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Living back in the days of old, I can
relate to the stories that our older generation tell. I blend them
in with my own experiences, and therefore a story to be told comes forth
to those who will listen and learn from. I have many readers who are in
their nineties and they let me know that they like what I write about because
it opens up the memories of a time so long ago yet only a wink of the eye.
It is very refreshing to listen to my readers and read the letters sent
to me by them. As such, a wealth of facts and memories lies in the brains
of these wonderful people we call the older generation.
One of my ladies who writes to me or calls me on the phone is a nice lady who lived the life as it was and she is a survivor and still has memories of that time in the early part of the last century as she and her husband ran a grocery store and lived one day at a time. Her name is Thelma and she is one great lady who does have a little trouble getting around. But she is one tough lady and she knows how to get by even with her pains. Before Ramona got to feeling too bad to go out much, we visited with Thelma and that my friends is an experience to meet someone who knows what it was like in the years before my birth.
I learned a lot from my grandmothers about how it was and being able to hear the same from someone else. I am glad that they were able to do many things before my time came forth. Many readers will call me on the phone and tell me that they like what they read and to keep on writing about the old days and the things that are happening in today’s time. Another one of my readers who operates a small neighborhood grocery told me that she looks forward to reading my column and that many of her customers will talk with her about what I wrote in the past weeks and it makes for a great conversation.
Readers from Texas, Peru, Sharpsville, Tipton and anywhere they can get a hold of the Tribune, have sent me emails telling me to keep writing because of the way I write and how it reads like a story. And that my friends is what I try to do each week. I try to write as if I would be standing right there with the reader, and see the reaction from said reader. As I write so do I relate to the things that I have experienced as well as that of those who lived before me. That is one reason that I have stated several times that it would be nice if the people who have lived through rough times, would put those facts down on paper like in a diary so that the generations after them can know what it was like in those days. In today’s world, we find many new cases of Alzheimer’s where the brain drops the ball on memory. I have stated many times that if it ever happened to me, I would want my family to read my columns to me so that maybe something will unlock that key to the brain and bring back those precious thoughts that was me then, now and later.
I feel for those who have loved ones who are down with that disease, because I know it hurts them to see it happening to that loved one. I know that in my family, it would be hard for us but that is where the family member steps in and by doing Gods work and His words, try to make life easier for that loved one. So this is where I ask you to start making notes about your experiences because someday those words might unlock the door to memories so precious. As I close today, I thank Thelma, Jenny, and all those who lived back then. They are my inspiration, that I relate from.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
A reader emailed me and said that he heard I didn’t like fireworks and wanted to know why. So here is my answer to him and you readers, First off, let’s set this person straight. It isn’t that I dislike fireworks, it is the way that each year we hear of someone getting hurt or some building burning down, and they could have been prevented.
During the celebration of our Independence, there are displays of fireworks each year for families to watch and blend it in to show our patriotism and love of our country. As a youngster, I really enjoyed going to the parks or to the racetrack to watch all those pretty displays shot up in the air by people who knew what they were doing. Also as a youngster, I was witness to one of the neighborhood kids getting burnt real bad by fireworks brought up by relatives in the south. I also saw a kid lose two fingers by playing with fireworks and another almost losing an eye by going up to see why the fireworks did not go off. So as time went by, and with the protection from Mom and Dad, and getting a whole lot older and smarter, fireworks do not give me that much pleasure.
First off, professional people should only set off fireworks because they know what they are doing and they know that you have to be very careful handling them. And those fireworks should only be set off in an open area where there is no danger of any houses catching fire from the sparks that fall from the sky, nor the dropping of debris in the yards of residents in the neighborhood. Residential areas should never be places where fireworks are shot off. And the fireworks are not done just in one day, as we have to hear it for several days and that my friends is a total disrespect for the people who are trying to sleep.. Fireworks are dangerous and so there should be strict rules enforced on the use of them. We have a noise ordinance here in Kokomo yet we allow this noise. We have a burning ordinance yet we allow this burning. We have a littering ordinance yet we allow this littering. So do we have a double standard during this time of the year just because we have our independence and as a free country we can do whatever we please even though someone can get hurt, or have their buildings catch fire, or our lawns full of the things from fireworks that once a mower goes over them they are projectiles that could hit a kid or anyone close by? Needless to say, this writer would like to see our fireworks displays to be monitored by professionals who know what they are doing.
I am not trying to stop the fireworks from being used, as all I would like to see is to have them done in open areas and not where houses are. Some will say that the old man is getting cynical in my late years but really, folks I am using good common sense as it was back in the old days. If there is fire, someone could be burnt. If there is excessive noise, someone will have problems with it. And if there is littering, someone has to clean it up. It takes good old common sense when you are working with fireworks and that common sense is replaced with non-respect in today’s world. I ask the city leaders to take a good look at all of this and come up with a good plan where fireworks can be displayed for all at places where there is no danger. I am afraid that if it doesn’t, then next year, this old man will walk over to the places about 2 blocks away and let my feelings known. It does not have to be that way, but sometimes we have to wake others up. Let us go back to using our heads for something other to place your hat and glasses on. It is in your court now.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
It seems to me that a lot of questions
need to be asked of the ones who want to lead our country for the next
4 years. And many questions need to be addressed to the 2 parties that
are part of our election procedure. Let’s start off with the party policy.
We need the 2 party systems so that the people can get a complete chance
to vote for the best one for that position. But when the election is over
then the only faction that should be represented is we the people. It is
a fact that there is and always will be a problem in our system, with one
party voting against a bill because the other party is for it. And it is
both parties who are the problem. Once you are elected to lead our country
or state, you should vote only the way that the people want you to.
We have to take a good look at the situation in Washington and correct the problem. We need to place our leaders in power to do for the people and not the party he is part of. Also as I have stated before, people need to complete their elected term and then try for another position. How can a candidate be known about if he or she does not even complete an elected term in their state or city? And also how can a person who is running for the position of Commander In Chief not know who his running mate will be. Seems to me that should have been one of the first things he discloses to the people. And how about lately we hear the candidates talk like they already have won the right to serve us, while telling the other countries how he will deal with them. Hey guy, the people here in the USA are who will be voting you in, so let’s do our campaigning here statewide. We even have heard that we need to put a little humor in the speeches. To that I say that this is not something you laugh about. What happens when this election is over will be what we the people want to know.
You know, several years ago at the age of 24, I was running down what was happening in Washington, and one of my friends asked me who I voted for and I told him that I did not vote in the last election and my friend asked me why I was complaining. He said that voting gave me an American right to complain but if I did not vote then I had no say. I went up and registered the next day and I have voted in every election since, and I am proud of doing it. I do my share of complaining and I do my share of giving credit for a good job also.
So to all, I ask that you make that trip on Election Day and vote for your choice and be an American about it. I have always wondered how it would be if I had of tried for one of the positions of leader here in the USA, and how many negatives or positives I would get. To be the one who gets to call the shots and do the vetoes, while serving this great country of the United States of America. One thing is for sure and that is that I would run as a party faithful until I won the position and then my loyalty lies with all the people, for the people and by the people. There I just went and ruined my chances of getting elected by that statement. Well anyway I tried and that is all we can ask for from those two men in November of this year. Come November I will be casting my vote but right now I don’t know who will get it. I know that there are a lot of voters out there who haven’t made up their minds yet, and I hope they do a lot of thinking first. And I hope that one day we do away with the electoral votes.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
I get a lot of feedback from my readers about what I write about. Many of you wanted to know more about how to meditate. My answer to them is that you devise a way that you are more comfortable with and work on it so that when you are through, your body and mind is rested and you can go on with the things needed to be done in your life. Life is what you make of it and it is your life to do your way.
Some ask me why I write a lot about the workings of our government and the only answer that I can give there is that I care about my country and someone has to be the watchdog. That doesn’t mean that sometimes I don’t get a little radical in my thoughts, it just means that you have to once in a while let those in power know that you exist and you have your eyes open and they better walk a straight line. A lot of you ask about why I have references to our God in most of my writings and here I can only say this; twice I have been close to death but am still here by the grace of God. Everyday of my life I am in some sort of pain in my body but I withstand that pain because I know that He will not give me more than I can take. So every night before falling asleep, I ask that if he is to take me tonight, forgive me of my sins and take my soul to Heaven. I am not afraid to die, nor am I afraid to live with what I have. Life here on earth is only one that will prepare me for my passing. And most of my readers tell me to keep writing about the old days as it not only brings back memories, it helps the parents to make their children understand that the things they said they had to do when they were young, was the truth and that we have to be prepared for times when everything was hard to come by except family love. Writing about “The Days Of Old” and how it was can prepare others to understand how it is important to use every means possible today so that our future is better than the past if that is possible. I get mail from all over the USA from people who get clippings from their relatives here in Indiana that has my column in it. I have had a few negatives but about 95 % are positive and that makes me proud that I can write what others will read and learn from. And to say that this newspaper was my first employer in the late forties, and now they allow me to write a weekly column for them is like standing on my own mountain with satisfaction of what goes around comes around. I hope that they will allow me to write until the day I die and then put in print my farewell column, which will be finished one day. Some of my readers asked me where I got my writing skills and here I have to be very truthful with you. One day about a couple of years after the passing of our daughter, a good friend told me that I should write about the last months of Patty’s life, because it might help others who might be going through the same thing. He also told me that by writing about it, some closure might come that would make it easier on me. So that is where my column writing began. Posted on the internet , my story of Patricia Ann has reached over 340,000 hits and still going. My life is a little easier but there isn’t any closure. You just learn to live with it. As I stated earlier, life can be wonderful or it can be sad. Only you can make it better. You walk the walk yourself. You make the changes. It is your life to live and do things that make it one of great memories.
Ray Uncle Ray” Day
School has started and fall is coming fast. I remember in my childhood how we looked forward to school starting so that we could reunite with friends who lived far enough away that Mom would not allow us to go visit them. She was the mother hen who protected her flock 24 hours a day. And we had those friends who lived in the neighborhood, who to this day are still my friends. We lived in a neighborhood that was mixed but that didn’t stop all of us from playing together, sometimes fighting one another, or having them over to our house for fun and games and story telling and piano playing by our pretty mother. The kids in our neighborhood really like to have Mom tell them stories about when she was a little girl, some of it in the same house that had been in the family for many a year. The other neighbors knew that if their child was over at Lucille’s house, they were in good hands.
One thing I want to mention about where we lived as youngsters is that even though we were in the same neighborhood, we went to different grade schools. My family went to Willard School and some of my friends went to Douglas School. That was silly to us kids as maybe the next-door neighbor sent their kids to Douglas and maybe down three homes that family sent kids to Willard. There were kids a block from there that went to Douglas. What was funny also was that when we finished our six years at Willard and Douglass, we all went to Central Jr. High and then to Kokomo High School. Just think how it might have been if Willard and Douglas were one school and all our friends would have been in one group. Think about how many priceless memories would have been made. What a mixed up world we were in during those times when separation was the name of the game. But that never stopped all of us getting together to play games, or just visiting each other. Those were good times when changes were in the air but progress was slow and sometimes tempers were high. My friends and I went to the movie houses together and we were never told we had to sit in a separate section. We went to restaurants and had no problems being served. Were we special to be able to do these things without problems or did we just go to those places that we knew we would be served? I really don’t know and to this day, those friends who are still alive wave and say hello and shake hands with each other, because respect in all our lives was to honor one another as God’s Children.
I passed papers in our neighborhood and all areas around it and my customers were not only gracious, they always paid for their paper each week with a smile and many times some treats to boot. It was a wonderful world back then in our neighborhood and it was made up of people of respect and love of our fellow man. Many of my old friends have been called HOME, but there are still some who see me in the stores and other places and they tell me they read my column and hope that I continue to write about those times in our area when friendship meant a lot and memories so precious is brought forth in my writings. In today’s world, not too much difference is evident; as there are still neighborhoods that have what we had and probably that will be true for many a moon, because friendship is one thing that sticks with you no matter where you live. It is the one thing that stays in your walk of life. The priceless value of one friend to another. It is gold at your feet and with it, life is wonderful. How about you out there, have you seen one of your old friends and visited with them? Have you even thought of those great times when as a child, love of your fellow man was supreme?
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
As I go back in time to those great years
of my childhood and progression into a young man, I remember a lot of good
memories about Mom and Dad and my brothers and sisters. I remember my cousin
Marie who was like a sister because she was over at our house about as
much as she was home. Marie is one great lady with her work with The Salvation
Army and the wonderful way she brought up her sons. Those guys walked a
straight line when they were home and you can tell that they were raised
right with respect and love. My brother Ernie, who most knew as Bud, probably
was the closest to Marie because their ages were close. Mom loved Marie
just like her own child and it was a mutual respect.
We lived not too far from the Depot Train Station and we spent several hours there just watching people getting on or off the train. I remember a lot of times we would go inside and just sit there wondering how great it would be if we could one day take a trip by train. The old Globe American Factory was not too far away and we used their parking lot for our softball games. Many times the ball would sail over the fence and one of the workers there would throw it back with speed on the throw. We had three neighborhood grocery stores in our neighborhood. One was Whitacres which in later years was French’s Market. Another was Winburn’s Grocery and the other was Ben Martin’s. Now this was a great group of people who treated their customers with respect and they waited on their money until the payday. Mom could send us to the stores with a list of what was needed and the store would give credit until payday. Mom and Dad always paid their bills and those grocery stores always were there to help. People back then had iceboxes to keep their foods in and of course ice was needed to keep them cold. There was an icehouse in the neighborhood run by Mr. Artis and Leach’s had a truck that brought ice to you. They would carry the ice with a set of ice tongs.
We always had fruit to eat because our yard on the south end of the property was full of Black Cherry, Pear, Apple and Peach trees. We also had a grape barber there too. We had a large lot to our west and it was our garden where Dad and Mom planted the foods needed for canning, and good eating during the growing season. We had this property because it had been in the ownership of our great grandmother at the turn of the century and came down through the family to us. All in all, it was a nice place to live and have great neighbors to play and visit with.
Driving through the area not too long ago, I saw that the home was no more and a lot of changes had been made. But in my memory bank, I still see all the things that were good about those days when it was great to be there. The music of that time was one that told a story of how it was to live in a time of a teenager growing up. In the middle fifties, the real rock and roll was brought to the people and it was nothing like the so-called rock and roll of today. A lot of great singers came forth at that time and I would say that Elvis probably was the one that turned the world around with his mellow singing. Country Western was on the dial and you could listen to some singer telling her story with music so fine to the ears. It was a time so great to remembered. A lot was learned back then about how it was before, but in today’s world, people want to forget instead of remembering. That is so bad as our memories are so priceless and should be used as much as possible in today’s world. Do you remember?
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Time as we know it seems to fly by and we go from young to old and our memories sometimes fade a little. But there is one thing right here in the city of Kokomo, Indiana that never seems to change, and that is the outpouring of good will at Christmas time. People of Kokomo and all the area around seem to be alive with the spirit of giving and that is good. There is We Care, which seems to outdo itself each year regardless of the loss of jobs and people in our area. There is We Care Park which seems to sort of help bring cheer in the air around this time of the year. We have The YMCA which does it’s part by helping someone find a place to stay and to be a part of. The Rescue Mission and Salvation Army helps by feeding and clothing the ones who have no one else to go to. We have the Trustees who help in any way they can for those who have those unexpected hardships.
I can name a lot more but it would be a list so long that it would take up this whole page. I remember the Good-fellows, and Salvation Army, who through the years have gone far beyond to give some family a chance to have a good meal along with some clothing. Overall, it is the feelings of wanting to help someone else and that is good. The Wyant family does a lot of good with “We Care Park” where there are over a million lights each year and sights that you will only see at Christmas time and all of the Wyants are good people who have a calling to help someone else. It makes them feel good to show those who don’t have hope that there is hope not only at Christmas but also all the year around. And what can be said about We Care itself that hasn’t been said time after time. It started with one man asking for help with a call to Dick Bronson and Charlie Cropper and the lights of hope were turned on that day. Those two people along with the rest of WWKI took it among themselves to give their time and money to a cause that to this day has not lessened. Dick is not with us anymore but Charlie is there with Tammy and the rest of the crew taking it up to get as much raised so that anyone and everyone has a Christmas to enjoy.
Mike and Nancy Wyant and their brothers and families have that feeling of good will about the whole year around and you can see that they remember how it was when they were children. It too is their calling and they do it well. The people of this area is proud to have this feeling of good will to all and it shows as they go about their work with smiles and hope and pride. But also, it is the whole area around that shows it cares not only at Christmas but also the year around. “We Care” even has an auction to sell items for people to bid on with the whole amount raised going into the fund to help others. They give of their time as well of their good will for long hours just so that the hope of some child will have a nice Christmas. Kokomo is a town of good will toward all men, women and children with an everlasting effect on future recipients having this time of the year to treasure. I believe that God has a calling for everyone and He placed that calling in a lot of good people right here in my hometown of Kokomo. The time is getting closer and Christmas will be here soon, but the people I mentioned started getting ready for this Christmas right after the last one went by. God Bless all those who give of their time and resources each year so that each year we can say Merry Christmas to all and to remember that hope and faith is alive. Thanks people.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
You know, it seems to me that we do a lot of things that we don’t have to in our daily lives. And two things most needed are time and gas , so we need to take a good look at the situation and come up with a remedy that will give us a little more of both. I am one of those guys who wants to get as much out of life that I can and I arrange my time so that I get things done all at one time and in reality that saves me gasoline too. I plan my time in a way that I never cross my paths and yet still have time left in case of some emergency coming up. I get all my bills together and plan to get them mailed out in one day while at the same time getting my shopping done. I try to budget my time in a way that it benefits me and getting done in a reasonable amount of time. Being a caregiver and also chief cook and bottle washer, my time is valuable and so this is the way to do it.
As far as money is concerned, I never keep any in the house and only enough in my wallet for emergencies. I have sort of been known as a penny pincher and at times I can make Mr. Lincoln cry out that my grip is too tight. I am not stingy, but I am thrifty. I worked all my life so that I could retire and live comfortable. I have never been one to eat high on the hog, nor do I get something just to have it to brag about. My autos never get to many miles on them because I use it to get me around to do the things that are needed by my household. We buy gifts for the youngsters but once they get a certain age, we start do a little less for them because more little ones are coming up. It’s not that we are too stingy, as it is the way to keep our heads above water. Good planning on all things lead to having a little more for that time when something is needed real bad and the money is there to get it with.
Going to the stores to get food is one of the places where you have to take a good look at what is there and whether a cheaper product would be about the same. That is how you save for a rainy day, and man it sure seems like we have a lot of them. I have two stores where I do my grocery shopping and when I go to them , I will take a good look at what is there, and you can say that I will get the most out of that dollar bill and still get wholesome food. Being a vegetarian, meats are bought according to what the wife wants and I don’t fudge too much there. In the meat products, you have to take a good look at what is there in front of you and not purchase anything that looks like it has been out for quite a while. My daughter works at a meat market and she does most of that part of the shopping. You have to know whether something is fresh or just about at the sell by date. Most stores have bacon on sale but if you look at the package you will see that it has less weight for about the price that you pay for the full amount. Potatoes are something that this old man wants on my list and it is amazing how good a 10 lb bag looks until you get it home and then you find a lot of taters that won’t last too long. So this old man solves a lot of problems on food by planting a garden each year and enjoying the benefits of that. I like doing it and it helps keep me in the stingy mode so that I am ok on rainy days. Good for me. Try it sometime.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
I believe that each of us has a story
to tell and there are several ways it can be told. Starting with conception
,the life story takes a lot of pages to tell for most but maybe just a
few for some who made their mark and then called Home by our Father. So
far, my story has drifted along for 71 plus years ,and it seems like only
yesterday that I was in the warm arms of my mother {bless her heart}, and
protected from any thing that might harm me. My life as it is now is a
legacy of what was before, and my life now will be a legacy for my children
later in their lives. What was is now and now will be tomorrow later on.
Living as a child in a family that was not hurting for love, I think about how it might have been if the ones older than me might have lived longer than they did. Being the eighth child in a family of seven boys and seven girls, Mom was never in a loss for something to do. She had her hands full being responsible for our safety and keeping us fed, warm and clean. I look back today and I wonder how did she get everything done with only 24 hours in a day and only seven days a week. What she did could not be done in today’s world because time goes by fast and if you are going to use any of it, you have to be ready to grab on and take the ride of your life. Dad worked his job, did a lot of man work around the house, and even had a little time to discipline us kids if we did something wrong and Mom hadn’t took care of it before he came home. I saw my dad come home, fall back in his chair for a few minutes and then he would find out if we kids had done our chores and homework, before going out to bring in the coal and cut some wood for the fire.
Later on as we boys got older, all the coal getting, and wood splitting became our chores and Mom made sure that it was done without Dad having to ask. Mom could have been a superintendent of a factory, the way she made sure that everything that was supposed to be done was done as soon as possible. Man, she was one tough lady who was also one pretty woman with pretty eyes and a smile on her face. Now Mom did this for many a year like 18 years for each child. And when the child left the nest, she still had some yet to train for that time when they too would be ready to leave. And you know what? Mom always worried a little about each of us after starting out on our own.
When we lived in town, Mom always had lady friends over to talk to when she had the time to do so. Everybody in the neighborhood knew that if there kids were over at Mrs. Day’s, they were ok. Likewise when we were at the neighbors’ houses Mom knew we were ok too. I think a lot about how it was at home living under the watchful eyes of our parents and I sort of wish it was that way today. But life being like a story, there are several chapters and things change according to the time era it is in. I hope that as my story ends, I will of done things my way and still stayed on the narrow path our creator chose for me. I hope that as my story ends, there will be those who will walk up to my family and say that I was a good writer who told it like it was and that I was a good man. What a wonderful end to my life story. To be able to take the ride of my life and land on my feet is a story yet to be told. How do you want your story told?
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
It seems that I opened up some eyelids with my columns about our coming election. I guess that something just needed to be said to start others to take a closer look at what we, the people, will inherit come the year 2009. We have both parties making moves in order to bring the vote their way. The wars that we are part of still are the big factors for both as one says we need to stand our ground and the other saying that we need to pull out. However, if you take a little while to just listen to what is being said you will come up with a complete withdraw by 2011. That means that we will continue to spend our hard earned money overseas instead of feeding our people right here in this country.
I personally want to see an end of the two wars so that we can get our great men and women back home where they belong. However, I don’t want to see our military force reduced or even done away with as one of the candidates says he will do. We need our military right here in the good old USA and use them all around our borders to show all others that we are strong and we will defend our country without any hesitation or fear. We can be the sleeping giant ready to take down any one who tries to take us over. Our National Guard can be used to handle the places here in the states that need them in case of fire, wind or water problems.
In the last eight years, we have thrown caution to the winds via our man in charge and we go into countries either to fight or to feed those that live there. Folks, we have many places that need our money right here in America. We have a terrible health help program where you pay for prescription coverage but not get any because you fell into the donut hole. You pay for the coverage and also for the prescriptions after you reach a certain price paid by you and the plan. Now, does that make any sense to you? We have several pharmacies helping us out with the $4 dollar plan and that is a big help. Our doctors are limited to charging a price that is acceptable to Medicare, and as you can see, there are many of the doctors leaving the practice. We right here in the United States need a health care system that will benefit the patient and keep our good doctors in practice. We need to tell our people in Washington that the change we want is that we come first before we throw it away feeding and clothing a nation that as soon as they are strong enough, will attack us. We need to stop selling our country to the foreigners. One day we will wake up and find that we are bankrupt and in foreclosure and under the big hand of an enemy who took us down without a shot.
We need to tell those who think of Americans as infidels that we don’t need them here. The USA is a country that fought for our freedom and began a country under God with rights that other countries do not have. Our Bill Of Rights and our Declaration of Independence is our platform of government and those wonderful signers were God loving men and our country is strong with those who want to keep it that way. We proved in both the world wars that we will protect what is ours and our brave men and women are ready to stand up and show anyone that what is ours will stay ours. Bless all those men and women who gave their lives so that we might remain free. However, the two wars we are in now have nothing to do with us, as it is only a man in power putting us in peril. Let’s take care of our own before giving our money away. Those are the reasons that come Election Day, we need to use our heads as we vote. It is your choice.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
Many times this writer has readers who
tell me how it was in their time and that is like placing gold in my hands.
To be able to read letters from my readers about the old days gives my
heart that added boost to again go back in my time and relate to you my
young years.
I have one lady named Thelma who has a heart of gold and at the young age of 96 plus is bright as a tack and she relates to me the way things were in her time. I feel good when I read her words of praise about my columns and she always tells me how my column brings forth her memories of a time long ago when she was a child and also when she still had her love of her life still with her. She feels that she was lucky to have him all those years, and I think that he must have been very fortunate to have her as his mate all those years of their lives. You can tell just by listening to her or by reading her words, that her memories of a time so long ago have been embedded in her thoughts each day and to that I say to you Thelma that you are priceless and Ramona & I thank you for your friendship. Thelma is just one of the older generations who let me know that they enjoy reading my column each week and they encourage me to do it as long as I can because it makes them feel good too. We visited with Thelma the other day after coming from the doctor’s office and that time spent was worth all the gold in the land as we listened to this young lady talk about her life as it was and as it is now. So I can say with all my heart that knowing her has been a blessing and one that will be cherished.
There are many good people out there who have gone through the rough times of the 1920 to 1940 period of our time who know what it was like to want something but not able to get it. But the togetherness of a man and his wife with their children withstood the rough times and they were better for it. Most of us still here have not experienced the time when you didn’t know where your next meal was coming nor being able to be kept warm without a furnace or a modern freezer or refrigerator to keep foods in. Even I have not been through the type of bad times as those older folks have.
Life in the old days was a beginning for those who lived back then because what they did turned out to be a blessing for the ones who followed, and as each generation comes forth, the basic happenings were joined with what would happen later and as we go through our lives, we think back and say thank you to those who left us a legacy of love and training that we use each day of our lives.
As I go day by day, I find that life is good and that I can make it better if I want or leave it as it is. I find through my own words that life does not have to be hard on me if I don’t want it to be. It is my life and by using the training and the skills of those who were here but have been called Home, I can live to the fullest and spread my thoughts and feelings to those who want to read it. But we haven’t gotten to the time yet when we can be really secure. The recent money problems in the country have many in a scare attitude, and fear of not having the income to get by is scary. But things will get better and we just have to adapt to doing without for a while and watch what we spend. That is the legacy left to us by the older folk. Learn to live without and we can do that.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
This old man does have some hard times but thank goodness it doesn’t hang around too long. After having a terrible night trying to get to sleep, I got up this morning and of course there are a few things that an old man must do to be presentable to the family in the rest of the house. First thing to do is to make sure your PJS are not falling off your backside because no one is ready for that early in the morning. And of course there is the chore of disposing of the waste in your body, wash your hands, then take a good look in the mirror and then head out to the kitchen to fix my coffee.
No day is started without that great cup of java and reading it over the morning newspaper. After glancing at the front page, I go to the obits and check it out. If my name shows up then there is no use to read any further. I go back to the front page and then start reading everything including the ads. I only read certain comics because there are only a few that come from the old days. The sports page gets my attention even though the night before I caught up with all the sport news. You never know if you might of dozed off and missed something. Reading my newspaper over at least one cup of coffee, gives me an up on what is going on and what might happen later.
Well, then I check out my list for today to see what to do first and if nothing is too important then I go out to check out my garden and flowers. After that I feel that if I am going to greet a visitor or if I have somewhere to go, then I better get myself ready by taking a good bath, shaving, and putting on some clean clothes. So that I don’t have to rush, I first take a long look in the mirror and if the beard can stand one more day then I have saved a few minutes there. Combing my hair, which is showing some white with the gray, I wonder why other men want to darken their hair. I am happy that I have enough hair to comb. And it doesn’t hurt to comb my part a little lower on my left side giving me a little more hair to comb to the right. Taking a look at my teeth, I see a lot of places that don’t look too good so I figure if I don’t say too much no one will see my teeth. A little mouth wash helps and it gives out a nice smell too. Have you ever noticed how much hair shows up in the nostrils and ears? Need to trim those.
And of course while looking in the mirror I am witness to the scars from heart surgery and kidney surgery. Those are wake up marks that tell me each day that I am very fortunate to still be alive. That means make sure the meds have been taken and make sure that I don’t do things not allowed by my situation.
All in all, life has been good to me with wonderful parents, great brothers and sisters, a great wife and two wonderful children. What more can I ask for? Now that I am through doing the shopping, the cooking, the cleaning of the house, and washing of the clothes, I check to see how much time is left to do my thing in the outside world, and would you believe that the day has gone past so quickly that there is no more time left and so I make a new list of what I need to do the next day, and then watch a little of TV before falling off to sleep only to wake up several times because nature calls without scheduling and soon the daylight comes through the windows telling me that another day is happening and I need to really get it all done on this day for sure. Stop the clock, please.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
This month, both my father and Ramona’s
father would of been 100 years old. So this column today will pay honor
to both men who tried to give their families as much as possible including
bringing them up with discipline, respect of elders, honesty ,and a love
of father to child.
I remember my father as a man who gave his all at work, and what he could at home to help our mother. The job Dad had was one that at times was very dangerous and he did get some big scares but that did not stop him from showing up for work each day and grabbing some overtime when possible. And when he came home, he was very tired and he would sometimes go right to bed to get some rest before doing some chores around the house until we were old enough to take some of those chores on our shoulders, thus giving Dad some extra rest. Dad was a quiet sort of man who, didn’t talk much and he was a Cub fan along with being a Wildkat fan. He wasn’t interested too much with other sport teams as he only had room in his heart for those two teams. Of course when he finally retired he wasn’t to far away from any game on TV. He even started watching the soaps that Mom had been a fan of for a long time. I remember many times when we would walk into the door and there he was, doing what he enjoyed the most. He deserved to be able to do that as he was a tired old man who did his time. I miss him a lot but where he is now is the best place when you pass from this life.
Being able to work alongside him at the mill, I found a newer likeable side of him. He liked to kid around, and many times he had a laugh that we never saw at home. I remember years ago when he went into the hospital for a hernia operation. While Mom and I stood by his bed, Dad slipped me a note and nodded to me to put it away. But Mom saw this and as soon as we had gone outside, she wanted to know about that note. I showed it to her and it said this; “Ray they are putting me to sleep tomorrow for my surgery, but you don’t have to be here.” Mom looked me right in the eyes and said this; “you know what he means don’t you?” I said yes that Dad wanted me there and I will be there. That was Dad’s way of telling me he loved me. That was my Dad.
Ramona’s father was a lot different than my father in that he was active all the time. If he wasn’t working, he was fishing, trapping, hunting, or doing his garden work. He even let Mom McKee do the rowing on their rowboat. Man, that guy sure loved his outdoor sport. One time when Ramona and I were still dating, I parked my car in front of their house and left the motor running due to the very cold weather, while I took her to the back door. Pop hollered out to Ramona to tell the guy to turn off the car and I did so. Ramona and I took care of our hugs and kisses several times and then as she went in, I headed out to the car. No, it would not start and this night ended up with Pop taking me home to New London. I found a likeable side to Pop McKee that night and much richer for it.
So being able to say that those two men were my friends is a blessing for this youngster and a togetherness of a boy and two fathers till their end of time rests in my memory of the good times. To be able to just remember both of these great people and know that I am related to both fills my cup to the brim. Happy Birthday Dad and Dad -in-law from your son Ray. Soon we will honor my two Moms.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
It has always been stated that you can’t go back in time and that is true, but only because things through the years have changed and the things you remembered just are not what you see today. That is why this old man likes to go back into my memory bank and live the old days over again if only in my thoughts. It is surprising how people remember each other even though we have changed with the times and the same old friendship that has withstood all these years is still as solid as it was back then. I saw one of my old friends at the grocery store and she knew me right away. To say that old memories live on is very true. Old friends do too. There is nothing like meeting someone you haven’t seen in over 50 years and relive a time so precious in our memories, and then bring forth some things that you had forgotten about. True friendship between two people from the days of old stays that way and it goes on as long as both of you is still on this earth.
I took a little ride one day through the old neighborhood, there were many empty lots, and the houses that were there had been changed enough that you had to really go back into your memory bank to get a good visual look of what it was before. There were several people along the way that waved at me even though I did not know them. That part of the days of old has not changed as when I was a child, everyone greeted each other any time they met because our neighborhood was close knit and everyone helped everyone. It was a shame that I hadn’t had enough time to just stop and talk to some of them, as they probably were family members of those I knew back then. It seems like we just do not take the time to relive our friendships because we have other things to do. But one of these days I am going to take the time and go back to the old neighborhood and visit with those that are still there and their family members. I hope to do that soon as I am not getting any younger and neither are they and it would be a shame to just forget where you came from and those childhood friends so precious years ago and who have the same memories as I do.
I know that there are many who have been called home but they probably have family still there and that could be a way to bring the time back if only in memory. We have a wonderful thing we call a brain that files a lot of facts, pictures and thoughts that many times gets no attention because it is old and probably not needed in today’s world but they stay in those files until something brings them forward and you start remembering things you had forgotten all these years. Many times we wait too long to check on those memories and soon there is no one left to relive them with you. And that my friends is where you and I need to get together and bring the days of old back into our thought patterns. We need to realize that the seed of friendship can only grow stronger if we cultivate the roots and blend them in with a fresh batch of nutrients so that the vine of our friendship will blossom into the pretty flower of life. As we grow older our friendship should get stronger, but it won’t unless we feed it with praise and love of one another. Take that first step and contact someone and let them know that you remember the good times you had with each other. Don’t let the vine wilt into a dried plant not able to live. Do we have time to do this? Do we care enough to do it? You make that choice and you live with the results. Take the ball and run with it. Send me a letter or a call. Friends are forever.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
I can sort of remember when I was four and I remember Mom holding me while the doctor sewed up my wrist after getting it cut very badly. And it seemed like from that day, Mom was there anytime I needed her whether for a hug or to hold my hand during the tough times. Moms are like that in that they will always have a bond that no one else will have. They have the baby nine months before the fathers get a chance to give their love. Moms can feel things about their young that no one else can. They can sense danger before it can happen. Right away Mom will pull her children in close and protect them as no one can. And for years and then some, they will always be there to give out their hand to hold you close to her heart.
My mother was one great cook who knew how to keep her young fed and nurtured. She could take anything, add her seasoning, and make it so good that you were waiting at the table before it was done. Mom had the greatest biscuits and plenty to go around. And when she made a pot of beans each day, there was the aroma all through the house signaling to us that the bellies would be full tonight. When we were young, she would tuck us in, give her little kiss on the forehead, and say goodnight. You knew that you were safe for the night. Come morning the smell of bacon and eggs was present and that told us that if we were hungry, we better get up, wash our hands and get seated because late arrivals got what might be left.
Ramona’s mother was such a sweet lady that I met in 1956 and from day one, she was my second mother with her love for her daughter bouncing off me and I knew that I belonged. Mom Sarah McKee was a lady who had a tender heart with lots of love flowing and I was one of the people who received it. This great lady could make the best yeast rolls which when buttered up, the streams of satisfaction ran off our lips. Mom too could cook some great meals. And Ramona learned from her how to feed her young and me too. Oh what a great lady who loved all of us and it showed with her pretty eyes all aglow and her smile all over her face. This old man had two great ladies to get motherly love from and too this day, the memories of those two have that special place in my heart.
Mom McKee was called home in 1977 but it always seemed like she was still there because of the way that Ramona gave her love to our children. Mom Day was called home in 1982 and her memory lies in that little spot of my being where every once in a while, I find myself talking to her and she says that she loves me. Mothers are special people, who God gives the gifts of children to love and nourish and it seems like they will always be there when you need them. To both of them, we say, “We Love You Mom”
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
I have been told that I have a gift of
remembering and writing about the memories of a time long ago, of how it
was in the days of old. I have heard people say, that you can never go
back, and that is true in the physical theme, but you can remember those
things that you and your grandparents had to go through just to having
food to eat, warmth for your body, and a home to live in. The work that
each one of us, had to do to make it, was hard, but fruitful. Just take
the time to think about what your grandparents had to do. It took each
member of the family to do those things that were needed in order that
the family survived. Water for many came from a creek and they had to go
down each day and bring that water back to drink, cook with, and to wash
with. Clothes were washed in cold water unless they had a fire to heat
the water in a washtub. Going to bed after all the chores were done and
pulling all the blankets onto your body to keep warm because what heat
there was would soon go out and have to be started all over the next morning.
Some people were fortunate enough that they had a well on their land and
using a hoist and bucket, were able to have water when they needed it.
Food was mostly grown by each family and livestock was taken care of for
their meat to eat. Clothing was made from animal skins or from cotton spooned
on a spinning wheel
As time went by some of the luxuries came to be as iceboxes that held a block of ice was used to keep foods from spoiling. Coal stoves and wood stoves came to be to keep warm and to cook on. Washboards that were used to take out bad stains were used by most. Clothes were hung on a clothes line held up with a long pole to keep them from touching the ground. Then as time took on progress, electricity came to be and light bulbs were used to light up the homes. Washing machines came out using that electrical power, and radios were brought forth where you could hear the news that you would not have gotten unless you came to town and got together with friends. And with all the new things coming forth, it still took all the family to survive. It took a long time before inside toilets came to be and that was one thing that was an important part of the new generation. Think about how cold it was to have to go out to the outhouse and it seemed like the trip back to the house was longer than the trip to that outhouse. In my family, we had to take our baths in a large washtub filled with water heated on the big wood cooking stove in the kitchen. When we got up in the morning, one of us had already gotten the cook stove started and the heating stove in the living room filled with coal or wood over the embers that had kept the house warm during the night. We listened to our radio to the news, the fights, and the great half hour programs like The Green Hornet, The Lone Ranger, George Burns and Gracie Allen. Just think about how cold it was in the house with heat in only one room. The rest of the house was very cold and in the mornings, there was ice on top of the blankets and trying to crawl out of a bed that had a feather mattress was a chore to behold.
In today’s world we have nice heated homes in the winter and cool ones in the summer. Our fridges are made so that ice cubes are there when you want them. Our bathrooms have toilets that flush and refills. Water heaters give us our bath water, Yes folks, you can go back but most want to forget. Not this guy. Knowing where I came from tells me where I am going. Thank goodness.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
I grew up in a time that had some of the
most beautiful music ever. Music from the great composers gave the world
a sound that lives on forever as most movies have their music in the background.
The great crooners such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and
Perry Como could send you to sleep with their mellow tones. Johnny Cash
and Elvis could sing some great gospel music. If you have never listened
to Kate Smith sing, you are missing a lot. She sings “God Bless America”
like no other person could.
In my time, Country music was what you wanted hear late in the evening when you had time to just sit down and enjoy it. Later on they added the word Western to Country and that was when Country slipped a little. Singers went from nice clean appearances to ones that showed them with unkempt hair and dirty clothes. They even put the jumping around into the acts and that was and still is a disgrace to Country music.
The great groups of singers like The Mills Brothers and The Coasters, always were dressed neatly and the tones of their music blended in with what was going on at the time. In today’s world, it is hard to find a group that looks neat up on that stage. In the fifties, we had the emergence of Rock and Roll. And you could really get in a singing mood with it as Bill Haley and the Comets took the world and got it to rocking with the beat. For about ten years, there was an abundance of great music to listen to that blended with life as it was and the beat went on. However, a few years later, there was a big change in what my time called good. In came the long shaggy haired want to be’s who got up on the stage and did their jumping and their playing one chord of sounds continually while repeating over and over the same words. They hollered, and they had the young crowd screaming for more. No one knew what was being said because the ones on stage knew that they had them where they wanted them. The sounds were ear piercing, and if you listened real close there were profanity being said.
I remember when Ed Sullivan brought The Beatles to America to play to us on television. That was the start of a generation that still exists today. I have to admit that they did have some good songs and they were neat except for the long hair, but as time went by, the on stage appearance of the music groups kept getting worst and I stopped watching them. The Monkies came along and they were a little cleaner group to watch but their time was short lived. That other group that still shows up around the world does not deserve a mention as to name because to me their so-called music was not for me to listen to.
In today’s world, I still go back in time listening to the music of the forties, fifties, and sixties, and blended in with some of the great gospel music and the songs by the country stars, I can rest and soon fall asleep because the music is mellow enough to do that to you. Music as I knew it will always be there for me so I don’t need to be witness to the terrible sounds by those groups who have millions of people mesmerized enough that the sublimbal messages enter into their brains and take over. That is my opinion and not that of any other person or group. Johnny Cash and Elvis live on; Kate Smith leaves a soothing sound that makes you want to salute her as well as our flag. Even Roy Rogers and Gene Autry have songs still traveling around the world of great music. Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn sing the stories of their lives. So now, you know that I like good sounds of music and I detest those groups that holler, jump around, and hit the same chords repeatedly. Music should make you sing as you listen.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Today, my column will start out as a tribute
to my Aunt Donna who passed away at the age of 86, who had many problems
with her heart but she didn’t let that slow her down in the everyday activities
until a couple years ago. This was a strong-minded lady who had the love
of God in her heart. She lived that life with loyalty to our Lord Jesus
Christ and also to her beloved husband Joseph and her 3 sons and daughter,
and to her grandchildren. She was a lady who loved life and lived it as
one of God’s children. I don’t know of anyone who could say anything negative
about her and she never thought about life in a negative way. She took
life as it was and lived it according to her belief in God and she accepted
any pain because she knew that He would only give her what she could take.
Aunt Donna has left this life and entered into another, knowing that she
did her job while here with us. The children of Aunt Donna will miss her
very much but they can now be sure that she hurts no more and she has re-united
with her beloved Joseph in Heaven. She left knowing that her children will
be able to go on without her although the pain of losing a loved one stays
in their hearts for a long time. She is safely Home now and God Bless.
There seems to be something about the Christmas season that touches the hearts of the Day Family in addition to it being the time of the birth of Jesus. We have seen during this time of year that it is when many of our family members get their call to come Home. So many times we remember that time as one when we lost yet gained in our belief of eternal life. It is very hard to lose yet gain but the fact is that life is a time given to us to use as God wants us to and then there is the reward of eternal life afterward You should not fear death if it is the will of God. Each of us has a time to live and a specified time to die. A natural death is one that is part of God’s plan and it can only be changed if the person does something to cause it. That is the way that I look at my life and the pending death of my being. I don’t worry about when I will die because I feel deep in my heart that it is part of The Plan of God. So to those children of Joseph and Donna Day, I say to you that she hurts no more and she is safely Home.
And so after bearing my soul, I want to enlighten you on the Day Family as it was and as it is now. There have been rough times for most and we grew up realizing that life sometimes seems to be not fair. We know that because of those before us, we have a better life to maintain and leave for the next generation. We know that you have to want it hard enough to work for it and with patience and desire that will come forth. We know that, one day, we will get the call to come Home, and we should never take it upon ourselves to speed it up. Life is a wonderful thing given to us to live and to love but under rules and commitment to one another. And you should honor those who have left this part of life and who has left the children to carry on the tradition of family love for each other and for those who will one day be honoring you. As a believer, I live each day with thoughts of what I will do the next day, but also with the knowledge that the next day might not be in this world but in Heaven. I will not judge anyone because that is not my right to do so. So be it.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
That First Step.Once upon a time so long ago, yet it seems like yesterday, a young lad took it upon himself to try and make something of himself, and he went to this newspaper to see if he could get a job passing the paper. He was very fortunate that there was a route open and a part of it took in the area where he lived. A route bounded by Taylor Street, North Street, Market Street and Delphos Street. What a lot of good customers he had in that they paid their bill on time and there was often a treat by several of the nice ladies in that area. He had this route for two years and his boss was Mr. Bob Hamp. At that time, you went to the Tribune and picked up your papers as they came off the line. Then you folded them, packed your bag and then delivered them. The customers liked the service and many times rewarded you. After you made all your rounds collecting, you counted the money, then took it to the newspaper office and paid your bill. Anything left over was your earnings for that week.
That lad was me and having that first job gave me the incentive to work as much as I can and to learn to save. It gave me a sense of responsibility, and loyalty. To this day, I owe that to The Kokomo Tribune for not only giving me my first job, but also my first step into the rest of my life. After 2 years, I took on a new job as a soda jerk at Mills' Drug Store. I did this for about a year and once again the customers liked my service and one day, one of them told me that there was an opening at Kroger on North Washington Street. I was hired by Frank Neal and put to work right away. I was making my climb up in the world and I owed it to those great men who took a chance on me to work for them. Being a stock boy was a job not only stocking the shelves, but also the sacking up of customer’s groceries and carrying them out to the car. I remember one lady who after paying for her two sacks of food, said she only lived a block away and she could carry the bags. After checking with Mr. Neal, I took those sacks into my arms and followed her to her home. She was very happy with what I did for her.
After leaving the Kokomo area to live on the farm, I sort of took a hiatus from work and concentrated on my studies because I wanted to further my education after high school. That did pay off as I was chosen by the Indiana State Legislature to receive a scholarship to Indiana. But it didn't pay enough so when I graduated from high school in 1955, I went to work at Continental Steel so I could save enough to at least get the first year in at Indiana, before having to work for more. I decided to withdraw from the scholarship so that someone else could have that chance and I continued to work at the steel mill for 31 plus years, retiring in 1986 when it went down. Then a good friend of mine as the name of Bill Smyser called me and asked if I wanted to come work for him. I spent over 17 years at Sears as a associate in the Home and Garden area and then finishing up the rest of the time as a Tool Professional selling the best tools around and backing them up too. My life has always been one that respected others and loyalty to my employers.
So as I sit back in what spare time I have, I think about what if this or that had come about. Well, I really have to say that I have been very fortunate to have done my time and being able to relate it to you. To have had such great parents, brothers and sisters, wonderful wife and great children, who cares about what if ?
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
"Should we ask why?"
373
Sometimes we sit back and relive life as it is and was. Many times I have sat in a dark room all by myself , and I think about both my grandfathers who passed away before I could ever know them and I ask why it happen . I remember the days when both our grandmothers would visit and all the good times we had being with them. I wonder why they had to die and leave us with only the memories of two lovable people who loved all of us very much. I think back to the days that we had a lot of fun being together. And who would of thought that Dad and Mom, who loved all of us ,would have to live the hurt of losing six children before they themselves would die. It really is a terrible thing to lose a child that you didn’t have too much time to love. The brothers, who passed away each at the age of 49, left a big hole in our family, as did all the rest that passed away before them. Losing them was a very sad thing for us and we miss them very much.And many many times I have sat there thinking about our youngest daughter, who was just 34 years old and the life she could of spent would have been full of the love for her two children. I think of our other daughter Debbie who is living her own life and I know that the loss of her best friend and sister will always be an empty spot in her heart. And I think of John who is over in Iraq, who we hope will come home to stay one day safe and secure in his own life with a great wife and son. I think about the health of my wife Ramona who sometimes is too weak to get around, and who needs constant checks by our doctor. I fear that maybe I might lose her one day, and that really upsets me.
And then I think about the several times that I have come close to death, and the realization of life itself comes to the front as I see that life is the time between conception and the last breath , and that the way we spend it is of our own direction, and there are times in that life when there will be changes made as to who stays or who is called Home. I realize that time is just a blink of the eye and the way we look at life itself is the way we use it . I realize that there will be heartaches of losing a loved one and there will be times when we want to ask why. But then I also realize that having been that close and then coming back, there must be a reason that God let me stay a little longer. He must have something for me to do first and when it is done, my time here will cease and only the memory of my life will be left for someone to sit in a dark room to dwell on why it happened. It is my belief that God will call me Home when He and only He has decided that I have fulfilled my reason for being here.
Having thought all this out, I no longer sit in the dark room, and I no longer question why He calls a loved one Home. I have to go on with my life just as each of you who has lost a loved one must go on with your lives. I only hope that when my time comes, I will be remembered as one of God’s children who only wanted to live my life in my own way and as one who tried to follow the Commandments, and as one who respected all others . I hope that they will say that they received strength through my columns and that I was a good person. As with all people there will be some who will question how I spent my life even though it would not be any of their business, and there probably will be some who will denounce me because of my belief in God and His son Jesus, but that is their loss and not mine. I can only tell you that up to now life has been very good to me and I wouldn’t change a thing. My life has been blessed with being with some of the greatest people who happen to be my whole family from birth to this present day. How much better can life be for this old man who has loved and been loved by all the family and friends. The life that awaits me in Heaven will be the only one that could be better than what I have had so far. I was asked one day if I had ever been blessed by God and my answer to that is that each morning I wake up is a blessing. And every night as I retire, I thank Him for that day. It works for me, no questions asked. Think about it.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
"GROWING MY GARDEN"
374
It is that time of the year when we go from an uncertain spring to a warming of the months into the summer season. After we have experienced a winter that either gives us lots of moisture or hardly none at all, we sort of feel that the following seasons will fall into place so that we can get our hands dirty working the gardens, getting bit by the flying insects, and eventually the harvesting of a bumper crop of goodies that we eat or we can them, to eat later. But there are times when the weather plays havoc giving us lots of water thus flooding out our gardens, or hardly none at all thus making the soil hard and dry so that nothing will spring up from the ground, spreading their foliage above the ground reaching for whatever moisture it can get from the air itself. You have to be the source of water, and it has to be given the right way or the plants will either rot or dry up .This year, I started two weeks earlier than I usually do, and that gave me time to really look the situation over to see what was the best way to use the weather along with my efforts to come out with a bumper crop of goodies. It has been over two months since first starting the garden, and the plants are really doing ok. We have already filled our tummies with several batches of green beans cooked with onions and potatoes, and more coming on the vines. The peppers are really doing great and it looks like my neighbors will be able to get all he wants and still there will be lots to dice up and freeze. Two rows of onions are doing ok but I see where the sets worked better than the plants. This year, I used the raised bed plan for my onions, and it worked great. There are several there now about the size of a baseball with still more growing season left. I eat a lot of onions , and when we have an abundance of them, I dice them and freeze them just like the peppers. We are just now finishing using what we froze last year. There are five rows of tomatoes, all kinds of varieties, and the fruit is coming on very well. I planted eighty-seven tomato plants this year, and I staggered the yield season on them so that they wouldn’t all come on at once thus having to give more away, than we would eat. Some of the plants are shoulder high now.
I don’t like to see vegetables or fruit rotting when there is someone somewhere not having enough to eat. To me it is a sin to throw away food that could fill a tummy somewhere. As far as working the tomatoes so that their picking time is staggered, I go out while they are growing and pinch off the suckers so that the plant grows longer and higher thus giving out larger tomatoes. If you do this for half of them and then later pinch on just half of that amount, you wind up with bigger tomatoes, later in the season. You don’t have as many, but you do get larger ones. I grew greens for the first time this year and the wife said they were great. She cooks them down and uses bacon grease to finish up the greens. I grew cucumbers and have them growing in a way to take up less space by training them to grow on a ladder made by yours truly. There are some quash growing and the melons are peeking out at the end of the vines. I like a good melon once in a while after it has set in the fridge for a little while. And of course cucumbers sliced and mixed with vinegar and onions , makes a nice side meal on a hot day when you don’t feel like being in front of the cook stove.
All in all, you might say that this is my favorite time of the year, because it is that time when I can work right alongside our Great Father who has given me the means to serve Him by using His soil and His weather, so that I and my family can feast on the finished product. What better can I ask from Him than to work alongside of Him? And I have to give dad some credit because he started me at a young age in making a garden. And don’t forget mom who taught me to cook. How can anyone forget their early training from the best two people in their lives?
So to end my column for this week, I leave with these words. “May the wind gently lift you on wings of hope. May the song of the earth free your spirit to rise and soar. May each sunrise bring you renewed energy and the promise of a beautiful day. May the Angels smile upon you and touch your life with peace and joy“. Life is only as good as you make it.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
"My columns That Have Been Printed."
375
I went back the other day and read some of the 217 columns that I have written for The Kokomo Tribune and I found that I have given the world a look at my inner self and I was pleased that I was able to do so. I wrote what I feel about Angels, and that I believe that they exist and that they are all around. I also wrote that there are some special angels. One type is children. I believe that all children are born as angels and one look at a sleeping child should tell you why. They have the peace and love that only comes from a place that has seen the light. The second special angels that I believe in, are the ones that are walking amongst us every day, doing the things that only they can do. I guess the ones I notice more are the nurses who take care of the sick while trying to go on with their own lives. Some others are those who always have time to help someone and do things for them.They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that if you look hard enough, you will find that there is some beauty to everything. One of the most beautiful sights that I have ever seen, has to be ,when the morning starts turning from dark to light. It doesn't happen too fast, so you have time to see in slow motion, all the changes. The different colors, that come forth to you ,are just wonderful. The sun, that starts peeking over the horizon, just makes you want to see more, and you start really watching, as the light starts getting brighter.
I also wrote about the singing mouse here in this city at one time, who was on the Edward R. Morrow show on CBS radio which was heard nationwide. The singing mouse was the property of Mr. Glen Rextrew, who lived up in the north end of town. A reporter at the Tribune, George Welden, did a story on this mouse. At first Welden thought it was a joke, so when he got a call from Glen that he had a singing mouse in his house, he decided to check with the readers on how to catch the mouse. Glen and his wife were in the living room when they heard the same singing sound that they have heard for several days and when they went into the kitchen, they heard a sound coming from the clothes basket. As Glen uncovered the basket, a mouse jumped out and ran away. So now the Rextrews knew that they had two singing mice in their house. After a few days went by, Welden recieved a call from Glen Rextrew that the mouse had been caught and if he wanted to hear him sing. Over the phone, he heard the chirping of this mouse , and it sounded like a bird. WIOU was contacted and they made an attempt to record the voice of the singing mouse. When they went to the Rextrew home, nothing happened. The mouse would make no noise. So Glen said that they would cover the cage where the mouse was in and after some 15 minutes, they uncovered it and sure enough this mouse whose name was Mickey started his pretty chirping and it sounded like a canary. That same day Mickey was heard over WIOU, and then on the Edward R. Morrow show. That story of Mickey stayed on the tongues of many for several weeks.
I have written about life in the days of old and the comparison of it to today’s life.I have written about many of the people back in the days of old that made an impression on me. I wrote about the Steel mill and my work at Sears. But mostly my favorite topic is about my dad and mom who gave of their lives so that fourteen children might have a better life one day. I wrote about losing a young daughter to cancer and how it affected me and Ramona. Also stories about all the chores that we had to do in the days of old as part of the life growing up in the thirties and forties. I wrote about those friends I had who will always be a constant in my life and of theirs too. I have expressed my hope for the world and of this city that I proudly call home. I have given the reader enough knowledge about me that if I ran for office, there would be enough information about me that I wouldn’t need someone else to tell me what to say. My words follow me as I am greeted by all those friendly people who tell me they like my latest column.
I have enjoyed my opportunity to write for this newspaper and one day I hope that my column might go the syndicated route letting the world read the words of an old man who loves life as it was and as it is today. My thanks go out to this newspaper and to you who read it. You, the readers, are the ones who encourage me to write my columns. Thank you for that.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day