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During the recent heavy snowfall with ice thick enough to use an air hammer on, I take this time to really blow my horn on those idiots who do not care about others while racing, spinning, and tailgating. Has the driver’s gone crazy or are they just too stupid to care about others. I saw a lady the other day talking on her cell phone while trying to keep her car on the road. She had a little child in her car in the front seat. I couldn’t tell if there were seatbelts around that child but then it probably wasn’t . I only had to go pick up our medicines and then back to the house where once there I had to take a deep breath because it was so bad out there. I never was a great driver but I do know the rules and I do see things out there which answers my own question about those who do not care about others on the road. The bad thing about these types of people is that they believe that they are excellent drivers and the rest of us shouldn’t be behind the wheel. I hope that when the new bypass opens up, these idiots will take that road to do their great driving on. They won’t have to stop much and they can play their games away from the others on the road. Rules of the road should involve good driving by all drivers with consideration for not only the ones in the other cars but also for those who are riding in those cars driven by those who don’t care. Where did these people come from and was there any time in their lives where they even cared about someone else? Is it only the young kids doing it or are there drivers out there who never had any training while they were growing up. Why should someone like myself even ask these questions.
“Care for the other driver”
#576Well, my answer to my own questions are right here in front of you and you can take it to the bank that I mean everything I say and write. Yes, most have been educated as to the rules of the road and really the most do observe and use good driving habits. But it only takes one driver to cause a bad accident which could result into death or a serious injury. I think that most of the drivers do care about safety while driving but it only takes one to cause a problem. And no, it is not just the youngsters who are a problem, as many of our accidents are caused by drivers of all ages. As to the question of caring, that is all up to the driver as you and I can not show him the way.
I ask these questions because there are many times when I or a loved one has to get out in bad weather to go to the doctors or to the stores and someone has to look out for us if we are to return home safe. We can go all day with what and whom causes accidents but the bottom line is that when we have to get out, it is for a reason and not for playing in the snow on the road. If we don’t care enough to take care of ourselves, how can we take care of the others? To get right down to what I am trying to say, I will just put it into perspective and tell you drivers who want to play in bad weather, do it in your own backyard. If you want to seriously hurt someone, do it to yourself. Each of us has enough to think about without having to fear you , the dumb ones, out there to have fun. Drive safe, keep under the speed limit, don’t tailgate, don’t run the red lights, turn off the cell phones, stay in your lane, watch out for other drivers, keep your eyes on the road, and just take extra care while being out there with others who have to be out there to go to the stores or to an appointment.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
"The Kokomo I Know".
#577
I was asked the other day; just where is Kokomo, Indiana and so I am writing this to tell you about this city and what it means to me. Kokomo has been a part of my life, since the day I was born, and I really cannot think of ever moving away. When you look at it from it's location on the map and you sort of visually think about it as a body, it seems to me that we are in the heart area and that tells me that we are very important to the rest of this country. This is the home of the inventor of the First Horseless Carriage. Kokomo is and was the home for many inventions that have been beneficial to the rest of the country. Kokomo is a quiet type of place, yet has made a lot of noise in the entertainment world, with many of our residents being in motion pictures. Many have excelled in the sports field. Sports rank high here.I have received e-mails from as far away as Newfoundland to the north and Australia to the south, who have made visits to Kokomo with friends, and they all have praise for the kindness and hospitality of Kokomo, Indiana. We still have a great visitor convention center, and we have a great variety of shopping places to find what we need in the way of clothing, furniture, and food. Business is somewhat slow at this time, but then so is the rest of the country. Things will get better, so we just wait it out. We have teachers here, county wide, who are very good in their choice of vocation. We have had some great people in the Mayor’s position, who thought of the people first and they took us through some rough times while in office. Anywhere you go, there is someone you know and brotherly love is abundant. We, at one time, were blessed with a steel mill that provided food on the table and a home to live in. The auto industry was and is prominent in Kokomo.
Our police, fire and sheriff's departments are of the finest, and I feel secure with trusting them to protect my family, my property, and me. Oh sure there are problems that arise every so often with parts of each department as to personnel problems, but that happens in all the other places too. We have a big drug problem in our streets, and we need to help those who are trying to curb it. We have “We Care” who tries to make our Christmas holidays enjoyable. “We Care Park” does a lot toward assisting the program. There are many out there who really care and they show it every year. The Wyant Family, with all their friends, decorates the park with thousands of lights along with other decorations, regardless of the weather. They donate their time and all proceeds go to "We Care". Talk about "Angels" here on earth.
And who else has something as great as the Haynes-Apperson Celebration around the Fourth of July holidays. Old cars taken well cared of by those people who love them. Food cooked by those who love to cook. And people just getting together for some good old Kokomo fun. Great, isn't it? And in other parts of the year, we see people doing for others when they need it. When there is someone sick or going through high medical bills, some group is organized to help. And good workers maintain our cemeteries. The history of this wonderful spot here on earth is known because others who did live here proudly tell others that they are from Kokomo. I tell you this, my friends; Kokomo is my home now and will be until I leave this earth. My family and all my friends are here and that is all I need in this life. I guess that I am somewhat old fashioned, but then that is who I am. Take care out there and thanks for inviting me in to spend one morning with you each week. And if someone asks, tell them you are proud to be from Kokomo, Indiana.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Friends are like gold.
#578
I have been asked many times, how I come up with what to write about in this column. I must admit that there are times when I do not know what to write about and that is when I go back in time to those wonderful days of my childhood and remember those who were my friends in a time when there was a lot of unrest in other cities. I was truly blessed in having friends who would back me up anytime there might be someone who could be tougher than I was. And I was sort of tough but in a good way. I never went looking for a fight but I did not back off of one either. Dad always said that it was better to walk away from a fight if you could do it in an honorable way. But he said that sometimes you had to stand up and be counted and so that was my toughness.When I wasn’t passing my newspapers, I was at Carver Center playing basketball with some really good friends and players who could have played on any team around. The Tinders who are playing for The WildKats now are descendents of Joe Tinder who was quite a ball player. So I see where they get their desire to play the game of basketball. The Lynches, Beards, Fowlers all had family members who could have played on any team around. I knew Jim Ligon before he had the desire to even pick up a basketball but when he finally did, it was a pretty thing to behold. I met Jumping Johnny Wilson one day when he was dating one of our neighbors, Norma. Johnny played for Anderson and then he was a Globetrotter for several years. There was a real nice guy. And on the floor he excelled.
When we moved out to New London, I came in contact with some of the best friends who not only helped me to adjust to a new school but also let me know that they would be my friends. Going from a large school to one smaller was a big change but only until I adjusted to it and I truly must say that the teachers in both schools were tops in their profession. The ballplayers there could really play the game of basketball and come sectional time they joined the rest of the county ready to take their game to Kokomo and try to knock off the big school. There was something special in having the opportunity to play Kokomo and beating them. Shame on those five men who changed all that. Working at the Steel Mill, and meeting a whole new group of wonderful people, many who came over from the old countries and states, and who believed in being an American Citizen. And they were not lazy either because they did their jobs well. Working at the mill and enjoying the friendship of the fellow workers was a great way to earn a living and I miss those guys too.
Then going to Sears and working in Home Improvement and later as a Tool Professional, was like putting gravy on a tasty dish of good food, as I met not only good people to work with but also customers who wanted to buy tractors and tools from people who knew what they were talking about. Bill, Roosevelt, Ned, Dwaine, Wick and Paul were the ones who helped me to learn my trade and I thank them for that.
And I learned a lot from the customers as when they came in and were just looking, I would pick their brains on how they made different things and how to use a lot of the old tools. When a person, man or woman ,came through that door, they were not only a customer but also a friend with knowledge I could use. So in my life time I have been truly blessed with great friends who I still see after all these years. Friends are forever and without them, where would we be. They are there when you need them, and as life goes on, they never lose their value.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Reliving those old times.
#579
I was going through some of my email and I saw a nice account of what being from a small town does for you. If you were asked to name everyone you graduated with, could you do it? I can. Do you know what 4H stands for? Do you remember when it was impossible to purchase smokes or beer because the seller knew you and your age? I did not smoke or drink and never have. Remember dating someone from another town? When you graduated, there was only one party to go to. Giving directions on how to get somewhere was by people’s homes and not streets. You would tell the one asking if he or she knew a certain person and if they did, you started your directions from there. Many times your friend was dating your old girlfriend or boyfriend. I wasn’t one of those guys who would be looking for a girlfriend because I already had a blue eyed, tall doll baby in Kokomo. You had to wash your car many times because of driving on the dirt roads. Your car not only needed washed, many times, you had to get rid of the spots caused by the rocks in the road. You had sort of a rivalry with the town next to you. I think the biggest rivalry was Forest.The people who were able to have a new home were considered rich people. Most of the homes there were ones that had been there for a long time as most were farmers and their land was how they survived by farming. You laughed about how the people from the big city dressed but then the next year you started dressing the same way. It always seemed that I was always one-step behind in fashion wearing. Hanging out at the local gas station or at the dairy. Friends always had one certain place where they could meet and have fun just being there. Most of the time, the gas station owner had a son or daughter who was one of our classmates. A friend driving a tractor to school. I never had that chance but I bet it would be cool.
You could start out walking somewhere and many of your friends would pull over and ask if you wanted to ride. Working harder in the summer doing tough chores just so when school started you had a stronger looking body. Hey, that was a way to get the chores done and look really cool at school. Teachers would sometimes refer to you as the brother or sister of a student they taught the previous year. Heck, they even remember teaching your parents. I have to say that those teachers I had in school were about the best you could ever find.
Remember all the places where you could go and sit in your car while the carhops brought your food? Oh, what fun we had. Remember how most of your friends were known by nicknames? You could just call me Ray. These are things I remember about my young life and just think how much different it was for our parents and grandparents. As life goes on, we see improvements and we see downgrades, and we work to fix things so that our offspring has the chance to either do better or to maintain what he or she has now. That my friends is how life goes on. We make do with what we have, and we work to try to have something just as good or better for our children. As generations move on, they leave their marks, blended with the good things of the past. And why shouldn’t we do that? To be able to sit back and revisit the old days like I do, makes me proud to have gone through some hard times and then experiencing great joy of knowing that you progressed that far. To be able to remember those great days of old, when good people were everywhere and you were the beneficiary of their goodness. Having great parents and friends receiving their love. I would not have wanted to be raised any other way. How about you?
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
Thanks for the memories.
#580
As of March 17, 2011, Ramona and I have been married for 54 years, and it seems like only yesterday. I remember her coming down the aisle with her Dad there at Beamer Church and boy, was she a doll. Her steps were slow and somewhat wobbly and I thought to myself, she don’t seem to be in any hurry about this so maybe I better think this thing out first too. As her father sat down, I am looking over at him and thinking about those guns he has on his bedroom wall. Boy, what did I get myself into this time? But as we took each other’s hand, I felt the warmth this blue-eyed lovely lady had and I knew that this was the way to go. As the minister went through his service, I looked back over at Pop McKee and he was crying. Mom Sarah was sitting there with a big smile on her face, with some tears flowing. My mother sat there on her side and just looking at that pretty lady I had known my entire life; I knew that all in attendance was pleased with this union of our affection for each other. It was a dreary sort of day outside but one of happiness inside. That day, I took the first step in the joining of one man and one woman into one couple. That is what marriage is, the union of one man and one woman wed together by a servant of God with the promise of staying married , through sickness and health, richer or poorer, through good and bad times , till death do us part.Today, we have endured and gotten through those vows even though there has been an abundance of rough times of sickness. The richer or poorer part has never been a hindrance in our lives. Our love has kept us richer and through that love, we learned to always live within our means and really that has not been hard to do. We were blessed with two daughters, Deborah and Patricia. Debbie is living with us and Patty was called Home in 1994 as she had ovarian cancer. In the last five months of Patty’s life we went through some rough times but our love got us through. Patty‘s passing took a long time to get over and although many will tell you that closure will come one day, it never did. We just had to learn to accept and adjust and know that our little girl was in a better place. Debbie works at Whites Meat Market and has been there for a long time. Patty’s children went without a mother as they grew up. Amanda, Patty’s daughter, decided that she wanted to make her place in the world and she took up nursing and works at St. Joseph. Matt worked at an Auto Supply and still has not married. Amanda soon will bless us with a great grandson in April and we are so proud of how this young lady has made herself a part of the caring community. Patty would be so proud. So, as we live each day, we try to remember that our vows were the beginning of a relationship that no one should ever end. The nights that Ramona spent alone while I worked the graveyard shift were hard for her to take but she did. The evenings that she spent alone at home with me working the afternoon shift was hard to take but she did. The times that I was called at all hours of the day and nights to get crews in to work was hard for both of us but we took it. The passing of our youngest daughter was something no parent should have to endure but we did it. The main thing I am trying to get across is that without our love for each other, things might have been worst but we did not let that happen. Life with love for our mates counts so high on our list, and without that love, where would we be. To Ramona, I say,” thank you my fair lady, for the memories.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
"USING YOUR MANNERS"
#581
How many times do we hear the word “Please” when someone is asking for a favor or something to borrow? You don’t hear it much as we seem to not stress the manners to our youngsters any more. And how about “Thank you” ? About the same I would say. How about when you are talking and someone butts in like there was no one else but you and them in the room. Most of the time it is not an emergency, and could of waited until you were through talking. You might say something like “Excuse me” to get their attention. How many times do you hear someone give a negative opinion even though they were not even in the discussion.? How about someone commenting about the physical looks of another person? They run someone down and yet when they pass a mirror, they like what they see. People asking how you are and then before you can get a word out, they are telling you about all their ills. Have you ever took it among yourself to just walk in a room without asking permission first? When you are on the phone and you talk the other person’s head off and never give them a chance to comment. Hey, if you are going to do that, just send them a letter. How about using foul language in front of the kids or in front of those who do not care to hear it? Couldn’t you just use common sense and speak without all those barbaric terms. When you refer to someone else , do you call them names? Why can’t you call them by their given names? And do you make fun of those who might be handicap because they can’t get around as good as you can? That my friends is one of the worst things you can do as you should compliment them on how well they do things. They are human like you and me and a little smile and a gift of love will do them a lot more good. If you are at a show, keep your negative comments to yourself as the other person might be enjoying the show. If you bump into someone, do you say “excuse me” or do you just go on by?In today’s world, germs are everywhere. Do you cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. And please don’t pick your nose. Or do you even care? When you walk through a door, do you hold it open for the next person coming through? Do you ask someone if you can help them do something. Or do you stand there talking while they are trying to keep their attention on whatever they are doing? When someone asks you for a favor, try to assist them or tell them why you can’t do it. When you are at the table, do you ask someone to pass something down or do you just reach over someone and get it yourself? What I have just been asking are manners that everyone should use in their everyday life. A great person is one who tries to give a good impression as well as let it be known that he or she was raised in a proper family home where these manners are just a part of everyday life. You learn from example and making a good impression goes a long way in making good friends or bad ones. Manners are something that hangs around your neck close to your heart as long as you use them properly. When we were kids, Mom and Dad expected us to always use our manners when company was there. And they enjoyed hearing a friend or relative make a favorable comment about us. It is someone that dwells with you your entire life and that is a fact, Jack. Take a little walk out in the neighborhood and listen and watch for those manners to used by children and adults. You might be surprised at how often they are used. I , like you, sometimes am guilty of these. I thank you for the time, and I thank you for your comments.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
“Older and Wiser”
#582
As we age, we get wiser, and we start remembering those things told to us as youngsters by our parents , our grandparents and those old and wrinkled men and women who lived through some very rough and tough times in their time here on earth. As children, we sometimes laughed at those foolish things that they were trying to tell us, and we joked about them too. We would think that they were just making conversation so that they could maintain their place in the family’s history, whether it be true or false. As we grow, we start thinking about what we were being told and we wonder why we didn't cherished these bits of history given down from those who lived it. Mom had a friend that everyone called BooBoo, and she spent a lot of time with our mother because Mom was one of those persons who wanted to know everything about what happened way back when. We made fun of BooBoo, because we thought that the things she said were out of this world. But I guess as I grew older, I started giving that little old lady my ear because history was very important to me too. So now you know why I write. It is so that someone out there will be able to get information about how it was, how it is, and how it could be.As a young child, I remember living there on North Lafountain Street and we lived in a seven room house with fruit trees in the yard, a white picket fence around it and a very big lot just west of our house. That lot was used mostly for a garden, but early in the spring, before planting time came, we used that lot to play softball in. We had a coal shed between it and the house and Dad kept coal built up so that we could have a nice warm home to live in. One of our chores was to bring coal in, take ashes out and either build the fire in the stove or to maintain the heat. It also was our chore to cut up kindling to use to cook with along with corn cobs and coal. Mom had one of those big cook stoves that had an extra spot for hot water to heat up and that helped to maintain an even temperature for baking bread, biscuits, and cornbread. Boy, could that pretty lady cook? And even though she was very tired doing all the things she did, she did them because back in those days, that was what mothers and wives did. Not too many women worked outside the home back then as they had enough to do in the home. And how we treated any other human being rested high on the list of things that our parents wanted from us. You show respect for all people living or dead. You made every attempt to help those who needed your help.
I remember how one of the workers from Globe American named Mr. Dewitt always came by our home on the way home from work. He was a small guy but one of proud stature and he was a very fast walker. He seemed to have a lot of gusto, and his daughter once said that it was because he was proud to be able to keep up the pace with any other worker there. The Globe made Stoves and they even made lifeboats for the military. Another person who came by our house every day heading south was a man named Carl who was blind but he could tell just before reaching a certain spot if there was something in his way. Mom and Dad always said that we should always keep the gate closed because here was a man who did not let his blindness take him down. He would always say after passing right in front of the gate, “Thank You”. We learned a lot about life just watching how these and others walked their paths. As you grow older, you might think about what I said. Respect and loyalty should mean a lot to everyone.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Walking our paths
#583
It seems to me that we are tested each day of our lives by our Creator, who is the one who decided that there would be humans, animals, insects, and the good old outdoors where depending on what time of the year it is, we have highs and lows as to the ways that our weather is. We are not asked what we want. We take what is given to us because that is what He decides we need to keep us on our toes as well as keeping us prepared for the worst as well as the best there is. After all, He is the reason we are here and so He does have the last word. The best of life would be one that is free of all illnesses and everything is available just for the asking. The worst of life would be where we were constantly ill, or had no food, water, or housing. Somewhere in the middle is what we do experience in our lives and that is the good, and the bad, and we take it because we can. Life is a period of time starting with conception, and ending with death. What we do in that span of time usually is up to each of us according to how we accept Him in our lives.We live in the greatest country in the world, and we believe in the concept of spending our lives free, doing what we have to do in order to stay free. Our forefathers many years ago decided that they would design a government where all people would have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We can believe without others telling us how to believe and where to attend a church. We can have as many children as we want to without government telling us that we can have so many and no more. We can live high on the hog or we can live in a modest way, as long as the bills are paid.. We can wear what we want without someone wanting all of us wearing the same clothes. We can have habits that in most cases shortens our lives like in drinking and smoking. We can be part of our defense to protect our country , by backing up the ones who do our fighting.. We can voice our approval or dis-approval of things happening in our government without fear of going to jail or like in other countries the cutting off of our hands. There is a lot more that we can do because we are a free country and we can decide who to represent us by voting them in or out of office. That is the American Way, and it has worked for all of us since our constitution was decreed. As we walk our paths through life, we might meet up with something in our way. What we have to do is decide to either move the blockage, go around it or back up to go another way. That is our decision but sometimes we need help in making it. We meet others who are walking their paths and many times we might linger too long and then we get behind. That causes us to sometimes mistake another path as one shorter than the one we are on, and we lose our way. As I walk my path, I look straight ahead, so that maybe I can see those blockages soon enough, that I can make my own mind up what to do. As with each of us, the shorter path seems to be the best one even though you will spend valuable time deciding why you want to change. We all have the same thing to do in this life and the way we choose our paths decides how our time ends. Take the path that you want to take but while you are on it, give yourself some time to reason out why you are on it. I will walk my path with purpose so that when I get to the end of that path, there is the one who started it all waiting for me. May God Bless.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
“The Gift Has Arrived”
584
Well, the old man has lived long enough to see a new generation started in our family. We have a new Great-Grandson named Evan and boy is he a whopper. His parents are Amanda, our grand-daughter, and Mark . I am really proud of those two young people in that they have meaning in their lives and both are people who will make a mark in this world. As Ramona has been in the hospital, and me going back and forth to visit with her, we have not had a chance to start bonding with this wonderful gift from God. But give us time as we are destined to make that bond, and life will be like a bouquet of flowers which never dries up. The roots of life will come together with the roots of that wonderful gift and life will be a bountiful one. What prouder time could there be than to be witness once again to the glory of God and his gifts He gives us. Our Father sends down to “a man and a woman” the fruit of their love and He gives them the opportunity to nurture that child into a man or woman, who will carry on a tradition since time began in the world. To select a mate to marry, have children, training them, and then watching them start the whole thing over again. Thus is the reason we are here. Our Father wanted to enrich his creation with many new gifts of supreme glory and we are the recipients of that gift.As we go on in life, we seek the door of opportunity, to walk onto the paths that each will take in his or her lifetime. That path can change for several reasons. You can stand on the starting path too long and opportunity goes around us. We can meet something or someone who will change our mind about where and when to move on. Or we can just let others knock us down as they rush to get on their own paths.
I finally got a look at my great grandson when he was 8 days old. I said wow, this kid looks older than 8 days. But as I held him, and saw what was one of the generation coming up, I was amazed at how he held his head and how solid he was. I thought to myself that I have to last at least 15 years more so that I can see this kid play ball for his school. I like to think that each child born has a road they are about to take and with good parents like I know he will have and with great grandparents too, this kid and those born in his generation will make their mark in this world benefiting all of us who live now and the millions who will live during that child’s lifespan. Am I prejudiced or do I just talk like a proud grandpa? You might say that yes to both parts. But really the ball is in the parents court where grandparents are sitting on the bench, ready to come right in and pick up where the parent left off. And then the proper schooling comes in to make the floor plans available to parent and child. They play a vital part in the bringing up of the classmates in their class., to the point where higher education is there to pick from according to what the classmate wants in life. So life for the newborn is laid out for them to follow, as to the way from a mother’s womb to when the child is ready to go the rest of the way. Life for Evan and the ones of his generation could be a hard one or it might go so smooth that we see him as a leader in the field of his choice. As for his parents and for us, his great grandparents, we offer all the help needed and we say “Good Luck Evan” and God Bless. To those who have walked the path, move over youngsters, this old man is still here, and I am still walking my path.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Don’t get involved.
#585
I get riled up so tight that I have to let out some steam or the whole body suffers from it. We seem to stick our noses into every country’s politics and we always seem to be the first to offer aid to those countries. But here in the good old USA, we have people out of work, going homeless, and hungry, while we give away the things that we need here in America. Now I am one of those who does believe in promoting free will and helping poor countries with what they need but not letting our people starve. We see many countries having civil wars to try to take back their countries from those hard shelled rulers who have been there for ages. At no time should the USA get involved in those wars. If we are attacked then I say we have a reason to go to war, but let those countries solve their own problems first. Understand that the result of their wars might be worst than what they have. For a long time America has been there to help and many times we have been slapped in the face for it. We lost a lot of brave men and women in the Korean War and also in the Viet Nam War. Both were civil wars and if you take a good look back , you will find those countries still having turmoil. But our people over here in the USA lost many sons and daughters in two wars that we should of never been in. As one who has a loved one making a career in the Army and many others in our families who went to war because Uncle Sam asked them to via the draft, I say that we need to stay out of those wars in the middle east and then once the wars are over, we work with them to better themselves. But not by losing our family members who are and always will be heroes.We do need to use our armed forces right here in our country, by placing them all around our shorelines and fill the air with pilots ready to load up and protect all of us. What we don’t need is to stick our noses into others’ battles. People in those countries who are having the uprisings today are the ones who need to do it themselves so that they can respect what they did. For the United States to go in and rescue those who are being oppressed, that makes us responsible for building the country back up and in today’s world we need to concentrate on doing for the people right here in the good old USA. It has been true in just about every war that we have been in, that we restore the country at war into a better place than what it was before. Where is the reasoning in that way of getting involved. People have fought each other for thousands of years in the countries of old and they will be doing the same when it comes time to leave this world. We, my friends are on a journey of wreckage if we don’t start protecting our people, our country and our constitution.
Can we as a free country at least try to remedy the situation? Many years ago a fat pig in Russia said that America will go down without firing a shot. It can be done by downgrading the educational part and it can be done by downgrading our leaders, and it can be done by feeding and helping those people overseas who one day will stab us in the back. As an American living in a free country which has government better than any other country, I have to say that we need to take care of our own first, build our workplaces back to prosperity and get our people in Washington busy doing for us and not for themselves. We have a president who was elected by the people who still has 2 years remaining. We can vote him back in or we can change to another one. That is the American Way. God Bless.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Our Mother
#586
When I think about Mom, I remember that God selected me to be born to a lady who through the years was the strong part of us kids who so richly loved her. She was our mother, and she was a lady. She was the best cook that ever lived in my heart. She was through the years the backbone of my existence here on earth. She was the one who cared enough to give the very best of herself to her children. She was a lovely woman with dark brown hair and eyes that glowed when she cared for each of us. She was and still is our mother who God called Home to take her well-deserved place in Heaven.. And she knew me 9 months more than anyone else. She bonded with me while I was in her womb and thus became the holder of my life and heart.I think back to the days, when I was just a youngster and depending on Mom to take care of me, and lead me in the right path to adulthood. I guess that the one thing that will always stay with me was the meals that Mom would prepare for us. Early in the morning, this fine lady was up standing over a hot stove, making breakfast for all her children and her man. There would be mouth-watering biscuits made with her own hands, and cut out with a drinking glass top, laid on a big metal sheet, and baked to a golden brown. There would be gravy, made by our Dad, who professed to be the world's greatest gravy maker. You would never see lumps in Dad's gravy. Mom would fry the bacon, and then use the grease from the bacon, to fry her eggs with. The eggs would be the way that each one of us liked them. She could make them sunny side up, and take the grease and splash just enough on top, to give them the white covering. There would be fried mush, which she made from scratch, and she would fry it just like each one would want it. Top that off with the greatest hot coffee, which she boiled in a coffee pot. It was done when the smell was right. She put eggshells in the grounds, so that they would settle at the bottom of the pot. You did not get grounds in your coffee while Mom was there to make it. And that was just breakfast.
At noon, she was at the stove again, getting a meal ready. There always were mash potatoes at dinner with some more biscuits, with plenty of butter melting down the sides. There were green beans, corn, peas, along with the meat of the day. Sometimes it was chicken, other times it was meatloaf, or pot roast. Maybe sometimes she would deal out Dad's favorite, which was pork chops. Mom always gave us the best she had in cooking.
You would think that she would take a break, but that evening, it was time again to stand over that hot stove and fix supper, which was the most important to her. I never did hear her complain. She always wanted her children to have a full stomach, when they went to bed that night. Supper would be my favorite, because there was always a big pot of beans cooking, and an oven full of cornbread. Sometimes, instead of baking cornbread, she would fry it in the skillet as corn cakes. Add to that, a big skillet of fried potatoes, and there would be a smile on my face for the rest of the evening. There usually wasn't much left at the end of supper, but she would save the beans, and the next morning mix them with some flour, and fry them in the skillet, as bean cakes. If you have never tasted bean cakes, you are really missing something. There isn’t enough room to tell you all the things about our mother but to put it as short as possible, I will tell you that Mom was the sweetest woman in the world according to Ray. I miss her very much. God Bless.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
"No to Charter Schools."
#587
Well, it is time for me to stand up and be counted again as to my views on the things that are happening here in our country. First off, let me clarify to you that I know that what I am about to say may not be agreeable to you. Here in Kokomo, we have unemployment at a too low base and we do need to go out into the field and try to entice new business owners to set their home base here. That way decisions that are made will depend based on reliable attention one business could give another. Taxes are not the way to go although every time something is mentioned, the cost of it seems to go to your pocket or mine. I am here to tell you that my pockets are full with medical bills and I can’t reach to far down.In the state, we see the push for a different school situation involving charted schools. I must say that public education has been with us since I do not know when and it is not broke, so do not fix it. We have great teachers and principals in the system that do their very best in supplying our kids with a good schooling and charter schools are not the answer. All this would do, would be to put a crutch in our system and valuable teachers would be put off to the wayside and that my friends is to create an atmosphere of I am better than you. Some will say that I am wrong but just think about it. I would not want my school telling me that my child could not attend a school because he spoke funny or he walked in a way that could be a handicap. Give some thought and see where state government is using the school system in a political way.
Use your mind and you will see from experiences that schools like these would only promote segregation like it was years before. Kids would wear uniforms and would be required to walk straight and stiff like the Germans were in World War II. The use of prayer would return but with the offering to a power instead of The Creator. We don’t need Charter Schools, but we do need the prayers if this comes about. And think about the money aspect of Charter Schools. Why should we the taxpayers put up with the cost of what charter schools would bring. Let’s take a better approach and start using the public schools like they are supposed to be. A place of education given to all the children regardless of race, creed, and poverty. As you know, I don’t try to downgrade our government much because they catch enough heck from all the others, and I can name several right here in our city who do that, but charter schools are a bad way to go. What we need to do is go back to the old way and give the teachers responsibility over our children as long as they are in school. Then give back to the parents the right to handle the child with discipline that is appropriate to what is needed. And while we are at it, those highly paid people at the top of our state education sure don’t earn what we pay them. It has always bothered me to see that the only way to attract good educators at the top is to give them, and I use the term “give” very loosely, a high salary. Why at a time when everyone is scared of losing their jobs, are we paying the top dog in our education dept at the state level a high salary that he sure is not worth. Why do we have superintendents at the top of our separate schools, when we should only have one for the whole county? Don’t tell me that it would be too much of a workload because we know better. If we are going to put clamps on our teachers, then put them on the superintenants too. Public schools are just that, public, and that means that everyone has the opportunity to be taught. My opinion only.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
I Question These.
#588
There are many questions I have about events and some of its chances of ever getting an answer. However, here I go with a few and maybe you feel the same way. We just watched The Endeavor blast off with crew aboard and after this one comes down; we will wait for someone to show us what they saw and how they experienced it. At no time have I ever seen where a television program is made showing those beautiful sights that the astronauts must have seen. Maybe a little on the news and then no more. Why are we the taxpayers who pay for space travel not seeing what they saw and documented. Is there a reason that we should not see it? Is it all one big hoax or are we keeping the information locked up somewhere until that time when they feel we can view space the way they did. It would seem to me that we should be allowed to witness everything that the crews did while blasting off, meeting up with the docking station, and living inside the capsule. Is that too much to ask or it is all one big secret. I am a believer in our Creator and I would like to see what He has created besides what we see here on earth. Will we, the general population ever get to view space or will we just have to wait until we are called Home? I would like your thoughts on this matter.Now another thing that really gets me wondering is how the television advertises medicine and they tell you all the benefits and then the negative effects that that particular medicine could give you. I sure would not think that if a medicine for a certain ailment will cause you to have problems and possibly death then it should not be advertised on television. I for one feel that you see your family doctors because they are the ones who know your problems. It is kind of scary to see that we take one drug to get well, only to die from the cure. Now while we are the topic of television, have you ever noticed that the news starts out with the newscaster saying what the breaking news is but we have to go to the weather first. Moreover, how about when they tell a little about what the news will be about, but we will have to wait until the nighttime news or maybe three days later. It seems to me that if it is important than we should hear about it as soon as possible. And lately we see the final episodes of our favorite shows only to be left hanging , where we will have to wait until next season to find out what happened. Like we can sit back and wait and then wonder why it was so important to do that.
This old man is one of those guys that has a daily routine where I try to live on a schedule that is better for me, and I don’t like to wait for something like that. Wow, we said waiting, didn’t we? How many times do you arrive early for an appointment so that you get in at the scheduled time, only to have to wait for close to an hour before being seen? I know there are times when that can’t be avoided but it shouldn’t be that way always. Therefore, you might say that we are victims of waiting. Well to put it all in one thought, there are only so many minutes and hours in the day and life should not be held up for those things I mentioned. So what do we do about it and your answer will probably be the same as mine. We take it one day at a time, we smile, we gripe, and we try to think that it will be better the next time. That, my friends is what most of us do every day, use our time without wasting it. We tell those who want us to wait, that we just don’t have the time to do much of it. Until later.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Plant and enjoy.
#589
Well, this old man has once again gone through a winter where things just did not look good for those like me who put out a garden each year. We had our share of moisture and some very cold weather but not that much that it takes away the desire to grow my veggies. We really did not get that last frost date and really it could happen yet but I don’t think so. I have already put out my tomato and pepper plants, and they have had a good dose of lime to cut down on the dry rot that some get each year. I left some space for some plants that I want to experiment with and I have already planted my onion plants that I get from the state of Washington. I like onions and could eat them with every meal, and they are good for you. I have some garlic coming up and they are not easy to grow, as you need just the ideal situations for them to do well. You have to give those plants that you put in your garden some watering a couple times per week until they are adjusted to the soil and then water as needed. I, many times through the winter months while eating food from the freezer that was put there out of the garden, think to myself that there might not be another planting as I am getting very tired and week in the legs due to the illness that I have but come spring, it is try it one more time, old man, because you can do it. And off I go to the plant centers to look at what they have price wise and quality wise. You just cannot go and buy the first ones you see because they look strong. I guage my tomato plants by seeing how much whiskers they have just above the soil. And I look for the ones who stand firm in their pots. I like to plant them where the soil comes a little past those whiskers and then pack a little extra soil around them. And it is a good idea to plant a few extra so that if some fail you have some to take its place.As usual, each year it has been lie on the ground, stick a plant in and bring the soil up to it. This is how I plant my garden and will be until I can’t do it anymore. The onions are the hardest to plant as you plant them about 4 inches apart and maybe 5 rows so it gets tiresome to do as many as I do without wanting to stand up and rest. But if I don’t have anything to help me get up such as a chair or a piece of wood, I have to rest there until I feel like I can plant some more. Sometimes the end of the rows where the fence is, seems to be so far away, that once I do get up, it is close shop for the day and go inside. So growing my garden not only is a chore but also a happening where you find out just how much weaker you are from the year before. But there is a great benefit to growing your own veggies as it not only gives you good food to eat but it also works to clean your self of all those worries that you had during those months when you couldn’t get outside except to go to the store or pay bills. And what a great place to be when you want to discuss some personal things with God. He hears, and He sends you little bursts of wind and he has the birds singing their music to let you know that He hears you. And He helps watch over your garden just as He does with your life. So gardening is not only a great hobby with great results, it also is that outlet that so many of us need in life. Try it while there is still time to plant your garden and enjoy the results. And have fun .
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
My Hometown, Kokomo
#590
As a writer, I sometimes want to write as much as possible in my columns about Kokomo and all the things I remember about it from my young days. Kokomo is and always will be my hometown and only place to hang my hat. The one constant about it is the locality and what it has done for preserving the memories of old while also working to make it better and more visible to the visitors to our city.For as long as I can remember we had two way streets and parking alongside but a few years ago it was decided that many of those streets would be one way and for many years people would bypass the downtown area and go out to the malls. This cut down a lot of the chances for many to view our city and thus business was not that great even though the places downtown were run by some of the best Kokomo people you will ever know. Many times I found it frustrating to find a place to park long enough to get my business done and then out of the area , because of one way streets and no place to park. But Kokomo is changing and they are trying to make it better for all and not just a few. Curbs have been changed to accommodate the handicap, many of the stop lights are gone and in some areas you have straight through traffic that helps in keeping an area non- congested.
Kokomo had changed a lot in the last few years but the people who built it up will not ever be forgotten. The Walt Moss Barber Shop is still there and who can forget about Walt who had been my friend for almost 58 years. John Palumbo and the people at Engels were always there to give you the best service ever. Palmers is still there doing a great job of taking care of the customers. We have the Historical Society with Kelly in charge helping to keep the history of this great city known to all. Many of the buildings that grace the city are still there with many of them having a face lift but not so much that guys like me can’t remember what it looked like many years ago. We have the event center which soon will be part of Ivy Tech College, but hopefully will find some way to keep and maintain the Auto Museum there. And take a look at how the cemeteries are taken care of with respect for who are buried there and the ones who are left behind. Kokomo has been a place where respect of those who have been called home is of the most reverend. Take a little drive through the cemeteries and you see people all the time there fixing and maintaining some sort of respect for their loved ones.
And folks if there is any place that has stayed in Kokomo as long as The Kokomo Tribune, then I salute them. I started at the age of 12 passing the paper and now I get to write a weekly column for this paper. So it seems like maybe this is just a place that holds many memories of how it was, how it is, and how it will be. I ask all of you to take a trip through this great city and see how it has changed and I bet that if you were born here, you will remember a lot about the old days. Right now, I take a little caution traveling through downtown, because of the changes but soon we will see that Kokomo is coming alive for all of us. The malls are changing outside the city because of how the new bypass will go around us but I think that if enough people get used to the new changes, it will be good for all. As I have said many times, this is my home and I am proud of it. For those out there who want to visit this city, we are on the map in what I call the heart of the USA. Come visit with us.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Remembering our Dad;
#591
I write about the old days when I was young with all my worries being on the backs of my two favorite people I know as Mom and Dad Day. I will go on a little memory trip about my father whose name was Roscoe. Most of his friends knew him as “Dink” and he had a lot of friends from the Globe and Continental factories. Dad was a little guy in comparison to others we knew but he was our Dad and we loved him even though we did not see him much because of the hours he had to work at the mill. Working a swing shift takes away the time that a father needs to bond with his children. But he kept the family from starving and we always had a warm home to live in. I can remember some of those times when he did have a little time to play catch with me and we did go fishing several times.Dad was one of those guys who expected his kids to obey after just one command. He was not short on telling you that he was the father and he demanded respect for himself and the love of his life, our Mother. He expected to be able to come home, wash up and have the food ready to eat. He wanted to be able to once in a while sit down with no one to bother him and rest his weary body. We ,as kids, knew that we did not want to get him mad because we had problems then. In his way Dad loved us all but he demanded respect and quiet and he expected us to mind our manners and he made sure of this by putting that chore into Mom’s hands and she did a good job of making sure that we were little angels when Dad walked into the door.
Dad was a man whose only bad habit, beside chewing tobacco, was in buying the punch cards and playing pool or if he could find someone who wanted to part with his money, Dad would play a hand of poker. Dad was one of those guys who had a poker face just about all the time so there were times when someone would fall victim to a high stakes game of cards. Now get me wrong in thinking that I am putting down my dad because I’m not, as he was our Dad and he deserved a little fun once in a while. Through the years, we kids knew Dad as a man of discipline and we did not see him smile too much. But in later years I found out what kind of a job Dad had and after working with him at the mill I saw why he was tired and sometimes grouchy and so I found a friend , co worker, and a good man in that father we knew all these years. Dad finally had to retire after 37 years at the mill and he rested a lot sitting in his little corner of the room watching the Cubs, Pro Wrestling, and the news, until that time when God said to him that it was time to come home.
Two days before Dad died, I had a good talk with him there as he lay in bed and I will never forget that little time we had together, just him and me, as 2 days later he was gone. Mom ,Bob, Delores, and Mary have followed Dad to Heaven, leaving myself, Neva, Wanda, Russell, and John here on earth to carry on the memories of a time when it was rough but we didn’t know it. We were a family who lived in a time when respect and loyalty was the name of the game. It was a time when fathers only saw their children when they were not working. It was a time when Mothers held the family together with respect, discipline, and love. And it was a time when we saw our uncles and aunts , and cousins just about every week. Times have changed, and memories have filled the gaps of then until now.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
"THE SINGING MOUSE"
#592
After my column about Kokomo, I was asked if I knew of a singing mouse here in Kokomo. Well, I do have a story for you about a mouse that made his name known via the nationwide CBS Radio Edward R. Morrow show. The singing mouse was the property of Glen R. Rextrew, who lived up in the north end of town. There was a reporter at the Tribune who did a story on this mouse, by the name of George Welden. At first Welden thought it was a joke, so when he got a call from Glen that he had a singing mouse in his house, he was skeptical. Glen and his wife were in the living room when they heard the same singing sound for several days in the kitchen, coming from the clothes basket in the kitchen. As Glen uncovered the basket, a mouse jumped out and ran away.After a few days went by, Welden received a call from Glen that the mouse had been caught and if he wanted to hear him sing. Over the phone, he heard the chirping of this mouse sounding like a bird. WIOU was contacted and they made an attempt to record the voice of the singing mouse. When they went to the home, nothing happened. The mouse would make no noise. So Glen said that they would cover the cage where the mouse was in and after some 15 minutes, they uncovered it and sure enough, this mouse whose name was Mickey started his pretty chirping and it sounded like a canary. That same day Mickey was heard over WIOU, and then on the Edward R. Morrow show. Glen caught another mouse and he named her Minnie, and a few days later, she had four babies that were named Enie, Meenie, Minie, and Moe. People all over Kokomo came to the Rextrew home to see Mickey sing, and Glen even had an offer from a booking agent from Chicago. The six mice would sing nightly concerts at the Rextrew home and once, all of them were caught in a wire cage, but were able to escape. Glen’s wife said that she would check the trap every so often to see if they had been caught. She could see where they had been nibling on the bait, but escaped through a hole just under the trigger of the trap. While they were on the loose, they gave a nightly singing concert to Glen and his wife.
One visitor to the Rextrew home was a man, who wanted to see this oddity so that he could describe the mouse to his crippled son. After the man returned home, he called the Rextrew's and asked that the phone be placed near the mouse so that the son could hear the singing. Mrs. Rextrew said that she and her husband would feed the brood and hope that some sort of an offer for the crooner would show up. And she said that they had gotten attached to the mice and would hate to part with them. Glen was a part time salesman and not doing well in the financial part of their life. Glen has wanted to go into the ministry, but he wasn't able to fulfill his goal. He had hoped that if someone had taken up on this story that maybe he would be able to go on to college to get his degree. Glen had been in the service, and received an injury to his leg that would in effect cause him some financial problems from than on. But they never let anyone know that they were hurting financially.
But then Glen took the singing mouse to visit some relatives in Greentown, because he was afraid that someone might enter his home and steal them, and Mickey was able to break loose, and he ran into a woodpile,. They were broken-hearted about this, and after some thought, they decided to release Minnie also. Such was the story of one of Kokomo's first, although there are many that to this day who do not know of this singing mouse. It happened years ago, and you can believe it or not. I do.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
How we celebrate?
#593
Well, once again we come to the date of each year to remember that our country was once under the command of other countries, and that a group of people who without fear decided to fight for our independence. They worked through some very rough times to come up with a document that gave us the rights to be free, to assemble, and to speak our minds. Those brave people did all they could to give us, America, the best government of the people, by the people, and for the people. So each year on July 4th, we celebrate our independence with parades, prayers, and outings where we have fireworks that light up the skies with our thanks to those who chose to step up to the plate and say you are free and let no one or no country change that. I give my thanks to those who have made that sacrifice there in 1776 and to those who continue to make sure that we do stay free and as a country we can be proud of. To this day, we are still free to assemble, and speak our minds, although there are those who want to change our constitution so that it favors one group over another. Hopefully that does not happen, because changing something that does not need fixing would be to allow all kinds of changes that would in turn give us, the people, less of an opportunity to fight against them.So today, I bring to you my thoughts of what happens each year at this time. Instead of selecting a few places to have our fireworks displays, we allow people to sell fireworks to anyone who have the money to pay for them. We allow people in the neighborhoods to shoot off fireworks regardless of the dangers of fire or injury to those shooting them off or to children nearby. Fireworks are dangerous to use except in a way that no one gets hurt and no houses catches fire. As a youngster I have witness the dangers of what fireworks gives us when it is used by those who are not experienced enough to shot them off. I have seen eye injuries, hand injuries and I have been witness to fires caused by fireworks.
For several years, we in our neighborhood have been subject to fireworks being played with by young children whose parents are not around to watch them. One year I was sitting in our family room and some fireworks shot from a yard almost 2 blocks away hit the window right where I was sitting. On that same evening, I was out in the yard and one of the fireworks hit close to me and I was very mad about that. It seems like every year we hear of injuries to children and even to the ones shooting them off, yet we never see any thing done so that it would not happen again. . And for those with pets, they can tell you that fireworks scare the pets and many times that pet will suffer from that scare for several days.There are enough to keep our police and fire departments busy without worrying about the use of fireworks by don't care residents. So to put all this in perspective, why do those who are our governing bodies not make stricter rules about fireworks and how and where they can be used ? Lord knows that we can celebrate that wonderful holiday and our independence without taking a chance on injuries and/or fires. As you know, it usually is very hot and dry on that part of the year and we sure don’t need to cause someone to lose their homes just so the kids and the “don’t care” people can have fun. I am not a prude, and I do my part to celebrate our independence. That date of each year is for all of us to be reminded that we are a free country, and that as proud Americans, want to remain free. However, we have to use common sense in how we do celebrate it. Do us all a favor and regulate some better rules.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
They are my memories.
#594
I was asked the other day about my memories of Kokomo and its stores. The person said that he could not believe that anyone could remember the things I do and thus he does not believe any of it. Well, that person had better check with the elders in his family if there are any still here. They could tell him a thing or two. My memory is still pretty sharp although I find myself forgetting things for a few minutes and bingo there it is right there in the old file box that our Creator gave me. We do have several friends who have gone via the memory route and I hope that my memory remains till the day that God calls me Home. When I was just a young whippersnapper, there were many things that happened and thus went into my file box to be remembered today and tomorrow. Going back in time, we had the iceman delivering blocks of ice to go into our iceboxes to help keep our food from spoiling. We had the milkman each day bringing milk if we needed any that day. Mom would leave the empty milk bottles on the front porch with a note saying what was needed. There were the Amish in their horse and carriage who deliver eggs, and sometimes they had some baked goodies to sell. And there was the bread truck which made trips through the neighborhood to deliver needed bread. Of course there were many things that we had to go to the stores to get and we had many stores throughout the city to shop at. But most of the time, we shopped at the neighborhood stores because they were only a stone throw away.In our area, we had Whitacres which one day became French’s market. Bud and Bill were good men who took care of the people who shopped there. And there was Winburns Grocery on Kennedy Street run by Merle who also was a nice person to know. Down on Monroe and Lafountain Street there was Ben Martin who was on our way to school each day and we started off our days with a little goodie from Ben who always had time to wave to us as we went past his store. Back then you did not worry about people who passed out candy to the kids because people back then had good morals and they were a credit to the neighborhoods. Today, we have to teach our children that there are bad people who try to entice the young people with candy so that they can do bad things. Now don’t get me wrong, we do have good people out there who believe in our kids and are part of the family of those who want only the best for our children.
As I think back to the stores out of our area, I think of Longs and Krogers, both on North Washington, and Marsh Foodliner and National Foods in the south end. And Jesse Weaver had a store on the south east end of Kokomo. There were the Mom and Pop stores in just about every neighborhood, and life back then we had the luxury of being able to shop where ever we wished. And when we went downtown on Saturdays, there were the movie houses which showed some great shows played by the best actors around. Who can forget those cowboys who rode off into the sunset and came back the next Saturday in a new episode? Many times after we got out of the movies, we would walk around looking into each store window to see the newest fashions, and maybe stop at Kresge’s or McCelland’s to get some goodies before heading home .Time back then did not go as fast as it does today and we always had time to play before Mom called us in to eat her great food she made. So to the one who does not believe in what I say, I say, go to your elders and let them draw you a picture that you will understand. I have my memories which are precious ones and I am truly blessed to remember them.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Past, Present, & Future.
#595
Going back in time is a fun thing for me as it gives me a better outlook on what I am going through today. Then using the knowledge of yesterday mixed with today gives me a look at how things might be in the future. The past is something I relish because it puts me in the stages of life from child to today. I can sit and talk about things I did as a child and believe me folks, there are youngsters listening to me. The past is such a large part of my history because it goes up to yesterday and stops. Then today becomes yesterday and its spot in the past. Listening to those who lived in the past gives me a chance to see what they had to endure just to get to today. The wise people of the past are responsible for what we have today. Can you believe at one time there were no televisions? Can you sit down and wonder what it might have been without our radios when we were youngsters? Did you ever think movie houses would go away and only the big theaters would survive? Remember Gene and Roy riding off into the sunset? Did you ever think that Pennys, Wards, Kresges, and Sears would not be downtown? Those are things of the past that have changed into large holding companies out to get your hard-earned money or to allow you to put large credit on just your name alone. Yes, folks some of the past has made it through to today and has a good chance of being here tomorrow. But other things have not and that is where the memories so precious to this old man come into place. I lived it, I am living it and I hope to be living it tomorrow.Coal for heating and cooking. Electric for having lights to read your books and newspaper by. Ice man delivering ice for the fridge. The Amish delivering eggs and butter by horse and wagon. Milk left at your doorstep each day. And that young fellow with all that gusto delivering the newspaper right to your doorstep each evening after school.
And helping Mom with the dishes after every meal. Did you have your own apron? Each of us did. Folks, those who lived it, remembers. But those who never did, don’t believe all the things told them by that bald headed old man who lived it and loved it. And I am not the only one who loves to talk about the days of old. Tom and Barb can talk your head off with their thoughts of yesterday. I remember Cliff Fouts here in Kokomo who liked to tell the story. And old man Harrington who lived up in the north end could tell you about his life both as a child and as a minister of God. There are many stories yet to be told as there are many who just do not want to relive the past through their memories of a time so precious to most of us but not to them. To them, I say, go ahead and live just today but you sure are cheating some young kids the chance to learn from one who lived it, But think about your grandchildren and the things that they are missing because you want to forget. Will they have to go to the books to learn about the days of old or will they look up someone like me who loves to tell the story of life as it was for my elders and myself. I will be here for a few more years but if some child wants to learn about my past and my words as they are written, all they have to do is to go back to the old Kokomo Tribunes and read about that bald old man with memories to talk about. It is such a blessing to be able to put my words in front of you each week and then hear about it from the readers. And to those like Thelma, Glenn, Grandpa Harrington, Cliff, Jenny and Mary, I say thanks for your help.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
#596
They say, I say.
I have heard some weird sayings and today I bring them to your attention. Remember the sayings are not my words. But I give my thoughts on them. “Eventually you reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it“. I never could figure out why anyone would not give their correct age. That’s like being ashamed of being born. “The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for“. Well, If I got in line then it must be worth my time. “Some people try to turn back their odometers“. Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way“. “I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved“. There are times when it isn’t easy to walk the road of life, but you do it. “How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are“? That saying in itself is stupid and can’t be reasoned with. “You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks“. That my friends is a part of growing old. Some have the problem, and some don’t. “I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top“. Well maybe that hill was just part of a bigger hill. “One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young“. You know, taking life one day at a time, you don’t notice that change so much. “Ah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable“. The difference I have found in old and young is just a blink of the eye.“Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald and have such terrible eyesight, they don't recognize you“. Now here you are getting into my field of play. It is odd that so many of the friends my age still have all that hair. “If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old“. Sometimes laughing at a problem just makes it a bigger one. “First you forget names, then you forget faces. Then you forget to pull up your zipper“. That’s not as bad as forgetting to pull the zipper down. “Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today, it's called golf“. Like in those old times, you have to be able to vent out all that pressure or it will vent itself out.
Those sayings are as old if not older that I am, and some make sense and some don’t. They might apply to you as well as me, but one thing is for sure and that is that life can be hard for some and easy for others. Some will have a straight well paved road to walk in life and others will meet some blockages in their walk of life. It is true that you have to take life as it is given to you and you make the changes that will make it easier to walk. Life can only be as tough as you let it to be. In my walk , I have found several blockages in my path and I have been able to go over or around them to get back on the right path. I can see that there are still some up the road waiting for me but I might be able to get them out of the way before I get there. One thing for sure is that a straight path is a whole lot easier to walk, and you still see a lot of God’s garden of life as he wants it to be. I guess that people my age feel the same way that I do, and they have some pretty rough days where they wonder if life will ever get any better. I can tell you right now that life is taken one day at a time and you just look at today as one that ends with tomorrow, with a promise that that day could be better if you let it be.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
“As We Progress”
#597
Back in the days of old, there were many things that in today’s thought, would be sort of a laugh as to if they were true or not. The only ones who knew how it really was are the ones who have been called Home and the children of those who took the time to educate their children as to how it was and how much better that child has it. But don’t get me wrong as to thinking that those things were not necessary facts of life,. Water brought up from the creek by those who had no wells. Washing their clothes in the creek water by those who were not able to have inside plumbing. That little house with the half-moon on the door for the personal part of life by those who had no inside plumbing nor a room for it. Cooking on a stove that used coal, wood and corncobs as fuel . Electric wires coming down from the ceiling where you could hook up the light and a plug in for the radio or iron. A potbelly stove that you put coal, wood, and corncobs in to keep the house warm. The upstairs was very cold in the winter as the only way to get heat up there was though a transom in the ceiling. In the summer we had to use fans powered by electricity to stay cool. That meant that you could not have the radio on or use the iron because it would be an overload and could blow a fuse.The things that each generation put up with were updated by those who came later and that is how progress was a vital part of the generations coming up next. Just about everyone thought that there had to be a better way of doing the things that were such a vital part of that era. As time progressed, so did the important things that we needed to make the day better and that was because there was always someone out there who had the gift of invention and so in today’s era, we profit from those who tried to make things better for all and not just a few. There are still those outbuildings out there somewhere because when nature calls, you need not have to go looking for that secluded spot for that personal happening. We went from just reading and talking to get the news, to being able to use the radios and then the televisions. We went from using the word of mouth to get our messages through, to using the telegraph or the newspapers, to the phones and now through the internet. In today’s world we are able to see what is happening across the pond and keep up on the happenings too in our own country. We have cars, trucks, trains, and planes to go anywhere we want. We have food for our bellies and we have all the places that will cook the food and serve us at their tables. We have the freedoms that our forefathers fought for us to have , and we live in the best country in the whole world. We are able to elect people who will speak for us in all causes and represent us in our governing body in Washington. Our voice can be heard throughout the land as to how we want our country to be.
And that leads me to this one question. Why are our representatives in" both parties" not working like they should? Why are we at such a poor time of life, subjected to our government divided to the effect that we could default and go down to being at the hands of those who are waiting to overpower us without a shot being fired.? Why are we allowing the states to overpower our school system using the term "Charter School" as a drawing card? Our schools need to stay public and our state needs to clean up their acts and our representatives need to get back to keeping America the powerful and profitable country that always, up to this era, was proud enough to blow our own horn. “Progress”?
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Gripes worth giving.
#598
This week, I am embarking on a new thought called “What Gripes Me”. Doing this could cause some of my readers to get a little mad but hear me out first and then get mad if you will. Watching the blastoffs of our space ships amazes me in that to be able to do this, you have to have full commitment by all. The one thing that I gripe about is that we only get to see the blastoff and the return to earth. Why can’t the people who’s tax money pays for it, be able to see what is going on while they are up there and why is there not a show where the people can see what it really looks like up there? I know I would watch it.Well back to earth, I ask why do we continue to feed and clothe the world while we have children right here in our country that have those needs? Why do we take polls when you know that the polls are gong to favor the companies that have them? I had a phone call several years ago where the caller asked my opinion on a subject. I told him that my thoughts on the subject were my own and I wasn’t going to participate. I then asked the person about how they would mark me on the poll and he said that they usually put down whatever they want as long as they get an opinion. Why do we pay for cable and have to watch ads that pertain to sex, legal actions, and medicines? Why can we not just delete them from our sets. It seems to me that the cable companies get money from both sides of the table. Sort of like our lobbying system in Washington. And of course one of my biggest gripes are the interruptions of our television shows by the weathermen to warn us about storms, when if you check, you will find channels that have the weather and news all the time. A waste of our money and time, I would venture to say. How about standing in line at the grocery store waiting for the clerk and buyer to stop their visitations. The same goes when there is someone in line who has just about every coupon there is and they are looking for a certain one to give the clerk. Looks to me like they could of done that before coming to the store. And those stores that advertise customer satisfaction but they tell you that certain things are not covered and if they are, you have to mail the damaged product in to them. Back in my day as a salesperson, the words on the wall were take care of the customer. Getting back to the grocery stores, I have to ask this. Why are the potatoes, which are supposed to be from Idaho, about 20% bad ones? And celery is found to have lots of soil still on them when you get home and unwrap it. Lettuce is brown inside the leaves. Ground beef is dark brown inside the package even though it has been just freshly ground. I could go on for a long time talking about the food stores but I will say that I go to stores that I can trust and I only buy from each store the items that I can truly rely on to be right. Getting back to the gripe section, how about the cars that have the volume so high , and the loud engines running for longer than they should.? We have a neighbor who does this every day several times a day and night. Where is the noise law?
There are many stories about the gripes of a old man like me and I would say that I resemble the remark about me being a pain in the neck. But hey, if I didn’t gripe occasionally you might think this is a perfect world. And you know that it isn’t, but it would be great if for one day it were. So gripe time is up and now I will go back to my memories, so precious.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
#599
I question the actions.Being a peaceful man along with being a true American, you usually will never see or hear me say anything bad about our government in Washington. However, there comes a time when you have to take a step backward and get a good look at what is going on there and I will say that I am not happy with how this country is putting up with our people in the House, Senate and even the Presidency. We have sat back and told our representatives to govern for the people, by the people and for the people, and something stinks foul and it is time that we say we are tired of it and we are not going to take it anymore. We have listened and watch our leaders in Congress and our leader in the oval office go at each other’s neck in order to try and get a passage of some sort of bill to keep us from going default and putting this country down on its knees just so one party can rule over the other.
Hey, this is not a ballgame where there is a winner and there is a loser. We are either all winners or all losers. It is that simple. What we have here is a failure to communicate for the American people and the America we have been proud to be a part of. Let’s get down to what we are giving these leaders to play with our lives. Do they pay for their health insurance? Are they paid for sitting on their backsides playing checkers trying to king the other? Do they pay into Social Security or are they exempt for that? We need to take a good look at what the benefits are for those who are supposed to be serving you and me, and then tell them that they will start serving us or we will send them home without any benefits and they can stand in the unemployment lines and get turned down for work because they are not even qualified to sit and work with each other to serve and benefit you and I. It is that simple.
We watch our televisions and read our newspapers and we see that the countries in the Middle East and Africa are having rebellions by the people who have been oppressed for years and there are many killed because they want to topple the rulers of those nations. Most will fail because there are too much to overcome. Many of the uprisings are edged on by outsiders who want to reach in with a strong hand and take over the countries while there is the unrest there. That is what scares me and that is why I am telling all that we just cannot allow our Congress and our leader in the Oval Office to go at each other’s throats in order to get this country back to where at one time was the most powerful and the most successful country in the world. I for one have to see that we do have a problem in our whole government and it is that we have the leader in the house and the senate sitting with the hands under their backsides playing games that can only hurts us and bring this country to its knees. Are the people we have in Washington worth leaving them there or is it time to call them home and smack their hands and tell them that they have lost our trust and we will not put up with it anymore. We put people in by election because we thought that they could make the difference but somewhere between then and the time they reached Washington, their values went from the people to the parties and so goes the problems we have now. Hey, guys and gals, we don’t want to see the uprisings here in America. We are too good for that and if you can’t do the job, move on because there are people out there who do believe in the American Way as I do and they would be a lot better than those who are there in both parties now.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Steel Mill Memory.
#600
Having endured quite a heat wave in July, I think back in time when the Steel Mill was still working and I remember some very hot uncomfortable days working in the hot heat coming off the furnaces as well as how it was outside. Back when I first hired in, they made the steel in the open hearth where there were five furnaces going all at the same time. The workers kept busy preparing each furnace with all the additives needed to made a good bed for the scrap metal that would be put in there using a crane that had an arm that hooked into the end of the pans of metal, then lifted it up and then into the furnaces and then turned over to dump it. This was the way that scrap metal was melted down in this long pan that was lined with furnace brick. On each furnace there was a first and second helper and a utility man. They were responsible for making sure that the right amount of scrap and additives went into each furnace. When the heat of steel was ready to be poured into a ladle, one of the helpers went around back of the furnace and break loose the hole in the brick lining.allowing the molten steel to run into a large ladle, and when this was finished, then the crane operator would take the ladle over two rolls of ingot molds which had to be prepared by the pit crew. The hot steel would be poured into each mold and then one of the pit crew would lay a plate over the top of the mold allowing it to solidify into an ingot.
After these ingots were ready, the crane operator would lift the mold, thus allowing the ingot to slide out. Then after all this was done the ingots would be taken to the soaking pits to get another soaking of heat to make the steel needed for an order. From there the ingots would be pressed between long solid rolls to make billets, and sheet bar that would in turn go through the sheet mill, the rod mill, or be shipped to our other companies to make their type of product. Watching and knowing the way that steel products were made, you appreciated the work that it took to go through the process. And through all of this, weather never dictated whether you took time off because it was too hot or too cold. You took the worst of the heat and the cold because it was your job. That was how the steel was made up to 1967 and then the electric furnaces took over. The elements were the same but not as harsh as it was in the open hearth. Steel was the backbone of just about anything that was to last a lifetime.
The steelworker was the hands of America in a business that was dominant here in America until unruly business men decided to use it to their advantage, thus taking it down to its knees. We still make steel here in America but not the quality of that which was made at Continental Steel in Kokomo, Indiana. The Roofing Stock made in the sheet mill was the best ever made. The Wire and Rods, which companies all over kept on their shelves was the most dependable made. And the Welded Fab was use by Cement companies as strength for their concrete. And the nails made at Continental was sought by all because you never saw them bend or break. A memory of a company here in our city of Kokomo Ind, will never die as it will dwell in the minds of all who worked there and their family members. And it is fitting that the memories of such a great country can be found in The Howard County Museum right here in our city. Someday when you get time, go up and take a visit to the memories of that company. God Bless all those workers who gave their all to make what was called steel. There is now only an empty lot on Markland Ave. but our memory is full.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day