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Really, in todays world, that 2 cents can go a long way.
On this page you will find my most recent columns.
You might see one or two that have been repeated from the
other pages due to having to work 2 months trying to round them all up
after losing my website. I am sure that there won't be too
many. Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
As the time nears to vote for that person to represent
us as representatives of the people, by the people and for the people,
I take this time to give you my views, and not that of any other person
or group. First off, I want to make this clear to all of you who are reading
my words that it does not matter which party I am a part of because I vote
for the person who I think will do the best job of representing me and
you. In the spring we vote only as a member of a party, but in the fall
we, after taking a good look at who is running, regardless of which party
we are a member of, we vote for that person who can do and will do
the better job.
For over a year now, I have been witness to emails, phone calls, and just talking among friends, of the hatred some of us show for the other parties, and of the race and heritage of those in office. We have so many out there who listen to groups whose only purpose is to downgrade our government officials to the extent that nothing is being accomplished there in Washington. There are those out there who are doing it because they hate the other party. There are those out there who take the word of troublemakers that starts to undermine our very existence as a free country, able to vote as we please. And there are those roaches out there that come out long enough to add fuel to the fire and then go back into their hiding place, waiting to do it all over again later.
We live in the United States of America, and we live for each other, free to do what we want, when we want to, and how we can. We have a government at this time which is trying to get through an era of time where people are out of work, people are going hungry, and people who are losing their homes. It is a bad situation for any country but it should have never come about here in America. It didn’t start with the present administration, although it has not gotten too much better in the last year. This came about several years ago and we just looked the other way, with that belief that it cannot get any worse because this is the USA, and we are strong enough to stand up against it. But in the meantime we are allowing the poisons to be leaked out among all the people and that flows into the elections with the voters using whatever knowledge they have gotten from the hate groups to make their choices for those to represent you and me in the next four years.
All this is my opinion of what we have to work with and I will use good common sense when I go to the booth to record my votes. I will not single out any person, nor will I condemn any party. I believe in the two party system which helps to check and balance our government. I do not accept the off parties who usually only want to take this country to its knees, nor do I accept any facts that America is going down in defeat. I am a proud American who feels that if our representatives have not done the job, then we elect someone who will. As for the top man in command, if you don’t like the way he does things, then vote him out of office next time. But at least allow him to finish the term that he was elected to do. We have to make ourselves stronger and we can do so by being proud Americans and get this country back on its feet. It won’t happen overnight just like our problems did not happen overnight. We will prevail. We will be stronger, and we will one day look back and see how we weathered the storm. My opinion is only that. Not yours, not theirs. But it can count if you believe it. I rest my case.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
In reference to my column printed on Sept. 18, I want to clarify a few things. First off, regardless of who gets our vote to represent us down in the statehouse and in Washington, I don’t expect them to get much done in their first year. I say that because at both of those levels, there are piles of work that has been started or has been waiting to get their motion on the floor. You can’t expect them to just throw all of the leftovers into a trash can and start new. There are motions that could help us as well as motions that could hurt you and me, the taxpayers.
As I watch the mud slinging television ads, I see those who could only hurt us with the way that they need to tear down the other in order to get our vote. I do a lot of checking on those who feel that they should have my vote and really I don’t like what I see on most of them. Why can’t a candidate run on his or her reputation instead of trying to find mud on their opponent. Sure, we do need to know if someone is going to be able to do the job, but we also need to know the background of said person.
Back in the early sixties, I started hollering about some people who were supposed to be representing me and a good friend of mine asked me if I had voted for them. I told him that I don’t vote and he said that I had no right to talk then. That week, I went up and registered, and I have voted every election. And that is what we have in the present time. People who gripe about a representative and yet they don’t vote. Your vote does count especially now as the bunkers are getting full of those who are out there causing problems between the two main parties. God help us if we elect someone who is just a tool for those who would take us down. You and I have not only a right but also an obligation to elect those who are sincere about wanting to be our voice in government. Don’t elect a “Johnny Come Lately” to office just because he or she sounds good. What do they do now, and where do they work, and do they pay taxes like you and I do. Also check into who are floating the money to get them elected. Politics can have the evil one waiting in the curtains and we need to know who that is. I have known many people right here in Indiana who have served their people well and they are from both parties. You vote for the person who you know will do the job because they can. You keep an eye out for those warning signs, that tell you if the foot is about ready to kick you over the goalpost for 3 points instead of going across the line for 6 points. Which score would of won the game? You need to know that they have the best answer for you and me.
As for those who want to say things about our elected officials, that is their right but don’t expect me to get on your mudslide. There are many things that give others a look at what you see in the mirror. I won’t allow myself to close my eyes to that. What I write and what I say goes a long way and if it is wrong, I have to live with it. I hope that I have given you, my readers a good look at me both in the way I write as well as how I think. To put all of this in one short sentence, please do the American Proud thing and go vote this November. By the way, one reader asked me what I thought of Governor Daniels and I think that he is a man of integrity, and one who could one day be our President. He is sincere in the workings of how our taxpayer money is spent. We need that.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
I received an email the other day that was flattering and a little bit of sarcasm. However, I get them all the time and by writing this column, I have made many new friends, many of who I probably will not ever meet, but great to know that they are there. The writer said that he looks forward to reading my thoughts each week and being able to go back in time with my column makes him feel good. But he also asked me how I could be so wholesome when writing about those old days and yet is able to switch over to writing about the things going on in the world today. He agrees with most things I write but also there are some things that he could argue with me about them. He said that I must be an odd person to be able to do that.
Well, my friend, you are right in thinking I am one odd person and you are not the only one who thinks so. I do get times when I write about God, and what he means to me. I can write about pain as I have it every day of my life but it does not rule my body. I have written about how I meditate in a way that I decided was best for me, and how it takes away the pain I have. I have been through several times in my life when the doctors said I probably would not make it and by golly, I am still here. I put out a garden every year, even though most of it is done on my knees and my stomach. I do housework, cooking, and some cleaning to help my lovely wife as she is healing from her sickness. I don’t drive too much and when I do, I try to do all of the things needed in one trip. I don’t drive fast and I try to get out of people’s way when they get into their crazy driving stage and I don’t tailgate. I like sports, good food, and some exercise. I don’t answer the questions over the phone from those people who should not be calling me anyway. I don’t take part in polls as I think they are usually so far wrong trying to make others think that they have asked millions of people when instead they might of asked only a hundred people.
I don’t take part in mud slinging because I think it would be a sin to do so. I don’t take another person’s word for anything that might be taking another person down. I have had many who have told me that I shouldn’t do this or that, and to that I say, mind your own business. I am not a flashy dresser as jeans, t-shirt or dress shirt makes me look so good. I don’t buy something to save a few cents just because it is on sale. I wait until I really need to have it and sale or no sale, I buy it.
I love my wife and family, and am satisfied with what they have given me. So yes, my friend, I probably am an odd person, and I am having a good time being one. I can write about most subjects, and am open to rebuttals any time. The one thing you will not see me do is trying to make another look bad using information obtained from another source. There are many out there who are doing good and it would take the rest of my time here on earth to write about them. I have a path I walk each day that I feel has been laid down for me to follow, and I can walk around or step over any blockages I come upon. So thank you for your kind words and readers like you are like one of my oldest readers named Thelma, in that you inspire me to write more. There is still a lot that I want to bring to your attention if I have the time left to do so. Bring it on. I can take it.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Da
Well, the garden is just about done with and this year was one that had lots of heat, many days of heavy rainfall, and long periods of dry spells. The bad thing to all this was that none of the three happens together so you had to make plans each day for doing what was needed to get a good harvest. My tomatoes were huge ones and some of them actually blew up right in front of me as I picked them. Many were about the size of my open hand. The heat was good for tomatoes but I had to water them a lot just to keep them growing. Onions came out ok but not as big as those of previous years did, and I still had enough to freeze and we are still eating some at the table. I put out a lot of peppers but they really did not do as good as I wanted but the growing season was longer for them. Every year it seems like some neighbor two blocks down from me get into my bell peppers so my yield was lower. I went out one morning to pick about 30 of them that looked the day before ready to pick. Yes, you know it, they had been picked and you could see the footprints. I guess that they needed them more than we did but next year I will catch the thieves and if I don’t I will confront them. Anyway we had enough picked to put away chopped in the freezer. Therefore, the freezer is full of tomato sauce, juice, chopped peppers and chopped onions. This is beside what we will be eating for the next week or so. Just to make a point and then get off the subject, we lived here since 1961 and the area was full of good neighbors who looked out for each other and you did not worry about anyone doing bad things. Well a lot of those who lived here have either been called Home or they have moved to another area. We still have many good neighbors but we are getting older and so the neighborhood has not been as great as it was. However, we still look out for the others and katy- bar -the -door if troublemakers try to change it. Enough said on that subject.
Well anyway, this old man will still put out my garden as long as God allows me to. It not only is good exercise but also it is a place that you can go and be one on one with our Lord. People have seen me talking to the wind and they have seen me on my knees out there a lot. I plant most of my garden lying down or on my knees. I guess that if someone should go by not knowing that about me, they would think I was hurt or dead. Anyway, what I grow each year is food for us to eat in the winter months and my neighbors right by us are welcome to have some if they need it. All they have to do is ask for it and not just take without asking. I try to put out a little more than what we need so there is some extra out there. The food is healthy for all and it really is fun to go out there and work my garden and also have that little place where there is just me and God. You feel the wind blowing a little harder as you ask Him about the things that are bothering you. You know that right here is the safest place to be and you feel good being there. Therefore, my garden is not only a source of food for the stomach, but also a source for hope and faith.
You out there can do the same thing I have done with the willpower of digging up the soil, planting the seed, and watching it grow. You can be the one who will experience that feeling of hope and well-being. Next spring, get out the tools and enrich your life. You know, It can’t hurt to try.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Get out and vote.
This week, I am going early on my thoughts about our
day of voter’s choice of who they want to represent them in our city, county,
state and federal governments. So if something I say here upsets you, then
try to read the full column before blowing up. For the past year, we have
been subject to all kinds of emails that are sent without any care in how
they are eating right out of the hands of those who would like to overthrow
our government and thus be able to plant their roaches into valuable positions
that would undermine every thing we want to preserve as to rights, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. Many of those same emails were sent out when
the previous party had their president in office. Only the names and pictures
had been changed. The ones who are sitting back in the shadows and holes
are working to take us down from within and we are playing right into their
hands. It doesn’t matter to me whose party our leaders are from, because
once elected by the majority of the voters, I stand with them, not against
them.
We, the American voters, are subject to be part of the greatest country in the world, and we allow small groups to take us down, inch by inch. We have so much negative advertising on our television that I sometimes get so riled up, I turn the channels. Why can’t we, as the Americans that we are proud to be, realize that those seeds that are being dropped condemning our candidates are growing and those weeds that come from them will overcome the fruit of our country and slowly cause them to die and disappear. When those ads come on and you and I see them, we see where they only change parts of it so that what could have been seen as a positive note turns out to be negative both in the person themselves but also in their families. And that stigma lives on because we, the people, always remember bad over good. I, at one time, thought of running for office and I think I would of done ok, but I thought of how it would affect my family and friends who supported me, hearing the other side and those little groups who spill hate, and trying to go on with life trying to keep my head above water.
Folks, right here is where I think we go wrong with our elections. We allow hate and envy to overpower our good intentions of electing someone to office and so we let the foot into the doorway, thus giving those who want to take us down, the advantage because they have planted the seed and they slowly work the soil of our thoughts and they cultivate it into a big harvest. I will vote this coming Tuesday, proud to be an American having the right to have my say about who I want to represent me next year. It won’t matter what party they are on because I will vote for the one that I think can do the best job. I believe in the two party system and no more. You have to wonder about those other groups as to what they are trying to do to our way of government of the people, by the people and for the people. Your right to express your vote is on your shoulders and not on those who want to destroy that right. Just a thought about those other countries that don’t have the rights we do. In those countries, there are so many different groups trying to get the power, that the voting always turns to that political power that continues to rules year after year. Do we want that to happen here? Not in my backyard, and hopefully not yours. Get out there this Tuesday and support the one you want to represent you and me. Give a notice to the roaches that we are not going to take it anymore. If I have gotten you mad, then great because that tells me that you will vote on Election Day. God Bless America.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
It’s been a while since I wrote much about those times from our childhood, a time that will never come back but one that will always be remembered by me and by my old friend Tom. Some say we live in the past, and maybe we do a little, but really, we just have so many great memories that will one day be history of what will be remembered only in the books of life. We had comic strips, which featured people like Mutt and Jeff, Alley Oop, Popeye, Dagwood, and many more. We had those great cowboys like Roy and Gene, Lash Larue, Sunset Carson, Rocky Lane, with co-stars like Andy Devine, Roscoe Ates, Gabby Hayes, Pat Butram, and Dale Evans. The Sons of The Pioneers & The Hoosier Hotshots, and more gave us music that we sang with them. We had Radio as the main source of news, music, great shows like Inner Sanctum, Arthur Godfrey and Garry Moore. Godfrey and Moore went on to television and they brought to us such great people like Durwood Kirby, Julius Larosa, Carol Burnette, and many more.
In the early days of television, there was only one channel and you did not watch it during the early AM hours because they had a test pattern on it. One of the great shows that I liked was the Ed Sullivan Show because it brought many stars to the viewer that we otherwise would have never seen. Elvis and many others were seen for the first time by youngsters like me who wanted to be able to sing like he did. Of course, when the soap operas came on, it was primarily designed to give the lady of the house something to watch. As those shows progressed, there were many men and children getting their chores done so that they could sit back and find out how that person did each day. So television was here to stay but the radio has and always will be the one avenue of the news and weather that will outlive most others. And those trail blazers who brought you news in print are still out there giving you the news of what is going on both at home and around the world.
I can remember when we would turn on the Grand Old Opry and listen to some of the best music ever sung by good old and young stars down there in Nashville. You just don’t find anything anymore that told the stories of a lost love, one that is blossoming or one that has been called Home. When you listened to those great country singers, you could picture their story in your mind. Many great singers both in the country scene and in the pop scene have left us but their story lives on. So life back in my time as a youngster and then as a grown man goes on too with all the memories of a time that will never come our way again. Those who were born after the sixties will only know the great singers and movie stars through their parents who lived in that era of time.
So we do live in the past if only in our memories, and we find ourselves humming a tune or singing a song that was part of our time back then. Or we do the things that our parents did in the old days, and that is putting out a garden, walking instead of driving, and sitting in front of the television which is turned off, listening to our record players playing those tunes that we found so soothing to our ears. Will we see this of our youngsters of today or will the memories of a time so precious slowly drift away. Wouldn’t be great to be able to go back once in a while if only for the soothing music by real singers and played by real musicians? Wouldn’t it be great to just drift back far enough to see that pretty lady we called Mom hugging us and making the world right if only for a second? Yes, Tom & I will remember as long as we can, and bring it to you.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
My day starts off the same way each morning and if it takes a little longer to do a task, then the next one suffers. However, it is done. I learned that from being a member of the Day family. Most of us are sort of easy people who try to mind our own business while still checking things out if we see someone in our area who shouldn’t be there. Mom and Dad kept a close watch on us, and they kept us fed, clothed, and warm, with a touch of love each day. We were a family of 14 children although God called several of them home at early ages. Mom kept all of us under watch until she was sure that we would be ok by ourselves playing games or visiting with our friends. However, she was always close enough so that if we needed her, she came running. Do you remember how your mother would always be close by just in case you got into trouble? Remember how she would make you feel better when you got hurt? After cleaning the sore spot and wrapping it up, she then would wrap her arms around you and that made the pain go away. Remember your first date? Remember who was waiting up until you got home? She was itching to find out how it was but she wouldn’t ask. When your school pictures were taken, she was so proud. All of these are acts of love by your mother aimed at you. I can talk about Mom and Dad all day until the day I die. Many times, we thought that they were a little too strict, but it was the way they showed their love for all of us. I would bet if you would ask other members of the Day family if their parents were too strict, they probably would say that they were but they did it out of love which is ever lasting.
When I think of Dad, I look back to the days when we didn't see him very much because he worked the swing shift at the mill and many times when he was at home we were in school and when he came home from work we were already in bed. That man worked very hard in his life in order to be the breadwinner in our family. There were times when he would go out with me and play catch, or throw the football to me. For a little guy, he was tough as nails. He never showed his real self to others because he was content to be in the background sitting with his coffee and his pipe, it didn't take much to satisfy Dad. Mom and Dad went through some rough times together but they stayed as one for fifty-three years before he passed away. Mom followed him two years later.
As we go on with our lives, we continue to lose members of our families, and so we try to put away those items that will help us adjust to our losses. The memories of your parents and your brothers and sisters will always be there in your hearts and sometimes you need to bring them forward in your mind and look at the love that was there between father and mother with their children. And all the times that you were taken somewhere special by Mom and Dad, should be in your memory bank to look back on, so that you can pass it on to your children.
Time is only a blink of your eye but it can be full of the best fun you ever had with your mother and father. The things that were a part of your life then can still be a part of your life now. However, you have to be the one to preserve it. Pictures and letters are the things that along with your memories will take your lives and put them on display for those who will follow you. Give others a chance to know your wonderful parents. They both did their time well while still here on earth. We say thanks for the memories, mom and dad.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
I was going through some old things and I came across the obits of my two older brothers, Ernie and Bob. I was the 8th child born to those two wonderful people we call Mom and Dad. Five of my brothers and sisters were not known by me as they died before I was born, so Bob and Ernie, who most knew as “Bud” were the only older kids I knew in the family. Ernie was sort of a renegade as he liked to be on his own with his buddies and so he got a lot of scolding from Mom because she wanted her kids to stay on the right side of the line, so to speak. Bob, who most knew as “Happyjack” liked everyone and he too wanted to do other things than just stay at home. Now as far as I am concerned, someone else will have to tell you about me because really I can only say what I think and not held to it.
Well anyway, Bob and I, being two years apart had some issues all the time and most of the time it would end up with fighting and then getting a good verbal and physical result from Mom. It was three years before the next child “Delores” was born and so I was the baby of the family for that time. Mary, Neva, Wanda, Russell and John followed to make our family of 14 kids and two wonderful people we knew as our mother and father. I think that of the nine kids who lived in our family there were nine personalities and so Mom had a job keeping all of us in line.
I remember when Bob was trying out some smoking and the shed where we stored the coal caught fire and since I was sitting there with him, I shared in the discipline that Mom dished out. I can remember one evening when Ernie came home a little drunk and Mom would not answer the door when he knocked to get in. She said through the door that he could just sleep it off on the porch and when he came in he had better be sober. Well, that next morning Mom opened the door and let her oldest son in and he went right up to his room and slept all day and all night. When he woke up and came down to breakfast, Mom gave him her usual motherly hug and nothing was said about that happening ever again.
So this writer has only one thing about being a member of our family that I regret. I wished I would have treated Bob differently. He has been Home for 27 years and I know he has forgiven me. I know that I must meet my own conscience and tell him I am sorry for the way two brothers acted with the other. As far as Ernie, he went Home knowing that he was loved by all the members and that is good. With Mary and Delores, I think they knew that they were loved not only by me but with all the family. We meet road blocks in our narrow paths and we find ways to go around or step over them. We accept the things that come our way or we reject them. Life as we know it is our lives beginning with our mother and dad. What we do with our lives is a reflection of our parents and the work they did to train us and love us. So I say to you out there, love each other. Be aware that each day, you might meet love or hate, be rich or poor, be fed or hungry, be warm or cold, have friends or none, have children or none at all, be ill or well, and still you remember that you are here for a reason, and that is that you were wanted by your Mom and Dad, who loved you very much. As we journey along our paths, we hope for peace in the world and one day find peace in our hearts for those brothers and sisters who are Home with God.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
I thought that this week, I would take you on a path that I walk each day. Whether you choose to join me is your choice but at least give it a try. I start this off by declaring that I believe in God and I know that He believes in me as he does with all who believe in Him. I have been though my life of 73 years the bearer of pain throughout my body. I have had 2 back surgeries, 1 heart bypass when I had 9 blockages which resulted with 5 bypasses. I have had the back part of my heart opened up by the doctors using a laser to clear the blockages there. I have arthritis almost in every joint in my body. In other words, I ,in my life, has had pain somewhere.
But I decided years ago that pain was not going to rule over my life and so I decided to do something about it. In 1974, I had a visitor in the hospital who told me that meditation was one great way to ward off the pain that I and millions of others have every day of our lives. He told me that I should concentrate on the big toe of my foot on the opposite side of my body that the pain is on. Make your mind think only of that big toe. So I did that for each of the 23 days that I spent in the hospital and it seemed to help me a lot. After 16 months I went back to work at the mill and was able to do my work that was assigned to me.
So in recent years after retiring from the work force, I seemed to be noticing that I had a lot of pain in my body and so I decided to start my meditation again. I would sit in my easy chair ,close my eyes with my hands together on my chest or lap, and concentrate only on what I saw with my eyes closed. Now don’t start laughing until you try it yourself. When you close your eyes and only concentrate with what you see, you will notice a lot of things almost like a wave of little things flying across your vision. I like to think that it is the millions of files that I have stored in my brain. You can think whatever you wish. Well, after concentrating on that vision for several minutes you will start forgetting the pain in the rest of your body. Many times, I fall asleep for several minutes but when I wake, there is no pain and I stay that way for several hours.
What I am trying to say is that you can ease the pain in your body by using the brain that God gave you. In other words, mind over matter. Now as you know, I am not a doctor, nor am I a minister, nor am I a healer. I am a old man who found out that pain can be held off just by using the power of the mind that is in everyone who came into this world through the process of childbirth brought forth by the union of two people in love who have been blessed with the love of God. You, my friends ,who hurt each day, can ease that pain if you want by the use of your mind working it’s passage through your body.
Now I hope that you don’t think that this will cure you of all pain because many times you will need to check it out with a doctor who can through questions and tests, find out why you hurt and do what is needed to take the pain away. My way is only a temporary one and it works on me. Whether it works on you is for you to find out. Fill your mind with other things like hobbies, chores, and exercise. Don’t let pain rule your life. Why do we just sit back and hurt when there might be a way to stop it if for just a little while. I don’t and you shouldn’t either. That’s my opinion.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Da
We need education
You know, writing is both inspiring and also is educational. The spelling of words is corrected when wrong and that helps get it right after a few times. Learning to place the topics properly so as to keep the reader interested sets you up on the next column you write. Making sure that you hold your column to a certain count of words keeps the column from being cut in places, so that the topic does not lose its meaning. Knowing when you have to place a capital on a word so that its meaning is not lost. Knowing when to change paragraphs when you go to a second thought. All of these are things we were taught in school, but many do not use what they learned . Matter of fact, how much of your education do you use in everyday life? Most of us take the short way of expressing our thoughts, counting things and using math in our everyday life. It amazes me as to what I was taught to think, act and reason just in our everyday life. The things that most think they will never use is actually being used by them without knowing they are. That is what I call great teaching by those teachers in grade school, middle school and high school with college being where one realizes that they remember the basics and that will make them learn better and faster. In other words, the education that started in the first grade was done in a way that each year you added more to your life
By the time you graduate from high school, you know whether you have the smarts to take it all the way to a college and a better life in the business world. Now yes, there are a few who from day one do not want to learn or be taught, but if they just tried to learn a little, the rest would follow because your brain is picking it all up and storing all the information. As we progress each year, we need new thoughts added to what we have been taught. One of the most important things in anyone’s life is the education that they receive and how they use it to further their walk through life as it is and as it will be. Some of the most important people we have are the teachers who live their work every day. We need to make sure that our children get the best education possible and that means we have to have teachers who are willing to teach and children who are willing to learn. It is that simple. We are taught, we learn, and we pass on our learning to our children as to making sure that they attend school and they do their homework. Where would we be without education? Where would all the people in the land be without knowing our math, English, literature, and history? I wonder. People have learned from watching, participating, and asking. But nothing takes the place of a teacher and student working together for the better of that child who one day will grow up and maybe be our president or other high official. Without knowledge you will not know. With knowledge you will grow. How you use the knowledge is up to the individual, because no matter how much he or she is taught, it is up to them as to how they use it to either stand tall or stand down. We here in this great country have many types of history to learn and follow and from the day a child is born, we as Americans should make every attempt to teach them about the past, and the present so that they have a future. This writer had some of the finest teachers to work with us and our parents did their part to make sure we learned as much as possible. I say to all of you young people out there, learn so that you may take the path to success. Don’t give up just because you can. Learn because you can. Take a look at where you are and where you are going.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
I haven’t written anything about the steel mill for a while so as I see this cold weather approaching, my thoughts go back to those days when the mill was a very important part of this city and the people who worked there. As a young man who decided to follow in my father’s footsteps, I decided that I would work there at the mill to get the money needed to help pay for my education at Indiana. It wasn’t in my plans to work there for over 31 years but as you worked with those workers at the mill, you were able to brother up with them and it was like a family where all pulled their own weight. Sometimes the workers would come in sick and the rest of the crew sort of took up the slack until that worker felt better. It was common for a steel worker to work while sick because he or she had a family to feed and have warmth for the home. There were times when the boss man would take up the slack long enough for someone to be called and get punched in. Of course there were rules and agreements between the unions and Continental and you made sure you stayed within those rules.
There were times when one or the other would take it a little further, but sooner or later it would be resolved. We did have some renegades hire in who would do all they could to upset one side or the other. One of those men even worked out some deals with companies down south and that resulted in some equipment finding its way out of the mill. All in all, there were enough good people on both sides so that a productive business was getting the job done. That is before we found ourselves looking down the gun barrel of people who took over the operation.
Continental Steel was good for the city of Kokomo, and Kokomo was good for them. Continental Steel made a good product, that was sold across the country and the people who worked there did a great job of making a product that you could trust to be the very best. Nails could be driven through some tough wood and not bend. Try that with the product of today. We made the best roofing stock in the USA, and we shipped billets to several other companies to make their products. You could trust a product made here and have confidence in it being reliable for years. You might say that I am a little prejudice in my thoughts about our steel making and you would be right. I know its been 24 years since that day when we were told of our demise but sometimes I wonder just how much longer we might have been able have a great factory like Continental Steel here in our great city. I drive by that big empty space there on Markland Ave. and I think back to those great days when we had our pride of working at that big company which is no more.
I wonder how long it will be until no one will know that Continental Steel was there. And I wonder if we will go by way of the other factories here in Kokomo, which were here but no one can tell us just where it was. For that reason, I ask that someone take the imitative to put something there like maybe the sign that was over the main gates, down on the grounds so that our grandchildren will be able to look at it and say that my grandpa worked there. I have been told that the sign I mentioned is stored in one of the city buildings just rusting away. Many will look back and proclaim that the steel mill was a very valuable asset to the city of Kokomo but they won’t be able to actually say where it was. That is a sorry thought to have. The history of Continental Steel can be seen at The Howard County Historical Museum for those who want to see those memories. You won’t be sorry you went.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
612
“THEY CARE”
Each year about this time we look to the ones who try to bring Christmas cheer to not only the children in our area but also to those who reside in the nursing homes, and those who will have no Christmas without help. The lights are on and We Care Park is alive and well. Good people like the Wyant families, and the ones at WWKI who put on their auction every year even though the founders of that We Care program have been called HOME are at it again. We will always remember Dick and Charlie who visited with us over the WWKI Radio station each morning with Mail Call. And Jan who had a heart of gold and who gave her all to help those in need . Those are the pioneers who one day decided to help one family and it grew to thousands. And the people who each year volunteer their time to help We Care set up their auction and ask nothing for doing it . Tammy has moved on but there are still Dave, & Bill there with some new people who are finding out that the city of Kokomo has a heart filled with love for all regardless of their situation.
I have known Mike Wyant for a long time and you won’t find a better person , both in heart and soul. And that wonderful wife of his who sort of stays out of the limelight but is a very important part of the offerings each year. Add to them the Wyant brothers and their families who start each year just taking everything down and then putting it all back up so that on Thanksgiving evening the lights can be turned on. And those volunteers who help them each year because it is in their hearts to do so. There are others in the area of We Care Park who have their displays turned on too. You have to see it to really get the idea of what people with big hearts can do for others without any asking for thanks. These people I speak about are. Angels in waiting, ready to blend the needs of others with the love of Christmas. I really feel proud that I know these good people. The Favors, who for several years have had others who had no food to eat at their tables have given their heart and soul to help in this giving of love at Christmas time. Russ is Home now but his wife still will carry on as long as she can. Bless her heart, and thanks Russ. And who will ever forget about the Goodfellows and the Salvation Army who for years have done their part in bring food and toys to those families who otherwise would not have a Christmas. All of these people I mentioned do this each year and they sure do appreciate any and all the help you can give them.
I guess that is why I am proud to live here in the city of Kokomo. The people here are good people who know what a little cheer can do for a little kid or an older person who has no way of having anything. There is love in the air as the people of Kokomo Indiana start showing why they care. Maybe it is because they came from large families, or maybe they had a Christmas without food or a gift of love. Maybe it is just because they care enough to give all the very best of Christmas to those who need it. So as this season of our Lord comes forth, remember to give thanks to Him and to make His day one of love and thanks for those out there who are not afraid to show their love for those who need it. May your Christmas be one of love, joy, good fortune and family togetherness. And as for this writer, I give my thanks to God for allowing me to live here in the city of Kokomo and also for forgiving me all the things I have done wrong in my lifetime. May each of you be blessed with His Love.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
As time flies by these days for we older folks, I look back to see where I was, compared to where I am now. Coming from a large family with my two favorite people, Mom and Dad, I feel very fortunate to have been born in a time when times were hard yet livable, and when a person’s word was like gold in that you could trust them to keep their word. Families were close back then, even though there would be times when there were dis-agreements between us kids. All we had to do would be to look over at Mom and we knew that we were to get along or Mom would get us together and then let us know we were to honor each others thoughts no matter what we felt about them. And really she knew that a few minutes later we would be out playing not remembering any thing about it. Money in those days not only was paper , gold, or silver but also promises from those grocers who let us buy during the two weeks , then to pay them when the Mill paid their workers. Credit was something you asked for if you really needed something to get by. The people back then tried to always live within their means and unlike today’s charge accounts, the accounts were done in a way that both parties knew that this was the way to go. Many times Mom would patch our clothes because there still was enough to get us by for another few months. Dad always repaired our shoes by putting them on his shoe lathe and put on new soles and heels. It was like getting a new pair of shoes and we were glad to get it. We had Macanaw coats, flannel shirts and long underwear to keep us warm when we went to school or out to play. We heated and cooked with coal and wood. When Mom made popcorn, she made enough to fill a big pan, and we had enough to go around. Ice cream in those days came in long packages and Mom would slice it so that each child had an equal serving. Many times she did without just so that we had a little extra. She was our Angel and mother ready to show her family that she had equal love for all of us.
So that was a little like what it was like and now we look at today. Many families leave their children to care for themselves so that both parents could work a job so that they can live day by day spending the money instead of putting a little away for a rainy day, It did not matter if the children disagreed, and they would have to solve their problems by themselves. That leaves some distance between kids who back in the old days would have been closer. Families eat out more these days and they eat more food. There are no grocery bills as people these days put it on a debit or charge without regard to how it would be paid. If people these days want something they go ahead and get it even though they know they can’t afford it. People want big homes just to impress their friends, even though parts of that home will not be used much. New cars are bought without regard to how they will be paid for and later lose that car because they could not make the payments. We buy televisions for each room of the house and many times have all of them running at the same time. How many families these days eat a meal together, and how much of the food is fast foods? Can we actually say we are better off these days compared to those days of old? In some ways we can, but most of the time we have to admit that the older generation had it so much better , because of the love that parents had for each other and for their children. Can we go back? Not really but we could change the ways we do things today.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
You know, I usually try to mind my own business, but there are things I see, that scares me because of what could happen. I am going to tell you about how I see young children of today and the way that their parents have no control over them. When I go to a game and I see young kids running all over the gym, I wonder why the parent allows this. You can’t sit and watch a game because there are little kids going in front of you and even climbing over you. These are little boys and girls who should be sitting there with the people who brought them. However, the parents are too interested in the game or with visiting with their friends. We always have to tell little kids not to go in front of us because we are there to watch a game. I went down to the rest room the other night and there were little kids in there all alone with no adults in the area and they were flushing all the toilets and laughing about it. Now here is my thought to those parents who don’t know where your children are. What are you going to do if that child gets hurt? I bet that the first ones you want to blame is the school management and you will holler bloody murder if you have to pay for medical bills. Are not those children important to you? Why bring them to the game if you are not going to watch them? Do you expect the schools to baby sit for you? Hey, this is serious and you should know where your child is every minute that you are there at the game. We have a problem in this world that there are molesters out there just waiting for a chance to grab a child and you should be doing everything possible to keep that from happening.
We see the schools having a hard time getting by with less teachers and less money available to give our children an education, and we see law suits by parents because of what might of happened in a locker room or classroom, even though there was no crime committed. Yes, some out there have taken the forbidden step in the things between them and the students. However, you cannot judge all of them by what a few do. This is the same in the things I have brought up. Not all children are doing the things I mentioned. Most of those parents have control of their children and they even escort them to the rest rooms. When I experienced what I have seen, I look up in the crowd and I see nice kids sitting with the parents or with who brought them. However, those small groups of kids who are not watched, as they should be, are learning a bad habit. They are finding out that really they are not loved because if they were, they would be watched all the time by their loving parents. I see what I think is a small stream building into a lake and those kids are drowning unless you, the one that brought them, do the right thing and be a parent. After all, you were entrusted by God to bring the child into this world and you should live up to your responsibilities as a parent.
We are not perfect in all senses of the word but we did watch our children anywhere we went just like if they were at home. So the next time you go to the game, exercise your duty and keep that child within reach, and teach him or her that they have a responsibility to you to stay close by your side. How is that so hard to do? There are those out there who are just waiting to grab one of them and that sure is a scary thing to know. And for those who choose to do so, give the schools a chance to have a safe night of basketball, football, or any other sport. The ball is in your court. Will this open your eyes? Are you even interested?
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
I was asked by a reader to write about my wife’s folks because they have never seen anything about them. So, here we go with what I know and felt about Mom and Pop McKee. I met Ramona on Easter Eve in 1956 while on an outing with 5 couples. We went to The Steak House in Logansport and a few times I caught the eye of a tall brown haired blue eye beauty, and I just could not get her out of my mind for several days. So one day before I went in to work the afternoon shift at the mill, I gave her a call and asked her for a date the next weekend. She said I would have to meet her parents since she was only 17 and coming from a strict family I said that was ok. So the next Saturday, I went to her house and sat down with her Mom and then with Pop when he came home from work.
Mom Sarah was a lovely lady and she smiled a lot. Pop was sort of a person who didn’t say much but when he did, I had an idea of how this thing was going to work out. Ramona and I went on our date and of course, she stayed right up against her door on the passenger side of the car. I had a 46 Dodge and was it a great car. I could drive using a straight stick or I could use fluid drive, and of course we played the radio all the time listening to music out of this world. I think we must of stopped at every eating place that evening, but soon I knew that I was supposed to get this little lady home early if I was going to have another date. We sat in the car in front of her house for a while and then I walked her up to the back door and we kissed and then said our goodbyes.
When we had another date, once again I talked with her mother and father and I felt that they approved of me and that was good. Pop was a sportsman, liking to fish, hunt, and trap. It was nothing to go there and Mom would be cleaning fish, and Pop was skinning pelts off his trappings. Pop said that when Mom went with him fishing, she would row the boat while he did the fishing. I guess she like to do that just because she was with her love of her life. I don’t think she did any skinning of the raccoons, muskrats or any of the other creatures he caught. Mom was a good cook and many times she made something special for me because she knew that I was not a meat eater. She could make the best yeast rolls, and she did a lot of caning of foods from the garden. It was nothing to see her do her caning every chance she had. Pop put out a big garden right next to the house and he always put the remains of his fish and his trapping down in that soil. He had about the best soil I had ever seen. And I came from a family that did a lot of gardening too so I knew my soil.
Well anyway Mom was a diabetic and she had to take her insulin every day. Pop liked his beer but in later years he decided that beer did not have a place in his life and he gave it up. Mom and Pop had 5 children, and the oldest was Tim who was in the Navy when I first met Ramona. Then there was Ramona, Mary Kay, Fred and Steve. Fred, one day decided to take up the ministry and a few years later Steve decided to do that too. Mary & Ramona are very close as sisters usually are. I am happy about marrying that tall, thin, blue-eyed beauty and we have been together for almost 54 years. No regrets, no secrets, no going back on our vows. Just two old folks getting by trying to make it last.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
616
Resolutions
Every year , we start with our usual promises and resolutions for the new year. What I find, at least on my side, it really is a waste of time and it opens you up to the sarcasm of friends and neighbors. I don’t make any new resolutions because it really is hard to keep them as we always pick the ones that involve changing our total lives. But folks, there are resolutions out there which could change the lives of others , like your loved ones. If you are taking hard drugs, make it a point to get off of them before the damage is done to the extent of your being hooked for life. If you smoke, stop it now. Don’t say you are going to quit, just do it now for the same reasons. If you drink and drive, give someone else the keys to your cars and then go off in a corner and thank God that you did that. Stop the drinking too. Don’t say that you will do something unless you really know you can do it. We live in a world of many treasures and promises are not valid unless you know they can be kept.
I am just an ordinary person who tries to get a point across without trying to change another person’s mind. I will not defame anyone saying an untruth about them. I do not pass on information that has not been checked out to see if it is the truth. I don’t envy someone just because he or she has more wealth than I do. And I don’t try to be like the neighbors who are doing the things they want to do. Don’t envy someone, respect them. Don’t say something bad about someone, say something good or don’t say anything at all. Don’t go out and buy something just because someone else has bought it. Chances are that you won’t use it much and that is wasting your money.
Never give information over the phone or by way of the internet, as it can be gotten by others who will use it to steal you blind. Never leave information laying around for others to see if it is about your bank accounts or even your social security. You don’t know just how far someone might go to learn important facts about your life that can be used by those who are part of the scam artists we have close by. These are just things that I try to do to keep my information safe from those who can and will use against me. I am just an ordinary person who believes in good over evil, common sense over the wanting of things I don’t need, and love over hate . Our world today is full of those who want to pull us under and these are the ways that they do it without calling attention to others. We have only one life to live and I try to follow the same path that has for many years been a straight and narrow one. Many times we meet a blockage in our path and we have to decide whether we walk around it, climb over it or detour to another path that seems clear but it might be worse than the one you are on now. Those are decisions that only you and I can make because it is the blueprint of life as you and I will know it and we only have that small bit of time to decide.
I, in my path will have to maybe decide severable times, whether I am worthy of a straight and narrow path, as there are times when something seems too good to be true but tempting to check it out. I take pride though in knowing that I can not drift off my path, and then get back on when things get better. You choose and you stay on it. That is what an decisive path does for you. It gives you the way to live with rules, with love of your fellow man, and the knowledge of what is at the end of that path one day.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
617
RECENT ACT OF VIOLENCE
The act of violence in Arizona has gotten me to wonder just what is going on in the minds of those who choose to act out in that shameful way. Has our world gotten so bad that we can’t solve our problems in a peaceful way? Has the American public gone by way of violence over peace and good will? We, in the last few years, have done everything to cause problems instead of sitting down and talking it over. Where has our respect of life gone? We, as Americans, need to sit down and ask these questions to each other and find ways to talk out our problems.
In the recent elections and for two year before, we, the American public, have been subjected to all kinds of hate email, letters, radio and television ads from both parties wanting to be elected to serve us yet they resort to that kind of campaigning without any thought to how some person, who could be mentally imbalanced, would take it one step further. And it is not only the emails, phone calls, TV ads, but also in our personal remarks in our columns. We tend to listen to those radio hosts and believe what they say. What we, the ones who post our weekly columns, need to do is to write in a way to respect others, regardless of what party they are of, what they represent, and how we present our thoughts to others.
That is one reason that I write about the days of old so much, in that back then, a man’s word and his handshake was a bond of promise and security. We, as the ones who ‘s columns are read each week, have the opportunity to spread good will among all of our readers and we should make it a point to not take another person down just because of what he or she wants from their representatives down at the statehouse and in Washington. Those men and women who we elected into office have a commitment to do everything they can to give us our voice in government. If you just take a look at the other countries, you will find their country in dismay with up to ten different groups trying to get power over all people. Having so many different views tends to diminish the chance of democracy being gotten in those countries. Thus you have turmoil and you have deaths as well as a country that cannot stand. You have to have a strong government of the people, by the people and for the people. A country without that cannot stand. It is that simple.
We need to pull our shorts up, roll up our sleeves, and get something done in Washington like it was supposed to be done by those who represented not only you and me but everyone else. We can not continue to bicker with each other when we are supposed to be getting things done right. We can not stand still while the roaches hide in their holes waiting for the right time to stick their head out and infect the America we love. I made a statement several years ago that they lay and wait for us to take ourselves down. Once the seed is planted, they sit back and laugh at us while planning their next move. America is ours to regulate, maintain, respect, and keep strong. We can not do that if we listen to those who would take us down. We need to take charge of our actions and use it to keep this country that I love the greatest country in the world. We need to pull together and do what is right and that is taking our country back. That is the reason that we have two parties and no more so that a compromise in our best interests is gotten and maintained. Don’t divide us, unite us. Can we repair what is broken? Yes we can, and we will. Think America, and preserve it for our children. You know, it just takes a lot of talking and doing to preserve what we had. God Bless America
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Back in the forties, we had the big bands & ballroom dancing. I, being just a youngster, never really had a chance to enjoy them. But in the fifties, the music of the big bands rang softly in my ears and I became a lover of such music and I enjoyed watching the dancers perform with gentile but loveable ease. The Glenn Miller Orchestra was one that planted the sound into my being and Glenn with his trombone made us feel good about how music could open your heart and soul. The Dorsey Brothers could really put on a show with their talents and with their band,and they gave the world a taste of mellow and yet faster music. The singers back then such as Dick Haymes, who had a great baritone voice and Harry James with his trumpet blared out into the air some of the best sounds ever. Bing Crosby could hold his own with anyone and his voice was as beautiful as sparkling gold like “White Christmas“. Who can ever forget Frank Sinatra singing his wonderful sounds? . How about “The Ink Spots” who sang “To each His Own”, blending their sound into the air and into the hearts of all who heard them. Songs like "Don't sit under the apple tree" by the Andrew Sisters and Jo Stafford singing "Some Enchanted Evening", and "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" by Johnny Mercer. "Always" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" were great songs with lots of zest and life to them.
Kate Smith was one of my favorite singers in that her voice came from way within her soul. The music of old still has a place in my heart as being sung from the heart and soul of those singers mentioned, and there were a lot more but I would need more room if I was to list them all. Even the comedy stars could sing in a way that left you smiling and pleased. When television came in strong in the fifties we were introduced to The Ed Sullivan Show and he brought to the eyes and ears of everyone, the new acts as well as ones that had been around for several years. He brought Elvis to the limelight and he was the one who brought The Beatles to the American Stage. But then the bottom started showing through the cracks of great music and we started to see acts that should of never been brought to the American public. The Monkees were not too bad, but we started to see more of the dirty look on the television with so called unkempt shaggy haired stars who right away took over the young crowd and the jumping, hollering, sounds of today’s music got it’s grip on our children and the world went dizzy with songs with the same words sung over and over with the guitars being strummed with the same sound over and over again. It seemed like our culture of old took an ugly turn into the mud holes of life.
Now that craze has lived through another generation and music as we knew it was put off to the side as agents started signing anyone who could put a unclean look on the American stage with dirty looking hair, and sounds of ear piercing velocity filled the air. Was the clean sound of music gone from our eyes and ears? Not really because you can find good clean music out there to listen to on several radio stations and from some of the old shows that were from the old days. I, for one, will turn the television off if one of those acts of profanity, unkempt hair, loud repeating of the same line of words, comes on. I can sing to myself if I can’t get anything clean on the tube or radio. Will we see one day a resurgent of the music of yesterday? I hope so before we all lose our touch with reality. They are out there waiting for us, the older generation, to bring it back. How can we do this? By letting the big boys know that we are tired of them and we won’t take anymore. Bring back to us the good sounds.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
Another thing stuck in the backs of Indiana fans was the firing of Bobby Knight. Here was a man who everybody knew was a winning coach and who demanded passing grades from those players who wanted to play for him. Young men went to Indiana not only to play basketball, but also to get the best education possible. One man decided that he would cut the legs out of Knight even though there were kids still in high school who had plans to play for the very best coach regardless of how he did his job. He was a winner and he demanded his players to go to school and get educated.
And there are The Indiana Pacers who Indiana fans went to their games because they were great players and they were good people. These last few years they have gone kaput because they had a coach who could not coach.. The fans are still waiting for the team to once again rise to their potential but they won’t until we get someone coaching them on how to win. These are the things that has laid in the throats of all fans who wish that one day we would get back on the old way of having the best tourney of all the states and finding a way to clean up our acts pertaining to the Hoosiers and the Pacers. To be fair, I think that Mr. Crean will get our Indiana Hoosiers into a winning attitude, and Larry Bird will finally get a winning coach. That is my opinion and that of most basketball fans.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
My thoughts once in a while venture off into the days of old and I think about those relatives that were here and now gone Home to be with our Heavenly Father. And I think about what they did in keeping things going in a time when there were no luxuries like electricity, gas heat, running water in the house and toilet facilities right there to use when needed. My brother Russell has a hobby of finding out what our ancestors names were , what they did for a living, and where they are buried at, and who is left in that particular family. Sometimes I will make a trip through the cemetery to see if there are some there that we have overlooked. In Memorial Park Cemetery, we have our parents, Dad’s mother, my brother Ernie, my Uncle Joe and Aunt Donna, our daughter Patricia and of course our plots for our other daughter Deborah , Ramona and myself. Over in Crown Point Cemetery, there are Bob, Deloris, & Mary there as well as our Mom‘s mother, and my brothers and sisters that I never knew. What I see, when I visit the gravesites of our loved ones, is the expression of love, that the ones left behind, show for those who have gone Home. If you want to observe love for one another, you should take a walk through the different cemeteries. An expression of love is observed in many ways. One way is how the markers are decorated with flowers, and flags. Check out how the different markers are designed. Most of them will tell you a story about that loved one, in a way that you take notice of it. Many times I have been there and observed visitors to the graves of their loved ones, and you can see the sorrow of losing them, and yet the relief of them being Home in Heaven. After I finish my visit to my loved one's graves, I will take my time driving through and noticing the names on the markers and wonder just what was his or her story about their lives her on earth. I see names of important people who helped pave the way here in our city and county, and I see names of those who were a part of this city and county, who did their part of it growing up without all the glory given to them. Each person who is buried in those cemeteries, has a story of their own to tell if there is someone out there who wants to hear it. I like to observe the drawings on the markers because they tell me a lot about who is buried there.
Many times a person will not go to the gravesite of their loved one because they say it brings back a lot of sad memories. What I say to them is to go visit the grave and remember all the good things that you and your loved one did together. By doing that, it will lessen the hurt that is in your heart. I usually, while I am there ,will say hello to my loved ones even though they are there only in body and not being. I know deep in my heart that they hear every word I say, because I know that they are in Heaven, and He hears everything I say. The hurt will always be there because you loved that person with all your heart and you miss them very much. But remember where they are now and be content with that knowledge.
And while you still have time, make peace with those who you haven't spoke to all these many years. Take time to enjoy life here on earth, without having hate in your heart. I knew some people that I wish that I had said "I'm sorry" to, and I wish that I had told them that I loved them. You don't get the chance to do so unless you do it now while you or that person is still here. It is not a hard thing to do if your heart is in the right place. And I know it is.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
There are people out there who rank high on my list of earthly Angels, who do their job not only with smiles but also with good intentions. In my time here on earth, I have been witness to the nursing , housekeeping , and the medical profession. When you go to the doctor’s office, you are greeted with a smile and a professional attitude. When you call the office for them to order the refills needed, you get a nice greeting and a re-assurance that the nurse will get with the doctor and then call the pharmacy by the end of the day. When you go to the hospital to either get some test or just to see a patient, you are greeted with that nice smile and a speedy result. All this is our Angels working to give us the best experience possible.
During the time of our daughter’s time spent in the hospital when she had cancer, she was given the best of care right up to the time that God called her home. I saw the dedication of a lot of good nurses who did their job well, even though they felt the hurt of losing one of their patients. On the night that Patty went home, I said that” She Left The Floor Of Angels to be one“. To this day, I see some of those good people and I can talk about our loss because of the way she was taken care of. There are many people out there who lost a loved one like we did and you can walk down to a wall where many memorials are hanging on there from those of us who went through a hard time of having to lose our loved one. I have many who tell me that they were on the “Floor Of Angels” and they saw the plaque about Patty on the wall and they were able to know that life is so precious to all of us that we miss those who were called HOME. But we know that they are safe and in the HANDS OF OUR LORD. And to be able to see the ones who took good care of her ,not only the nurses, but also the doctors, the housekeeping , and ones who are going through that time in their lives when it is necessary to sit there and receive the chemo so that one day they can walk up to one of those special people who helped them through a rough time.
I see a group of great people who work there in the Cancer Center who do their job not only in a professional way, but also in a very caring way. I wrote a column several years ago writing about The Angels here on earth, and I meant every word I wrote. We all have our own calling while we are here on earth, and we really don’t think that what we do is that important, but folks what you do while here, leaves a mark on all those you were able to help through a rough time. I am very partial to my thoughts about the professional but caring way that our Angels do their work. It is with pride that I am able to talk about our loss without falling apart, and I owe that to those nurses who were there for us in our five months of watching Patty go through her illness. I truly believe that the Doctors, and the nurses have with all the new medicines , helped many to walk out of there today and I give thanks to them. Patty’s daughter Amanda decided to go into the nursing profession and we are very proud of her because she wanted to give back all the help she could to make patients not only comfortable but with all the smiles of one who will try to get them well. I see some of the nurses sometimes and I feel good about talking with them because they cared then and they still do. So if there are some out there that I haven’t seen for a while, I say hello and thanks.
Ray “Uncle Ray” Day
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.
Well, 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
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
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Friends are like gold.
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
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