinion does not mean anything. I will say that in the case of one getting married to another, I have to go by my heart and my training and my belief and say that marriage is a union between one man and one woman, which is the only way that a child can come from it. I try to not judge anyone, nor do I want someone judging me. Enough said on that subject. Overall, life is rewarding and beautiful and what we do with the things given to us by our Creator makes it worth while. I really look forward to each new day.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

It was a Saturday afternoon and on the agenda for this writer was going to the reunion of the Continental Steel workers. As it is with any group that was together for so long and then by the mill going down for good, not seeing much of each unless it is at a store or ballgame, this writer was very happy to see the turnout this year.

As we walked into the door, there was a steady line of hand shakers and hugs. Here is a group of good honest people who gave their all at the mill so that there would be food at the table, and a warm place to live. Here was family made up of good people who made Continental Steel as the backbone of the city of Kokomo. Here was a group of coworkers who were ready to renew old friendships and eat some good food fixed by those who brought dishes.

As this writer will attest, when you have a friend who was a coworker at the mill, you had a friend for life. I would say that I shook hands with at least 100 people and most of them told me that they look forward to reading my columns each week. I met several people who knew me because of their spouse working with me or for me. Folks, while I was there I heard no curse words, but I did hear references to those who sank our wonderful place to work. I saw many men who still had a full head of hair, but I did not get envious. One day they will finally get their perfect heads. One thing about a steelworker is that they can take a little teasing, and not get mad at anyone.

We talked about the old soot tunnels and the “hot on one side, cold on the other side” jobs we did. Therefore, it was a nice day for this writer to be able to live some of the old memories of Continental Steel. And to be able to renew our friendships, made this day even better. And as I thought about it, I think that those 932 people who have been called Home, probably were sitting on the clouds above and having a ball doing it.

We had Author Tom Hamilton in attendance as well as Howard County Commissioner Dave Trine. Overall, it was a great day to spend with the memories and the people who made them. It was a day when I was able to take my pretty lady out to be with some friends she hadn’t seen in years. You know when I think about it, people don’t get out to see friends very often and that is sad. When you have friends for life like our Continental buddies, you want to preserve that friendship with at least the reunions like this one.

This writer has child-hood friends as well as school friends and to add to that the friends I picked up at Continental Steel and those from Sears, I feel blessed to call all of them my family. To be able to sit down for a few hours and relive some great times while working at the steel mill, made this old man so glad I went. Many a time I go back in my memory bank and think about the weather we worked in, the hot conditions we took as per of the job, and the wonderful way that you felt when the day was over and you felt you did a good day’s work. To be able to go home to my pretty lady and my children and know that this day was completed without getting hurt, was icing on the cake of bliss. Working at the mill was one where most was satisfying yet not easy. Most enjoyed working there because of the closeness of those who worked there. In other words, it was a family of men and women, who knew their job and did it as well as they could. I salute and praise all those who worked there until that time when it went down. I look forward to the next one.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day