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You know, I always give praise to my parents for the way that they raised me and my brothers and sisters. Those two people were the ones to give us a chance to get by in this world, by showing us that love of one another with respect to everyone regardless of where they came from or what their race was as well as how they believed. We were taught that we are all brothers and sisters and that one-day we would end our stay in this place and then we would have eternal life in Heaven. However, we had to walk a narrow line and we had to avoid those sudden detours that come up right in front of us, designed to tempt us to take a different road. Nevertheless, they always told me that the way I walk my path is up to me once I get old enough to make my own choices in life. They were there to guide me and to show me the path but it was up to me to decide how I walked it. Dad and Mom were like that in that they wanted the best for their children, but they knew that once we left the nest, we had to make our own choices. They were there to give advice if we wanted it but they did not push us to ask for it. They gave us the foundation but we had to build from there. That is what parents are for. To start us out with love and nurturing and to guide us as to how we treat our fellow man and how we respect the rights of others. So many times, you will find a mention of Mom and Dad in my columns.

I received a phone call the other day asking me what my father’s name was and I told the nice lady of 90 years young that it was Roscoe. She then started telling me about her late husband who knew my father very well and said that he always thought of Dad as one of his best friends. Now it is great to be able to remember my father and praise him in my own words, but to hear it from someone else really makes me proud. Many times in our span of life, we meet people who knew our parents as friends of long ago and it sure is great to be able to sit back and hear the words of praise. That is one of my most important gifts ever given to me as one of the children of the man named Roscoe who most at the mill knew as “Dink”.  I thank Mrs. Jones for calling me and telling me that my dad was liked very much by her husband. Dad was like that in that he was a quite sort of man who never asked for help but willing to give it to someone who needed it. So that phone call made my day. I always hear praises about my mother because she made many friends and her mother was widely known for her stern way of living. Mom was the sort of lady that needed the accolades of others because being a hard working mother of a large family, she didn’t have the time to be anywhere else. My cousin Marie always thought of my mother as her second mom and she was over at our house a lot. Marie was and still is a lovely lady who seemed like a sister instead of a cousin. I still call her “Sis”. So when the time comes that my clock has run down to the empty mark, I will embark on a trip to join those wonderful people I know as “Mom & Dad”.

It sure is refreshing to talk to those “Young People” in their nineties who experienced the day of old when life was important enough that you built as you lived. Everyday was a hard one but a fruitful one. I have another “young “ friend named Thelma who has been one of my readers for several years and the letters I get from her keeps me in full stride as she tells me about what she lived through. She is 93 now and a lovely lady too. To be able to hear or read the words of Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Branam, gives me another look at how it was back in the old days, and blending it in with my own memories, I am able to relate to you, my readers, “The Days Of Old”.

I welcome any and all letters or cards from those out there who take the time each Monday to read my column and then sit back to their own thoughts of life back then compared to life as it is today. Without memories I would just be a speck of dust, but with memories I am a man of thought, and my desire is to pass on to you those thoughts and inspire you to pass them on to your children about how it was, how it is, and how it might be in the future. Memories are not to be forgotten. They should be used to remember the legacy of our ancestors.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

Our Mom & Dad.
452

As I write, so do I remember the things that meant a lot to me as a member of the Day Family. You have read my words about “The Days Of Old”, that rests in my memories so precious to me. Most of the things I have written were about my days as a youngster still at home under the tutorship of our father and mother, and the things taught to us so that come time to leave the nest, we are qualified to be on our own and making our own choices about how we want to live and how we decide to walk our remaining journey here on earth.

But there are those little things that came about, as we had our own families and only seeing our parents a little each week. I remember a time when my Dad, who never took time off from work, had to have a double hernia operation and was in the hospital for the first time in his life. That was a whole new look at this man who I had never known to have to depend on someone else to take care of him except the love of his life, our mother. Well, Mom and I were at the hospital visiting Dad the day before his surgery and Dad was sort of uncomfortable having a nurse telling him what he could do and what he couldn’t do. As I was standing there by the bed, Dad motioned to me to bend down and he slipped a piece of paper into my hand and motioned to me to put it in my pocket. Mom was right there and she saw this, but she never said anything. Well after visiting hours were over, Mom and I left to go to the elevator and as soon as we got into that little box that goes up and down, Mom asked me to show her the note. I took it out and read it to her and this is what it said. "Ray, I am having surgery tomorrow morning but I will be ok. You don’t have to be here, Dad." Mom then looked me square in the eyes and asked me if I knew what he was trying to say. I told her that he wrote that note to tell me that he wanted me there and I would be there as a son should be. Mom said that it was Dad’s way of asking me instead of telling me. That was my Dad who was not only my father but also a co-worker and a great friend. I always will remember that day as the one when Dad told me in his own words that he loved me. That note is somewhere in my files of memories so precious never to lose.

And remembering things like that , I remember when Mom, after living two years without the love of her life, Dad having gone Home two years earlier, was put in the hospital for peritonitis, and went into a coma for 30 days. As we took turns staying with her at the hospital, because we all had jobs , sometimes some of us staying two days in a row, so we would be there whenever she came out of that coma and be once again that happy, cheerful lady we had known all our lives. One night about 2am, while standing over her bed with her hand in mine, I was sort of rambling on about what was going on while she was there getting the rest she really needed, and I asked her if she was ok and could she hear me? I felt her hand move and I felt her squeeze my hand and I thought that just maybe I felt this because I wanted to and she really did not hear me. But I still went on with my words and every once in a while I felt the sensation of her movement of her hand to mine. Mom stayed in that coma for several weeks and at times we thought that maybe it was time for her to go be with her long time love, having been two as one for all those wonderful years. Mom came out of her coma 3 days before Christmas and she told us that she heard Christmas carolers singing in the hallways. So even though Mom was still in the hospital during Christmas, our Christmas was great that year.

One day before it was time for Mom to leave the hospital, she asked me if she could come home to our house to stay for awhile and Ramona told her that she would be proud to have her come home with us. Ramona was always one who needed to be needed and this was right down her alley. So Mom did come home with us and my brothers and sisters came there to visit her and to help her with whatever she needed. Ramona had Mom to take care of and that made her happy. Mom was with us only 3 weeks when she got her call to go Home. I will always remember these 2 times in our lives when we remember Mom and Dad telling us they loved us. I bet you have memories like that too. "To be remembered, never to forget".

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

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

As we drift about trying to make ends meet and look to the future of leisure after retirement, I look backward to the times when the past was what most talked about, and the present being the mode of contentment for most of us. I can remember when our heating and cooking stoves were run with coal, wood, paper and even corn cobs. We stayed cool with the use of fans running off electricity and when outside you would see most carrying a fold up fan or maybe a magazine to use to stay a little cool. The iceboxes were the way to keep food from spoiling and we had the iceman who delivered the large chunks of ice right to the icebox. If you were lucky enough to be able to afford screens on the windows and doors, then you were able to keep out the flying insects. If there was a hole in the screen, it seemed like all the insects would find it right away and katy-bar-the -door as it was time to get out the spray gun and bombs away. Those mosquitoes would leave a large welt on you and Mom was there to use her concoction of bleach and soda to ease the pain and itch. Man, she knew how to care for all of us and even the neighborhood kids too.

The  games we played, were a lot of times ones that were thought up by us. “Kick the can "was a favorite as you place a used can on the corner and you kicked it so that the one between you and the next corner would have to run after it far enough and you ran for the next corner spot with out being put out. We played "Rummy" and "Old Maid", and "Checkers"and sometimes we would find the biggest lot and play some softball. Most of the neighbors were ok with us using their land for our game because usually one of their kids were part of our group. A lot of us liked boxing and we would make our own punching bag out of old rags packed in a paper bag tied up and hanging from a tree. A lot us always were on the lookout for metal, old rags and paper to save until we had enough to take to the junkyards to see so we could have some extra money to go to the movies with.

After we came home from school, we had our homework to do, our chores to do and then helping Mom with the dishes before going out to play. And when you did dishes, it wasn’t done until everything was dried and put away. You didn’t leave dishes in the sink or in the strainer. One of our pastimes was sitting in the living room while Mom entertained us by playing the piano. Boy, she loved that piano, and she kept it clean and made it shine. I guess that next to loving Dad and all of us kids, she loved that piano a lot and the sounds coming out of it were ones of joy and peace in the world. Sometimes Dad would sit there and listen and smile and the family was content with what we had because we had each other and nothing out there could be better than that. Now, Dad was a man that worked a lot of overtime and sometimes we didn’t see him much because working as hard as he did, he needed as much sleep as he could get.

Mom and Dad respected their vows to each other and for 56 years they were a couple. Dad went Home in 1979, Mom followed him in 1982. And as we have our Day Reunion each year, we know that they both take a front row seat up there in Heaven to watch the family get together for good food and exchange of memories. And as they watch, we think about the time when we will get the call to join them. Life really has been good to all of us and there have been times of despair as we see different things happen that could have been avoided. But as Mom and Dad always told us, they raised their family, we have to raise ours, and our children have to raise theirs. It’s all about a circle unbroken. A family within with no outside interference, destined to better the world one day by doing their part . We miss our parents a lot but we know that without them we would of been a generation without a purpose and respect. All of those from the "days of old" did their part in opening the door for all of us. We have to enter it and see what awaits us.Maybe we will progress in our efforts to be a important part of the wheel of motion. Maybe we will end up on the flat side of that wheel and life will stand still. And just maybe we will remember that Dad and Mom did their job and now it is time to do ours. Life is a journey that can be long or it can be short. You are the ones who decide which. Thanks to two great people who gave it their best to make us better. Love you Mom & Dad.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

People, we have a war right here in our country that needs to be addressed. I am saddened by the violence that is spreading from city to city. Are we doing all we can to curb this outburst of violent behavior, or are we going to just sit back and wait for it to come to us? Are the hands of enforcement tied down, or are their thoughts only based on what is going on in other countries? Our police department goes out on the streets and brings in those trouble makers only to see them get their hands slapped and then sent back to the streets to cause more problems. We hear that our prisons and our jails are overcrowded and there isn’t any room for more problem makers, so those problems are not taken care of.

What we need to do is to start at page one in our parenting manuals and take back the rights of parents so that we can discipline our young without fear of being taken to court. Discipline starts at home and then if help is needed then the parent can ask for help from the groups who find out what makes our problem makers tick. Common sense tells us that early training is the key to a solid child foundation. Maybe there is something that only a parent can see happening to the youngsters, and they can use their skills to offset the problems before severe punishment is the only answer. It begins at home, and then as the child starts his or her school, the teacher can use their skills with children and start the progress of learning under a controlled environment. Give the teacher in the schools more authority to deal with the problems, by taking off the chains that hold them back, and then back them up, and things can only be for the better. Stop blaming the police for their actions as they do their job of protecting us from the people who are breaking the laws. Give the protector some praise instead of trying to undermine his actions.

It is my contention that we started losing our hold on violent behavior in the sixties when it was the thing to go about changing the world with dope and free-will due to the start of what we know as Woodstock. Up until that time the parents and the schools had a good grip on how to raise and educate our young people. Remember that this is my opinion and not that of anyone else including any of those groups out there that are waiting to pounce on us as soon as we are down. I get really mad when I think how we have just sat back and allowed the violence to begin and escalate. And those groups of people, who supposedly are protecting our civil rights, has and still are undermining our existence as a country built on the premise of the rights of all and not just a few. We see violence on the television, and in the movies. The kids who are watching get a picture in their heads that it is ok to cause problems because it makes them powerful and important. Many times that is where the seed of violent behavior is planted and that seed grows inside until that time when it arises from its hidden spot and starts it journey of killing and destruction. The sounds that our youth hears from the music of today with their messages are a contributor to our problems.

Those who know me will tell you that I am a peaceful man and I try not to be radical at anything, but I have to be very explicit with my thoughts of how violence starts and grows unless we do something about it at home and at school. Don’t wait until they are grown up and the police have to be the changer of the guard. We have a war right here in our country that needs to be brought to an abrupt end. Those kids out there are our survival, because soon they will be the leaders in our nation, and we need to send them a message that we need them and that we want them to clean up their acts now before it is too late.

I want to see them excel in life instead of throwing it away. If I, as a writer of this column, am able to turn one life around through my writings, and then I have reached my goal. If I am able to also get the generations of life to remember how it was in their lives, so that they can use it as a means to make this world a better one, then I am happy with that. To live life without trying to make it better would be a waste, but to live life in its fullest would be the best. Until the next time when you invite me into your home by opening up this paper, I bid you God Bless. And I hope that I have made your day.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

With the passing of time we see our elected officials slowly being led toward the ones who would profit by having them in their side pocket. We have seen this to be true, as lately we find that honesty to the people who elected the representative, has taken a back seat to the lobbyers in Washington and even in the state capitals around this nation. What something like this does, is that the voter is left wondering if he or she cast the right vote in the elections. Also it puts a strain on those who are trying to do what his or her voters put them in office for. In other words, it doesn’t take long for a rotten apple to change the whole barrel unless we as responsible voters take it upon ourselves to be very informed about who we want to put in as our voices in government.

I have always stated that you should know as much as you can about one who might want your vote, and you should weigh all the pluses before finally giving that person the right to speak for you. It is a true fact that there are people in government who never did a day’s work in their lives, nor will they do one if not elected to office. There are those in Massachusetts who have been in the Senate or House that have always been there and really they don’t represent the people who cast their vote just because that person is widely known and of a well known family. You have people who get elected to office that have outside interests in other countries although they transfer that interest to their families while they are in office. Most of the time those interests get special attention because of that relationship. The construction companies supposedly doing the rebuilding in Iraq is one example. The ownership of a wide known condiment company is another. Don’t you think that we as voters would want our representatives to represent us?

And look at the groups of young people elected to office who get wooed into being on panels and chairmanships, just so their way of voting is contained to what that group wants to get done. It doesn’t matter that you and I sit here hoping for something better to come out of that vote that we cast on election day. Just a few days ago I heard on television that our cancer research program is taking another cut. I guess it is alright to send our money to other countries or to large profit making oil companies but we can’t work to save our families from cancer. Where is the thinking of that group in Washington in that we can buy peace in the world but we can’t buy more research to saves lives? Don’t you as a voter care that we are being represented in the wrong way? Don’t you as an American want to better the living conditions of those who live here before we build and spend overseas? Don’t you as a family member want the best for your children and their children? Check out how much is being spent overseas for fighting AIDS and how much is used right here to fight that same illness. Take a look at the odd rules of the Medicare program where once you get into a certain spot in your medicine refills, you wind up in a gap where you pay the full cost for your medicines even though your premium payments continue. Look at the outrageous prices that our medicines are sold at even though the countries overseas are getting it free. Folks, I am not trying to run down our government but I am telling you that we have a problem that is getting worse each day in that our loyal Americans are being over-looked in favor of buying peace with countries that once they are fed and have gotten stronger with our help, they will try to overcome us. I heard a man say once that when you feed a hungry animal you want to be very careful because that same animal has it’s sights set on a bigger meal.

Enough said right there from a loyal American who has gotten a little tired with what our people who we elect to office do once they are there. Will you think real hard before casting your vote? And will you make sure you do vote? And will you take what I have written and use it to check out those who would say that they will represent us? Just an opinion from Uncle Ray who will be doing a lot of heavy thinking before casting my vote for those who want to represent us by making sure that they don’t have thoughts of advancement at our expense. Remember this in that once our pockets are empty and those other countries’ pockets are full, will we be sold to the highest bidder? “Washington, we have a problem“.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

We took a little ride the other day over the city, to some of the spots where memories were made in this young man’s life. We wanted to check out the places that meant so much to a youngster from a large family. and see the places that sort of guided our lives in the right direction. Up on North Street and Lafountain Street, Reece Sullivan had a filling station for many a year and he gave all the kids in his area a treat once in a while because he knew all the families around there and if you were hanging out at the filling station you were in good hands. The building is still there but nothing else. Going south to Broadway, there was a grocery store which was Witacres’ and then French’s Food Store. No store there now as it went out several years ago. Then over on Kennedy Street there was Winburns Market and just like the others, if you were there, you were in good hands. Matter of fact. Merrill Winburn would put you to work if you hung around too long. Of course there was always a treat waiting for 10 minutes work. South of there, Old Ben Martin had a grocery store and he saw us every weekday morning just before school and the giving of a treat was always there for us. Go around the corner and you came to Dulin’s filling station and we went there for air in our tires whenever we needed it. Not too far from there was the A&P Food Store, and the Eight O'Clock Coffee there was the best. The A&P was run by Bert Rounds and he was a great guy too. Going down to Markland Ave, there was a National Food Store which along with Marsh Foods sort of took over the food business in Kokomo and along with Jesse Weaver Food Store on East Markland, and Kroger’s on North Washington, this sort of sounded an end to the smaller stores because of the wide variety of meats and can food along with vegetable and fruits. A lot of good men in Kokomo made their living running the small groceries because they gave credit to the families in the neighborhoods who on payday were first in line to pay their bill for the week.

I had the great pleasure to know all of these men personally and I worked for Frank Neal at Kroger’s for over a year. Business in the food market now is not as family friendly as they are in the business to make money and if they don’t, it isn’t long before they are gone. Nowadays, if you found someone giving candy, you better watch out because he or she might have other ideas. That is a shame because there are a lot of good people with good intentions out there that are afraid to show any emotion to the youngsters of today. People really haven’t changed, as it is the attitudes that have take the front seats and the stigmas that stay with someone whether they are guilty or cleared of any wrong doing. It is the world today and we live with it.

The neighborhoods are still there but the houses are gone, but the memories of living there stays in your heart and the friends you had as youngsters always give you a hug and/or a handshake when they see you. I sort of had the opportunity of having friends in the old neighborhood and also those when we moved out to New London where I went to Western to finish out my high school career. Man, there were a lot of good people waiting to give the new family in town their welcome and their help in getting moved in. To this day, I have the luxury of my old friends and my new friends out there to hug and shake hands with. To move into a new area and going to a new school, most would have a great adjustment to make but when they greet you with open arms, you are truly blessed. It has been said that you can never go back to the way it was but you can relive those memories of a time long ago when life was what you made of it, and you can still look up old friends and discuss how it was back then. Some will say that they don’t ever want to relive those days of old because it was a time of living on the wrong side of the tracks and they would rather forget it. But in my case the tracks were in the middle of two identical neighborhoods where you made good on everything you did, so that food was on the table, warmth was in the air and a breeze was always flowing keeping it great to live back then. I still see a lot of the people I knew back then and they remember me and a hug is in the offering, sending the signal that life was good, and now it is better for most who are left. A lot of my good friends have been called Home but they left memories so precious to all of us that are left. How often do you go back in time? Is the trip worth it? In my case it always is a trip of precious friends and memories worth remembering.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

I sort of use the same way of growing my garden, except I don’t have all the help he had, but that is ok because when I see the new growth coming forth from those plants, I feel good, and I thank God for giving me the strength to do it each year. Growing a garden can be a hard thing to do if you don’t look at it like I do. Working my garden, gives me the satisfaction of helping God to continue to give us all the pretty things making up a landscape so beautiful that you feel blessed just being a part of it.

This year I will change the rows to where they will stretch from the fence to the far side to the drainage ditch, and I will lime it up two weeks before tillering the soil. Lime helps in avoiding dry rot on the tomatoes, and it gives added nutrients to soil that has been depleted of those things needed to have a good soil base. Ashes from the old bonfires does some good if you don’t overdo it. A little sugar in the holes where you put your tomato plants helps give the plant that needed boost and helps the soil too, I like to add a little straw to the holes too which will help the plant maintain moisture in dry weather. And building a makeshift fence so that the tomatoes will have something to hang on to, will give your plant that needed support while keeping the fruit off the ground, thus saving the plant from rot.

Planting onions is a lot harder to do because of all the bending down you have to do, so once I get started planting my onions, I get down on my knees like my Dad did and I stay there until all the onions are in the ground at just the right depth, and dirt pulled up to it. Last year I planted over 1200 Walla-Walla plants and some of them were as big as softballs and great to eat just like an apple. This year I will plant about the same amount but all of the plants will be where they can get sunlight for at least 13 hours each day. Onions need as much sun as possible too so I usually plant my onions in April because the daylight hours begin to increase at the time of the year and stay that way until the 2nd week of August.

Peppers are always part of my gardens each year, because they are good in almost anything you cook or in salads, or even eating while watching television. You can’t get fat eating peppers. I like the Red Bell peppers, but then the Green Wonders are great too. My freezer each year holds a lot of chopped up peppers ready to use in my cooking of the meals. Fried taters with peppers and onions make my mouth water and my belly crying out for more. This year I am growing garlic in the garden too. Last fall after all the garden was stripped of all the dead plants, I tillered it and I planted several gloves of garlic along the fence and come planting time this season, I will dig up those garlic plants and reset them in another section of the garden. This way I should have some pretty big gloves to hang on the back porch to use when I want that certain taste that only garlic gives you. Corn will be a no-no this year as it just takes up too much room and you really don’t get a good yield from corn. I might take one row and plant several different kinds in it so that there will not be much waste. A little leaf lettuce, some green beans, some radishes, some kale, maybe some carrots will make up that row. I like to plant flowers around the garden to give it beauty and also sunflowers will once again be out there but far enough away from the garden so that the needed sunshine will spread it’s wings with the yellow flow of glory to the sun. All in all, it will be fun once more to work beside God as we add to it’s beauty.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

As we watch the news about plant closings, employee layoffs, and seeing the heartaches of those who thought that they would have a secure pension when that time came, I have to come forth with my sincere thoughts of why it has come about and how it effects the working man or woman. You never get over it even though a new job comes about from another source. The feeling that you have of wondering if it can happen to you again, stays within your inner thoughts and feeling secure in that new job is not easy to maintain.

I went through this same problem back in 1986 when the mill shut down putting a lot of good men and women out on the streets and the prospects of finding work wasn’t too good. Most of these workers like myself were skilled in certain types of work and changes in our lifestyles were on the horizon. Many of our good friends lost their homes, some had to leave the state to find work, many were able to retire, but at a greatly reduced pension due to the government agency taking over our pensions. I, myself lost at least $350.00 of my pension even though I met all the provisions in the pension contract that was no more. You might asked why our pension was depleted and here I have to tell you that during the time while the mill was working under the new owners, 12 million dollars were used by the head honcho to buy swampland in Florida and never replaced. During the last years of it’s existence, there were things going on that should have been looked at by the top dogs but eyes were closed and they only saw what they wanted to see.

Good supervisors were told to hit the streets and not look back. New people who had closed eyes were brought in and things got worse. I had been in supervision for almost 16 years and one day in 1981 after several months of asking why certain things were happening, I got the call to go see the next supervisor above me and there I was told that my services were no longer needed and that my backside better hit the gate. When I asked why I was being terminated, the answer I got was that I was asking too many questions. I won’t go into the questions I was asking because that wouldn’t change anything. But by not signing off my time that I had in the union prior to my selection as a member of supervision, I had an ace in the hole. My trip down to the union hall and the checking of my rights, allowed me to go  back to work in my previous position and I stayed there until the mill went down.

As to why the mill shut down when it had been one of the best suppliers of good nails, rods, welded fab, fence, wire products, and a vital part of the economy of this city of Kokomo, I have to say that I know that bad top management consisting of men who wanted to fill their own pockets was the largest factor. People brought in to take the places of those supervisors that were let go had no experience in directing or supervising and they played the same hand as the top dogs over in the main office. And it didn’t take long before we in the plant were giving concessions thinking that we could save the mill. Most of us at the time of closing , had given concessions of over $30,000.00 and it didn’t help a bit. Many of us who had stock, lost all of it as all the other stockholders did. A lesson was learned from the demise of Continental Steel by all of us who worked there. Nothing is secure as long as there are those out there who will profit by shutdowns, layoffs, or the mishandling of pension funds.

Here in this city of Kokomo, we are experiencing possible shutdowns, and layoffs that opens the doors to future heartaches of those who thought their future was secure. Until we can look into the future, we can only remember that bad times have been here and are ready to come back unless the people who care set into motion the prospects of new factories run by Americans, and other new businesses coming to Kokomo and surrounding communities. It won’t be easy and it won’t be right away but we need to take a good look at what could be happening in this great city. High paying jobs are not in the vision of those who would want to come here but we, as those who lost almost everything in 1986, know that to survive, we have to go for it. Families will survive with less if all tries to do it. It won’t be paradise but it will be survival. Take it from one who has been there, and who had to change our way of living in order to make it till the next day. The memory of what happened lies deep within my soul , but I am still here and you can do the same thing. You don't give up, you keep trying.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

You know, it is pretty bad when a person can’t go work on the computer, without someone else wondering what you use the computer for. Let’s set the record straight right now that the computer in my house is used to write my column each week and also for me to learn a lot more about what is going on in the world and the areas around me. Some use it to check out what is on sale and where to go to get the best deal. Personally, I use this newspaper and my two feet to find out what is on sale and how much it costs. I don’t use the internet to buy anything, as most of the time you are giving out information about your resources and if the wrong person gets some of your information, it won’t be long before he gets more. It is a shame that we can’t feel safe with our private information but that is what is happening to anyone who does not use virus programs, which will weed out those demons and let you know that you are safe for awhile.

But you can’t sit back and think it won’t happen to you because it will if you let up on your restrictions. Most banking institutions will have secure websites and seeing the lock in the corner of the screen means that they are secure. But that doesn’t help you and me if the information you feel is secure gets used by someone who has access to what the banks have in their files about you and me. You can’t be giving information about yourself and your family without making sure that the other end is a secure one.

There are many computer users out there that use it to pursue our unsuspecting young folks and to arrange dates out somewhere, with the goal of gratification in a sexual way. Thank goodness, we have our law enforcement people out there to monitor the use by the predator with hopes of catching that predator at a given place and at a given time. When you have people out there who want to clean up a dirty internet , it can be a blessing for those of us who use the computer for the right reasons. This writer many times has had email sent to me that might have dirty pictures or dirty words, but most do not get through because of the email filtering service by my internet provider.

Never take up with a server who promises you a free internet. Maybe you are not paying anything for it, but it is making money off you with their ads and the cookies. And clearing your files of temporary cookies and files does not mean that you are safe. Most information stays in that computer until something else takes it’s spot. A hard drive on a computer has a lot of little corners that a virus or a spy can live for a long time and then as you are going through your files, there it is and you thought you were safe. Taking a computer to a service that cleans your hard drive is something you might want to give some thought to first. The person who is doing the cleaning has all your information and who knows what he or she will do with it. You can do a lot of your own servicing right there at home using the right software made by experts who know all the ins and outs of using the computer. You can only be as safe as you want to be and in today’s world we need to exercise caution in order to remain safe. The computer can be one of the best learning tools in the world today. Almost any question can be answered a lot faster than trying to look it up. But  that same computer can be hell on earth if you keep very important information on it, and someone hacks into it.

As far as games on my computer, that is a no-no. Think how many things could be hidden in a game just waiting to sneak out and take over your computer. Those guys who design those games sneak hacking tools in the hidden corners and your computer turns into a nightmare for you and those who get your email.

I like to think of the computer as being a “copy” of our God given brain which can store information as it is gotten and recalled when you need it. Everything you see and hear is stored in your brain in files that are kept in a file cabinet ready to be used at a moments notice. That information stays with you the rest of your life whether you use it or not. Sometimes our system shuts down in that area and things are misplaced, but it is still there waiting to be pulled out to use. Your files keep growing and never fill up because of a system that only God knows how to repair. So to get this column down to a few words, you need to watch where you go and what you want to stay away from. You want to remember that caution is the right way to proceed and you need to work with the police to help put the predators away. A clean visit to the computer lies in your fingers and don’t let them stray just because you are curious. Have fun, learn more and make your trip into the world a safe and happy one. And stay on the lookout for spies.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

There are many times when I sit down and relive the old days in my mind, and as I think about all the things that I did as a youngster, I sometimes wonder, just where did it all go? There was a good morality in sports. It was a regular scheduled night in our home to sit back and listen to the boxing matches. There were fighters back then that not only fought so that they could eat and sleep, but they also did it in a honest way. It was an honor to win a title and be called the best in your division. But it seems that now it is only a show headed up by match-makers who are in it for the dollar. The fighters of today boast about being the best, but when the big match comes around, it usually lasts only one or two rounds. About ten minutes work for a million dollars, is a great job to have if you want to do what the promoters want you too.

In my day, there was Joe Louis, Essard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott, Joey Maxim, Sugar Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, Willie Pep, Sandy Sadler, and many more who did it because they loved the sport. They didn't make much money, because the managers kept most of the money. But their heart was in it and they entertained us very much. Today, can you show me one fighter in big boxing that is in it for the sport. The only thing that speaks for them is money.

Take the sport of basketball, when it was a game for the fans to see because those guys went out and gave their all, to win the game. The money wasn't the greatest, but they enjoyed playing and the fans were there to watch two teams going at each other to win. In today's sport of basketball, it is the sight of a player who is making a million dollars a year, who sits on the bench because his back hurts or he has a bruised elbow, or ego. Talk about great paying jobs. Baseball is the same. Money speaks and for those who put out the big bucks to see a famous player, and then watches him sit on the bench in his street clothes, it is sad. And also the athletes who use enhancement drugs to build their bodies up so that they can perform better than their counterpart is a terrible waste of a human body.

I guess that what I am trying to say, is where did the desire to do your job well go and why have we as the people who pay all these huge salaries, let it happen? Why do we put up with men who make over a million dollars a year, and spend it on dope, and whatever? Do we have to constantly just slap their hands and then watch them do it again? I heard it said that you start out with a drop of water which can turn into a creek, which can turn into a stream, and then into a river. Are we letting this happen with our lives? If you don't take the time to look at where you've been, you will never know where you are going.

We live our lives one day at a time, and we are not promised tomorrow. So to live with no respect for what got you here, would be like dropping into a deep hole that you can't climb out of. You build on your life one day at a time, and each time that you make that day one to remember, then you have stepped over that deep hole and are ready for the next one. To live with respect and morality, while you are here on this earth, entitles you to be a role model for some youngster growing up. To be there to help in raising our young people, is one of the chores that was instilled in us by our mothers & fathers. It doesn't hurt any to offer help to those who need it. And with the type of influence from some of our Hollywood stars and the sport figures, our youngsters need someone who will take time to be there for them. The road of life is not one that is always easy. And for someone to have to walk it alone, it can either be a long one or it can be a very short one. We lose many of our young people to drugs, because they think it is the thing to do. We lose them because of the smoking and drinking, which shortens their lives, because they went too far.

Everyone has the right to live their life as they feel fit to, but do we have to use them as role models? What you do with your life is your business, but the thought of some youngster following your path to pain and distress is something that I don't care to see. If there are any youngsters out there that need help, I ask them to find someone who is clean cut, honest, and morally correct to follow. You will be much better because of it. And if you take time to check it out, you will find that it could be your first step into a better life.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

Well, the primary is over and the people have spoken. The people who have been selected to run for office have been designated by their party to run for that respective office and that election will come about in the fall. The people who will be represented by these men and women have given the word that they are ready for a change of attitude in how to guide this city and county back to prosperity and respectability. For the last 3 years we have been subjected to a system of “you will do it my way” and also money spent on expenditures, that we here in Kokomo, don’t want nor do we need them. The people have made their statement that it cost too much to keep our taxes paid, and we are spending money for things that don’t make any sense.

For the past year, I have heard people say that the present administration is determined to bankrupt this city, doing things that he sees in order to compete with Carmel. The roundabouts are an example of unreasonable spending of money that could be spent for things we actually need. The center of the street flower dividers are another. And the placing of plants on the sidewalks of downtown Kokomo seems to be the thoughts of one who doesn’t know that sidewalks are for walking.

If  you would just take a ride through Kokomo, you will find streets without sidewalks. You will find streets without paving. You will find alleys too narrow for trash trucks to go down. You will find empty homes, and empty lots where once there was a business, and you will find places being shut down because it cost too much to continue doing business here in Kokomo. Where did that man in authority think he was benefiting Kokomo? It has been spoken by the people that a change is needed as soon as possible.

The ones selected by their parties this year seem to be all good selections. Both of those two men who will make their bid for the Mayor’s job are good men and both are in agreement that we need to turn Kokomo around and head it in the right direction. You can’t go wrong with either man. Let’s get the one in there that has his city at heart and will right away make moves to make it better for all concerned. There is a lot to do as there are things that have come about and we let it happen.

As far as there ever being a deputy mayor, let’s ditch that position entirely. We don’t elect such a position so there shouldn’t be one. As far as running the city as a business, ditch that idea too. Our city is our family and we need to run it like a family in that we will have a budget that will not be overspent and we will have proper conduct of all to each other. We will not spend money on out of town consultants as we have a wealth of knowledge about our city in the minds and hearts of our citizens who live and work here. A group of people from Kokomo who will do what is right and not accept any money for it is the type of consultants we need. There are several of us that love our city enough that we are and will be willing to sit down and work with the administration on any and all programs which will make our city better.

Our City Council and our Mayor’s department need to work together instead of against each other. Politics are ok in the elections, but once elected, it is time to represent the people and do what is right for all. As for the rest of this year, we need to make another statement to our administration that to finish out your last year; it would be nice to try to do things that will benefit our city without spending money for it. Stay within the budget, don’t make expenditures that don’t make sense, nor reasonable. You will be living here so it is beneficial to you and to us to keep us on the plus side of the money account. Maybe you have learned something in your position that will benefit you in the future. Maybe you will run again, and maybe you won’t. But the city of Kokomo will be here and we need to do what is right and not what is might. Our city is well known around Indiana and even the United States, and we don’t need jokes about it nor do we need to downplay the need for a change right here in our city. Go after businesses that could do well here in Kokomo. Bring in new growth, raise the spirits of our citizens, and bring our city back to normalcy. The ball is on the court, play defense, and make the shots that count. We are still in the game, but we can’t just sit on the ball. Call time and plan the move that will win the game. And don’t forger that we are all team players in this city of Kokomo.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

You know, when we really think about it, life is only a blink of the eye, and as it goes by, we grow older and wiser with thoughts of leisure lying in the future for us, as we march or crawl into the years ahead one day at a time. We can’t rush life even though it seems like it goes by real fast and the things we did yesterday have suddenly transpired into memories so precious to us. It only seems like yesterday when Ramona and I gave our vows to each  in Beamer Church, and life was going to be good to both of us as we sprang out into the world to make our mark . And when our first born, Deborah,was given to us by God, we felt that the rest of our lives couldn’t get much better. And then when Patricia Ann was given to us by God, we knew that our lives were going to be blessed with the love of one man and one woman having united together having the fun of raising our two beautiful daughters and giving them the love that they so richly deserve as part of our family.

But Ramona just had too much love to give and she took up child care providing and through the years helped raise 27 other children while their parents worked. Everyone knew that Ramona would give her love to those children and teach them the right things so that when school would begin for them, they were ready to take on the world. One of those children was our nephew John, and we had him full time in our home until he was 9. He was the brother that Debbie & Patty never had. He was the son that Ramona & I never had. But he was and still is a permanent member of our family. The years were good to us even though Ramona has had some very rough times with illness and I had to work a swing shift at Continental which really gave me no real family time with the kids. But we did what we could and I guess we did alright because Debbie & Patty had good grades at school and made the honor rolls and even selected by the D.A.R.. Johnny had great grades too and he would have been a sports star if allowed to take that road. Patty passed away at the age of 34 from cancer, Deb has been with White’s Meat Market for a long time, and John went on to work as a supervisor in a factory and has and still is serving our country in the Army.

The kids we help raise are spread all over the USA and are making their marks in different fields of work. We don’t hear much from them anymore because they have their own lives to live but I know that each of them will always remember their Aunt Mona for being their second mommy. So life really has been good to us and we can be content with it as it is and as we go on, we live with those memories of how it was and how it is today and we hope that the future will be of full contentment and joy. Each day that we wake up is one more day given to us to enjoy the beauty of this place we call earth, and as the seasons spring upon us we admire the way that things change with it.

Our winters with the cold air, ice, and snow, gives the plant world a time to rest and enrich itself. Our springs start the period of time that new growth will spread across the land and with the help of the warmth of the sun start the emergence of the pretty floral design that God gives us each year. Our summers usually are hot but in recent years not as bad. And as fall comes to be, it will be time for most of our beauty to go back to rest and to multiply underground, protected from the harsh prospects of cold winter on it’s way. Such is the way that life among the plants is and it’s direction is only by the Hands of God. We only assist in it’s existence, by doing the necessary cleaning and moving of the plants from it’s home to another spot where beauty will arise as the sun and water gives it the needed nutrients. Life is a precious thing to have and we need to enrich it with our labor of love.

Our lives start with a miracle and we live it for the ride of our lives until one day when our part of that ride stops and we get off to start another miracle of life after death. And then the view will be one of glorious beauty that will be seen from the “Halls Of Heaven”. Our time on earth will be over but our lives will be enriched with eternal goodness, blessed with the knowledge that we did ok .So as we go from today to tomorrow, we think back and we see that it was worth the sweat and tears and our box of  memories of a time so richly treasured is opened each day and we see that life was and is good. May you have memories to give to your young.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
 
 

As I go back in time to those days when good was good and you didn’t have as much bad as there is today, I find myself remembering the movie hero’s who gave you a fun time at the movie houses and you could sit there with your friends and enjoy Roy Rogers and Gene Autry with their horses named Trigger and Champion. The side kicks were Andy Devine, Pat Butram, Gabby Hayes, Roscoe Ates, and many others. The Sons Of The Pioneers were on the shows too and you sang along with them. With Roy, most of the time you saw that wonderful lady named Dale Evans who was Roy’s wife and who could sing a beautiful note of music. You didn’t see much kissing in the shows back then and the horses got all the hugs. Man, it was a wonderful time of the past that lives on with most of us my age.

As far as the movie houses was concerned, there was the Fox, Wood, Isis, Indiana, Sipe, and the Colonial theatres, so you really were able to enjoy a Saturday afternoon every weekend. The Fox was on Mulberry, The Wood was on Sycamore Street, The Isis was on South Main, The Indiana was on North Main Street, The Colonial was on Buckeye Street & The Sipe was on East Sycamore Street.

A young fellow and his friends could go downtown, and before going to one of the movie shows, be able to buy a large bag of popcorn at McClellands or popcorn and peanuts at the wagon just north of the Indiana movie house, and then go to Hills Snappy Service to get the best fries and hamburgers and even top it off with a frosted malt only found at Hills. And believe it or not you didn’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy your Saturday downtown. Where did it all go. The movie houses and the great places I mentioned are all gone and really, there isn’t too much going on downtown any more and mostly all  you see are Law offices and other banking places.

But The Kokomo Tribune is still there at the same spot and still going strong. Most others have moved out to the malls and even Walt Moss has retired from barbering. Man, he was one great barber and really is a nice man to know . Walt cut my hair for many a year having started at Carter & Bausoms and then to his own shop on the corner of Mulberry and Main. And Engle’s Jewelry is still on the corner of Walnut and Main with John and Dave there to serve you as you should be. The customer always comes first with those two guys.. Wards Department store is no more and you can still find Pennys’ at The Kokomo Mall. Kresges was replaced by K Mart and it went to the outer limits. Can you remember when there was the restaurant at Kresges and the ladies that worked behind the counter. Mary Lou was there to serve you with a smile and great sandwiches and your favorite beverage. A lot of great people worked there at the other sections of Kresges and again service to the customer came first. McClellands & Woolworths were the other two places where you were taken care of with a friendly smile and “Can I Help You”.

On the evening hours after the businesses would close, you did a lot of window shopping sometimes with a pretty lady on your arm and you could dream about being the proud owner of a certain clothing in the windows. Where did it all go? Those who had the cars would make many passes around the square showing off that new used cars so precious to the driver and the passengers who were lucky to have a friend that owned a car. I guess that my memories of a time long gone isn’t really interesting to one who only lives in the present, but to me that memory is so precious because it was and still is a part of my life growing up in Kokomo Indiana, where at one time there was places you could spend your time with that favorite lady and not worry about her getting offended by the actions we see today. My memories will stay with me as long as I exercise my brain to relive those days when the parents were there to govern and train their youngsters to be better citizens, so that they can train their own when that times comes to be. We can be only as good as we want to be even though we had great role models to follow. We can only tell it like it was and hope that a little bit of it gets through so that our children will want to hear more. No one can do it for you. You have to step up to the plate and hit your own home run. For me to enlighten you with my memories, is my way of opening that door to how it was , how it is and how it could be. You and only you can follow.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day-

As I read my newspaper each day, I look for the things that will benefit all and not just a few. It doesn’t matter to me what per-cent of a group is in favor or against some new amendment or new law that is being considered by our local, state, or federal governments, because that is all it is. A per-cent of a few and not of the entire population. Just about all polls are done usually by a few hundred so that the percentage will either favor or be against whatever is being asked. You can’t truthfully say that it is a representative percentage because in reality, it isn’t. Most polls are used to let others know what others are thinking but many will say that they didn’t ask them how they feel about said subject. Unless you want to take the time to get into every poll about nothing, you are going to have to be part of the poll posted because it represents all of us or so they say. That is the reason that I always mention that my opinion is mine only because I can’t speak for the millions out there who don’t have a say because they were not asked. That is the world we live in and we adjust to the situation at hand and we accept other’s views as our own. So in the rest of this column please remember that what I write is my opinion and it can be yours if you so wish.

Now, we go to school with my opinions. It seems that we are on a spending ride that can only down the road cause us to crash or simply stop in the middle of the road with no one in site to help us back on our feet. We make new purchases without first having the money to pay for them. It seems to me that before you decide to build something, you first need to know where and you need to know that you already have the money to pay for it. I see every week where someone comes up with a new idea on how to spend the money we don’t have. It is a reality that a tax increase is in the back of their minds but, not said until a body of government decides that in order to pay for something that is not really needed, we have to go to the pockets of our citizen taxpayers and take what is needed. That my friends is no way of running any city, state or the entire country.

The money we spend in Iraq is, to this writer ,a mis-use of funds that could be used for developing a better life right here in the good old USA. Oh yes, I support our troops because they are our sons and daughters, who wanted to be part of our military to protect our country from all who would attempt to overthrow our country. But we should be doing it at "home" where the terrorists are hiding waiting for the right time and place to make their move.

Right here in our state of Indiana, we have given the rights of one of our traveled roadways for a specified amount of money to a foreign country so that we might have extra money in the drawer to spend on things we don’t need. It didn’t matter that we were not asked if this could be done. Our Governor decided what was supposedly right for us. And he isn’t through yet, so keep alert my friends because the door is still swinging, even though it is about to fall off.

Right here in our great city of Kokomo, were we asked if we wanted plants in the middle of the roads. Were we asked if we wanted to have the expense of a government channel on television, and were we asked what we wanted to see on that channel? And did someone ask us our views about the roundabouts? Talk with the people down in Carmel about how they feel about the ones they have. We need to stop trying to emulate Carmel because we are not them. And we should as taxpayers be the ones who would hire the consultants who live here before building something we don’t need. I personally feel that our Library situation is fine the way it is and we don’t need to build or replace what we have.

My Dad, who was a quiet sort of man, always said that you need buttons on your pockets and zippers on your pocketbooks, because someone one day will try to reach in and take what you have. He also said that if you continue to fill your pockets with what is not yours, one day the pockets will tear off and the money will be falling out. He also said that respect of one’s representatives depends on how that person deals with the situations at hand and not those that are just in the wind. You learn a lot from those old-timers and maybe they should be asked more often. Well you have my thoughts, and you can take them anyway you want. I know how I feel.

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 bee'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

I think that this week, I will get off my soapbox and just try to bring back some memories, most precious to me. Memories are part of my history book of life as it happened to me on my journey of life. Many times the things I remember will be different from that which was remembered by my childhood friends or even by another member of my family. That is because each of us is different, yet so much alike. Mom always had a habit of writing little notes to herself so that she did not forget things that would be useful to her later on. I don’t think Dad tried to remember much because his role in our family was to bring home the paycheck each week so that the rest of us would have a roof over our heads and food for our bellies. The best way to know how it was is to ask about it. And really the things you should know about how it was will get you through the present and be very valuable in your future. That is where you, as the person of today, can make sure that the history of your family lives on. Do some research; ask questions of those folks who have been there, and write it down in places where you know that it will be preserved, so that the youngsters of tomorrow will have the facts of what it was in the days of old.

 I remember how there were different kinds of great tasting and smelling foods in Kokomo. Of course in my mind, the best cook in the whole world was my mother. Now, to go to the taste and smells of yesterday, how many can forget the smell coming from the bread factory uptown. You could smell the bread's aroma, and if you could put on weight from just the smell, we would all be larger than life? How about Dean’s Donut shop on Washington Street? Man, those donuts would sort of melt in your hands, as you ate them And how about the coneys that you could get on Union Street? He would line those buns all the way up his arm and fill them with those wieners, top them off with what ever you wanted on them, and send you off with some of the greatest food around. And the old peanut wagon where you got hot roasted nuts as well as a sack of popcorn, and you took them into The Indiana Theatre right next to it. Of course, the place on Buckeye Street put out the greatest hamburgers and fries at a very low price, and the pickles there came out of a big barrel in the back.

But as time went by, so did the things we remember so well. Really you can’t visualize those things anymore as you drive through the downtown area. We hope the memories don’t go the same way. I like to go back once in a while just to see how much I really remember. The memory is still going strong and I wish the old body would do the same. As we go up in years, we know that one day the past will be forgotten unless there are those who will put them in not only in books but also in the brains of those grandchildren who are just now going to school. Take those kids aside and tell them about how it was for you, your parents and your grandparents. That is a great thing to leave to your children, the memories of the old days. That is what I learned from Mom and Dad, and I intend to leave the same with you. Why waste those precious memories of a time that were pure gold? Just maybe you might get a youngster to ask about how it was. Maybe that is what our youngsters need today. Will they do without remembering? I hope not. We read history books and learn. What greater history book besides the Bible is out there to learn from? The precious memories of a time in our lives that made us what we are today.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

Since I was a youngster, I have discovered that there are many out there who do not value what life is and why we are here. You might call it disrespect, but I call it wrong. Life is a gift, given to us by The Creator, to use in a way that it not only benefits you but others too. Many take the so-called easy way out, by giving up and ending that life. I believe that He has a plan for each of us and to go against His plan by ending yours is very wrong. Nothing is bad enough for that to happen. In today’s world we are met with some rough times for many people and it won’t get better any time soon. We will meet those blockages in our walk of life and you just have to climb over or go around and then continue on your narrow path of life.

Through my years of growing up, there were times when a person had died and no one wanted to comment on it as to what the reason for the death was. Men have taken their own life because of problems either at home or at work. They find that life is not worth going another day and for that one second between life and death, there is no return. A problem with a wife or husband that can’t be solved because neither wants to give an inch, slowly builds to the point of no return and one takes his or her own life. Trouble with losing a job, after years of employment, and no way to support the family, slowly builds to the point of no return. Losing a close member of the family, and not being able to cope with the loss, can be a trying time for anyone. Life at times can be so bad that you lose all thought of trying to make it better. You feel that life has let you down and there is no turning back. So I am telling you right now that you can make it better and easier to withstand. You and only you can stand up and proclaim to yourself and to God that this is just a blockage in your walk of life and you can get over it. You and only you can be on that narrow path ready to walk it regardless of what might try to stop you. Sure, times are very rough for a lot of us but they can get better.

How many of us have been in those problems and yet fought to keep our heads above water, until that time when we can say “been there, done that”? We made up our minds that to worry about something you can’t do anything about, only makes it worst. What you have to do is to build on a level foundation so the shifting of life does not really affect us. You start with that solid level foundation and you add to it with the other good things in life as it relates to you. What you want out of life and what you receive depends on how you live it and how you try to make it better.

And I know that there are many out there who just cannot adjust to that way of thought and for them life will be one of ups and downs. How long that is with them, depends on them and maybe someone who tries to help them. Mom and Dad always told us that life can be rough and tough, but you go with what you have and you live with it. I always knew they were very smart, and as I got older, I realized that what they taught us was that you take life as you get it and you work to make it better. You take the path that has been placed there and you walk it. God has a plan for each of us and we can’t go wrong following that plan. We take it one day at a time and we make the best of what He has given us. Can’t you live with that?

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

Well, I guess I must have hit a main artery in the last column written about sisters. The emails were full of not only praises of what I wrote but also some who took a little issue with my thoughts. Not wanting to upset anyone, and still keep a good perspective of my thoughts, I want to just let you know that there is brotherly love between many of my readers including this writer. Anytime you come from a large family, there will be sometime when a brother will consult another brother about some things he needs a little help from. In my case, I have a younger brother who is there anytime I need him, just as I am with him. We don’t expect to be rewarded for the things we do although it is nice when you get a thank you as we do with each other.

There are many families here in Kokomo, who came up the same way we did and  they sort of have that same closeness as we do. It is great when you have someone to go to the games with and when there is something needed by the other when it is almost impossible to get out due to sickness or weather. I can remember many families in my growing up days that had that brotherly love which stuck to them throughout their time here on earth. When you have that, you have everything. So yes, we are family although some of us do not see the other much. I can remember back in time how it was living in a seven-room house there on Lafountain Street. Many times, there were two boys to a bed and in other rooms, there were two girls to a bed. Therefore, closeness came with life as it was back then, so why not continue that closeness here in today’s world.

I know families where there is so much hatred between brothers as well as between sisters, and that is not a good thing. Why wait until the person is in the casket before you cry tears for him or her. Why not take that first step up to that person and just tell him or her that you are proud to have them in your family. Do not expect to get a big hug and a soaking handkerchief at that time but be ready to get it at a time later on after that person starts thinking how it is so much better to love than to hate.

In my younger days, I saw a few times when Mom and Dad would have a little heated discussion and both would go sulk in a corner but you can believe what I saying as it never am carried over into the next day. They knew each other so well, that love came out the winner every time. I do know some couples who married early in life, and not ready to take on the responsibility of being there for each other, and that resulted in them getting a divorce. Sometimes it takes a little longer for two people to learn that when you tie that knot, it has to be done in a secure way and sometimes you have to maybe tighten that knot a little more. When I see in the newspaper where someone is celebrating a sixty or seventy year anniversary, I feel good about them doing it. We are past our fifty-third year of marriage and going for more as long as we are still on this earth. Several of the friends who are the same age are doing the same thing. It seems like the ones who got married in the same time frame we did, are still together except for those who lost their mates. So yes, love is in the air if you try to breathe. Love is at your footsteps and all you have to do is to bend over and pick it up. Your heart tells you that here is that person you want to spend the rest of your life with. All you have to do is to take that vow and carry it out to the end of time.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

I guess that my hope for a cure of cancer would be the #1 thing to put on my list of things to do in 2009. Maybe instead of trying to cure the rest of the world, we ought to try to cure the people of the good old USA. Now don’t get down on me for making that statement, but it is a well-known fact that we have played big brother to many nations who soon as they get on their feet, they want to take us over. It is time for Americans to reap the benefits of being able to get well and stay comfortable  Alzheimer’s. is another disease that is taking our older folk down and that hurts the whole family of that person. If we were to put as much money into research on those two illnesses, as we do in sending aid over seas, we could win the war on cancer and that brain stopping disease.

And of course, the people of this great country would like to see our great soldiers back on home soil so that they can protect us from the roaches of hell who every day are sneaking into this country and waiting until the right time to come out and spill their poison upon our nation. We have the finest Armed Forces that any country would be proud of but we have them spread all over the world when they should be here with their families and protecting our home front. Sure, I know that we need some of those brave souls in other countries to keep a watchful eye out but how do you explain the loss of that person to the children except to tell them that Daddy or Mommy was a hero protecting our country from the outside. It would seem to me, that after losing all those brave Americans in the Korean and Viet Nam wars without there not being much change in how they were then and how they are now, is wrong

We need to put more responsibility on to the schools to take care of our children while in school. But then too, the parent has to teach their children that once they are on the school bus or in the classroom, the driver and the teacher is in control. Many times at the ballgames, we see little kids running all over the gym with no parents in sight. I guess the parent expects the rest of us to be their baby sitters. We need to bring back to our soil the businesses that are making themselves and those countries rich while our country slowly loses jobs and a good way of life. We need to continue to say no to those who would want to put our social security program in the private stock programs. As you can see, our stock exchange is on a bumpy trail and even though you see them clapping their hands at the end of the day, they really don’t know if it will be there the next day. My thought is that you don’t fix something that is not broke. And don’t you think that our representatives in Washington should attempt to make our country better by trying to work together instead of one party against the other. I get so tired of hearing one will not pass a bill just because that bill was brought to the table by a person of the other party. Hey people, you are supposed to be doing some good there in Washington, but it sure seems to me that you only want what your friend wants. Hey, we elected you to office. Do something for us, will you?

I love this country and being an American is something that all of us should be proud of. Those people who came here to live free and as a government of the people is still the goal that we the people should hold dearest to our hearts. Go ahead and call me an American because that makes me proud. You should be proud too. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND ALL IT STANDS FOR.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

Unbelievably, there was a time when television was a great way of spending a day with the family. However, as time has passed, many shows have profanity, nudity, suggestive subjects and some of the most terrible music {if they can call it that}. I remember when Ed Sullivan was the show that brought to the viewer some of the finest acts you could sit down and watch. That show had class. Garry Moore was another great show with Garry having Durwood Kirby and Carol Burnette as part of his show. Garry was a big part of many stars getting their foot in the door. Before Garry had his own show, he was pushed by Jimmy Durante who could sing some beautiful songs. Jimmy was known to many as the “Snooze” because of that wonderful honker he had. Jimmy said that he was blessed by the greatest of them all, and you take what is given to you. Jimmy would open his radio or TV show with “Hello Mrs. Callabash, where ever you are” ,and close that show with “Goodnight Mrs. Callabash, wherever you are“. Jimmy was a born comedian and he put on a show to please his fans. And Garry always had his bow tie and his crew haircut. Many cartoons have been drawn of these two men. Garry started out being a comedian using his real name, which was Thomas Garrison Morfit, but because his last name was hard to pronounce, he started later being known as Garry Moore. Also, that is where Alan Funt started with his “Candid Camera Show” which was fun to watch.

Arthur Godfrey was another great family oriented show on television, with Frank Parker, Tony Marvin, Pat Boone, Marion Marlowe, Janette Davis, Julius Larosa, LuAnn Sims, Frank Parker, Haleloke, Carmel Quinn, and the orchestra was led by Archie Bleyer. Arthur always tried to bring on new talent to the American public. And did he have fun giving us the best of the best. Tony could sing a song like no other with his base tones. Frank would have you singing along with him.

How about the Real McCoys with Walter Breenan? That was a good family show too. Remember Ted Lewis and his band, which would start out with his catch phrase, “Is everybody happy?” Remember Ward Bond in Wagon Train? Clint Eastwood played Rowdy, and he went on to star as the tough guy in films. I think the best show on Wagon Train was when Lou Costello played a serious part, as a dying man. Ken Curtis was on the show sometimes and he later went to play Festus on Gunsmoke, which was another great show and that is where Dennis Weaver and Bert Reynolds got their start. James Arness was the good Marshall. How about Bonanza with Lorne Greene, Little Joe, and Hoss? The early shows had Parnell Roberts as Adam, but he left after several episodes. Lorne Greene was Ben, Michael Landon was Little Joe, and Dan Blocker was Hoss. The cook was called Hop Sing.

All of these shows were ones that the family could all sit and watch together. There was no suggestions of sex, no bad language, and many of these stars were great role models to follow. It just isn’t that way now, and even the sport stars are leaving a bad taste in our mouths with all their antics involving guns, and other bad behavior.

So to put it all in perspective, television isn’t worth the high money the cable companies are charging us, and according to a lot of my friends, they are ready to pull the plug on cable. When will we see good programs back on television? Probaly never, which is a good way of doing something else for entertainment. How about you out there? Wouldn’t you like to see clean programs on TV so that the whole family could enjoy it? I guess the attitudes have change for the worst, or it that people just don’t care enough to speak up. Oh well, that gives me more time to write my columns, and rest my eyes. And it sure would be nice to see our sports cleaned up too.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

I receive many letters, emails, and phone calls about my weekly column and I thought I would share with you what they say. I get mostly positive remarks but once in a while there are some negative ones. Most of those that are negative are from readers who oppose my view about politics in general. That includes members of both parties and even though they are very negative in their words to me, I look forward to hearing from them again. Most, that really know ,me are positive in what they say of me and my thoughts and for that I am grateful to them.  Getting up on the soapbox every once in a while helps me get my thoughts out to all those who want to read them. It also does a lot toward getting others to vent their feelings on the same subjects and that in turn gets the attention of some of those guys that are supposed to represent us in our city, county, state and federal governments. You have to sometimes get their attention and the media is the best way to do it.

This newspaper, since 1999, has posted my column 407 times. I write about the days of old, and I tell it like it was for me and also the families before me. There were hardships back in the old days that most today wouldn’t believe unless they had someone in their family relating it to them as they grew up. I write about things that are happening today that tends to be the entrance of what we can expect in the future for those who will still be alive then. I get on my soap box and I try to enlighten my readers about what I think is wrong or what is being done right that deserves my praise. I feel deep in my heart that I am doing something good and that makes me proud.

When I am out in the stores or at the ballgames, I always hear from those who tell me they enjoy what I say and they ask me about how do I remember all those things that I write about. I even get praises from deeply religious people who say that what they read helps them in how they feel in everyday life. How did I get to the point that I felt that I must speak up about what I think and how I feel about others. Well, my thoughts many times just flow out as I look at the screen and after checking them out I move them around so that many thoughts blend into one full column. I have the experience of writing about the things that I and my parents and family dealt with. I have the words of my grandparents told to me since I was little, and my grandmothers both lived to the ages of 94.

I have had the pleasure to work along my father at the mill and also as the boss in the department he was assigned to. There is no better thing than to work with your dad and being proud of it. I have the memories of my mother as she sat at the piano and played to me and my friends. I have also the memories of what my father and mother had to go through raising a family of seven sons and seven daughters, and feeding us with some of the best tasting food ever. The years of my childhood blended with the years of adulthood, made a memory bank full of things that I want to share with you. The things that I feel will come about in my later years , are up-most in my thoughts because they will involve those who will be here when I am gone. So what you read in my thoughts to you each week, could maybe help in what you want to do also. Thoughts are things that both memories and later happenings will blend together to get this world on it’s feet , if they are used with care and not with greed. How much longer will I write? Hopefully until the day I die.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

Lately I have started losing some use of my hands as I drop things often because I can’t get a good grip with them. Both of my hands feel like they have been burned very badly and so that keeps me awake at night a lot. But having been a man who tries not to let things bother me, I look at what my hands have done for me in the past. I guess probably the first time I ever used my hands probably was in holding a nursery bottle after Mom stopped breast-feeding me. And just maybe they were used a lot when as a child, and getting hurt, I reached out with them for my mother to pick me up and make it all better. Maybe I used them a lot, as I learned to feed myself at the table. Or maybe when Mom or Dad would reach out to me while I was taking my first steps.

As I grew up and took up sports, reaching out with my hands to catch a ball which was thrown my way from members of my family. In school my hands were used to carry my books and to turn the pages or to use to write on paper or the blackboard. I would venture to say that my hands have served me well, and now they are wrinkled and weak but they still can reach out to embrace life as it is given to me. They were very important when as a paperboy, I used them to fold the papers, ride my bike and to throw the papers up onto the doorstep. They have been there to brace a fall and they have been used to put on my clothes, feed myself, put on and tie my shoes. They were used everyday as I waved to my family when going off to work. I used them to hold my two children as infants. Both of my hands are used to hold my wedding band and my friendship ring that Ramona gave me over fifty years ago.

I have used them to write these columns and  answer all the kind emails I have received. I used them when I held my youngest daughter’s hand on her deathbed. I have even used them to fight off those who would try to attack me. I used them every day to groom myself for the outside world and I have even used them when as a youngster I was learning to box at Carver Center for Bert Miller. These hands have been everywhere the rest of me have and they have been good to me. My hands have been the works that have held me together all these years, and just because they hurt real bad, they will continue to help me find my way on my path of life. I know that when that time comes when I will be called Home, His hands will be reaching out for mine, and that will be good. I guess they really are not that sore because I still have the use of them and the pain that comes from them, reminds me that they are still important enough for me to use them everyday in every way, and know that I have been blessed with having them all these years to use for what they were intended to be for. Just think what it might have been like to not have them to use for all those things mentioned. So this old man is going to do what I can to ease the pain, and then accept what is left.

Too many times, we take things for granted and really, we don’t use the benefits that they do for us in our everyday lives. So as I write this column each week, I know that I am getting a lot out of them and just maybe being a benefit to my readers. I guess that you could say that I understand my path of life as I reach out with my hands to embrace what lies ahead. You might say that it is part of the life held by my hands.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

Salute to Dad
474

Each year on one day, we honor the man of the house who is called Dad, Pop, Father, but mostly Sir. Our father was a quite sort of a man but when he had to, he could really get down your throat. He was happy to be able to just sit in the chair and watch others have fun. I know that many days he just wanted to be by himself and either listen to his beloved Cubs or watch them on Television. He loved being able in his early years to put out a garden because that put more food on the table and with a large family that garden was a blessing. Dad worked all the overtime he could just so his family was fed enough and we were kept warm in the winter. Many times back when I was a child, I remember him taking off with his wheelbarrow and coming back with coal that had fallen off the railroad cars as they went by. He always was finding wood to cut up for firewood so that the winters were warm inside the house.

There were many times when the only time we saw our father was at mealtime and then it was rest or going to work. As the years went by, Dad got more tired but that didn’t stop him from going to his job at the mill and then soon as he was back home Mom would doctor him up so that the next day he was able to go back to work. Dad was not a lazy man and in our early years, we saw a strong man doing whatever he could to supply his family with what we needed. But as time went by, we saw that he could not do it all alone and Mom would take us aside and tell us that we had some extra chores from that day on. At the time, there were only three of us boys and we started our daily routine of cutting wood, getting the coal in each night, and watching the railroad tracks for some more of that black rock we used to cook and heat with.

I remember that Dad on payday would stop off and get a box of candy bars for us kids and maybe some cigars or chewing tobacco for him. As for mom, he often brought home a box of candy for her along with his tight hug and great kiss. Dad usually never showed his emotion but when he gave Mom her hug, you saw that emotion coming out. Dad knew that whenever he was at work, his family was being cared for by light of his life, and he knew that she loved all of us so much that nothing bad could happen to us. Dad always on payday would hand over his paycheck to Mom and he didn’t worry about how it was spent. Many times, we would go to the store with a note asking for food until payday and the grocer knew that he would be paid on payday. That was the one thing that Mom and Dad would do before anything else and that was to pays the bills that were due.

As I said earlier, we never saw Dad much but when I went to the mill to work, I found out that the man who was my father was about the hardest worker I had ever known. He liked to joke around and his friends and co-workers liked him. They called him “Dink” and later on, they started calling me “Little Dink”. I saw my Dad do some things at work that really was dangerous but it was his job and he earned his paycheck each pay period. I never saw Dad lose any time at work until in 1954, he came down with the Asia Flu and it floored him for 2 weeks but as soon as he could he went back to work whether he felt like it or not. Dad was Dad and so I salute him and I say to him in Heaven, I love you and job well done., and tell Mom hello.

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

As time goes by and our memories start to fade, we remember how it was to live in the old days and how it was for those before us. The rough road walked by our grandparents, with the harsh winters and the hot summers must of been something most today hope that they will not have in their lifetime. Getting your drinking water from the creek a few miles away. Washing the clothes in the creek or bringing enough water to the house to do it. Using the outhouse in that cold winter and then getting back to the house before you froze. Entertainment that came from doing a little dancing and reading and maybe playing cards if your belief allowed you to. Getting up so early in the morning, it was still dark out, and you had to go to feed the chickens, milk the cows, or to set out onto the fields to till it for planting. Sounds very harsh, doesn't it? Well my grandmothers always said that it was a part of their life and it was the only show in town. They didn't think it was so bad because they knew that their parents and grandparents had it much more rough. So as time went by and the offspring become parents, they knew that nothing could be worse than what their folks had it.

That takes it to my time as a child and as a parent later, and although things were not so rosy, it was a lot better than those before had it. My folks did without many times so that the children might have that extra bite of food, or that extra blanket on the bed. But the one thing they did not come up short on was the training that they gave us in being able to survive without them. No one wants to ever think about being alone and trying to make their life one without Mom and Dad there to lend that support that was there for the last eighteen years. But it will come to pass one day and you have to be prepared to be without them. That is where the training set forth by our mother came to pass for each of us, and which allowed us to go out into life on our separate paths in search of our destiny. We were taught to cook, to sew, to clean house, and to accept any hardship that might fall in our paths. We were taught to respect all others and that what the elders said was the truth. We were taught to obey the laws of the land but not be afraid to challenge those laws that were unjust. Dad always told me that it was wrong to pick a fight, and that to walk away sometimes was the best way to settle things. But he also said that if I was going to challenge someone else, I better be ready to back it up. And if it came to blows, then I better be the first one to hit hard enough to knock the other man down, and then get in a finish blow that was good enough to give me time to take off running. Because if I didn't , the other man was going to beat the daylights out of me.

Mom didn't like for Dad to say those things because she believed in turning the other cheek. But also, she always said that you only have two cheeks to turn and then you just have to find a way to settle the problem. I knew what she meant, but I also knew that both Mom and Dad were peace loving parents who just wanted their kids to be safe. I guess that I could talk and write about our mother and father all day, because I and my brothers and sisters loved them so much. I could be selfish and wish they were still here with us, but they are at Home with God and there isn't a better place to be. Each of us will make that trip one day, and we should be prepared and  have "our bags packed". See you later.Ray "Uncle Ray" Day