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Have you ever sat down and wonder about things that happen at the worst times? Have you found yourself rushing to the little boy's room and the phone which is two rooms over starts ringing. Do you tell your body to wait and you rush to the phone and you find out it is one of those charge companies wanting to tell you the big news. First off I don't like it when banks and charge companies disturb what free time I have so they can do me a favor and quit calling. Or it is one of those poll takers who want to know if you are going to vote in 4 months. First off they can take me off their list as I am an Loyal American and I vote in all elections. So get off my back and take me off your list. Was that phone call so important that I have to hold my body fluids longer than is healthy to do? How about those times when you want to go out and do some yard and garden work and about the time you get everything started, there is someone who comes up and wants to spend the day talking. My goodness they can see I am busy, and they could just say hello and leave or offer to help me finish my work. You can talk and work if both sides do it. But it won't happen any other way. How about when you are in the kitchen trying to cook the dinner for your loved one and you find that after getting everything ready, you are missing some of the things needed to make the dinner a success. And there are times when the food you fix is not what is wanted by the other one and you either ditch it or find someone who is looking for something to eat. I solve that problem by putting the food in freezer bags and storing them in the freezer for pot luck day. Good way of saving money at the grocery store too. I can go to my freezer, get out enough bags and get the microwave ready and have a meal fit for a king.
There is another thing that bothers me and that is why are they are so secret about what they  see on the moon, mars, and in space itself. You would think that they would want us to know that they were successful in getting to those parts of our universe. We did see the landing on the moon and the astranots stepping foot on the moon. Or did they? Have we, the American people, been hoodwink into believing that we have been there and done that. Another thing that I wonder about is the hanging of Saddam in Iraq, the demise of Guidafy at the hands of the people . Can we believe that they are gone and not just hiding somewhere till it is safe to come back on the scene and take over the countries again. There are still many who believe that it wsn;t Bin Ladin who got taken out, and that may be so. There always were reports that these men had others who would take their places whenever there was the chance of being taken out. Hopefully they are gone from this world and are waiting in line at the gates of Hades to get their just deserts,

I guess that in time the world will be a safe place to live and that will be fine but in the meantime, why should we the people live in fear of others who do not share the Independence that we have on most of the front. you come to America to live, you should have to declare your desire to take the means to be a citizen which means you promise to honor and work in togetherness  and respect the laws and of our land, with no exceptions. As citizens, we the people, follow an oath to keep and maintain the laws of the land which were set up for all and not just a few. It is not fair that outsiders refuse to honor our land.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

Remembering the things that we had, and did to survive, I feel good being brought up in my time because without having the advantages of today’s youth, I would think that everything is free or given to you without any repay from you or me. In todays world, even though we are going through some hard times, all most have to do is to ask for help and most of the time they receive that assistance, even though they do nothing later to give back. In the world I knew as a child, everyone did their part in doing the chores of the house and the outside. Think about having to sit in a washtub to take a bath and most of the time it was done in the kitchen where the water was heated on the cook stove and poured in the tub. Outside toilets were part of the household and were about 50 feet away. The door had a half moon on it and many times you sat there in the dark getting the job done. And washing the clothes using a washboard to get the grime out and then wringing them out before hanging them out on the clothes line. Washday did not depend on the weather, because if it was raining, you left it out until the rain stopped and the sun back in the sky. If they were brought in to dry, Mom would use everything she had to hang them on. Most of the families had an icebox to keep the perishables in but it had to have ice put in it to keep it cold. Many times the iceman would chip off a small piece of ice for us to let melt in our mouths.That icebox usually was kept on the back porch because that made it accessible for the iceman to fill.

In my younger years we used the radio to listen to the great shows on the air but in 1950 Dad brought home a new television bought at Knofts, and it was put in the front room and we could even sit outside and watch it with out friends. Needless to say, we had lots of good friends in our neighborhood, and it was like having more brothers and sisters in the family. Playing all sorts of games outside made our day after we had finished doing our daily chores,and was lots of fun, like kick the can, Captain may I , softball, basketball, skating, or just playing in the water in the street after a big rain. But many times when Mom had all her work caught up, she would sit at the piano and play some music both manually or by pumping the pedals to play the paper rolls that had little cut marks in them. She knew several songs and we loved to hear her play them. We only saw Dad when he wasn’t working or sleeping after a hard day’s work. When he had time , we would sit with him while the radio was on and listen to the Friday Night’s Fights, or another of his favorite shows. There were times when he had time to play some catch with us, or going fishing. We did have some great movie houses to go to on the weekend but that depended on whether we had the money to go to them. Our money had some first things to use it for and sometimes there wasn’t any extra. At the age of 12, I took a paper route and made money to save for clothes, school books, and some of the goodies that we were able to buy.

So with that said, could and would the youngsters of today be able to get by and do the things that we did, plus not being able to have the computers and phones that most have today? Could they do without those things that so freely they receive today? I like to think they can, because even though there are so many spoiled kids out there, there are many more youngsters that have been trained enough by parents and grandparents to value the things given to them.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

We go back in time once again to visit that wonderful world of  our childhood. Although there was a World War during my early childhood, we had the love of our parents to keep us warm, clothed and fed. Dad worked at Globe American and then at the Steel Mill in those early years and Mom had the task of running the household, taking care of the home, the kids, and all the chores that were not already charged out to the older kids in the family.
We had a dog named Tippi, and he was a rat-terrier and a great dog for the kids. But Tippi got run over by a car and that hurt all of us very much. Not too long after that a neighbor name Ray Bassett gave us a beagle hound named Teddy,who we had for about 5 years but he was poisioned by someone and he died. We went without a dog until 1953 when we moved out to the country farm house and another dog was given to us by the same friend who gave us Teddy.We named him King and he hung around me like a another pair of pants. Where I went he followed. I had King until I was married and moved into my own home with my pretty bride. King liked it out on the farm and he went back there to stay until he passed. Dogs are like that in that they get used to being in one place and not ready to start up somewhere else.

My family went without a pet until the girls were in their early years and we had a cat named Fluffy who was a member of our family for several years until one night he went out and we never saw him again. Then in 1974 while I was in the hospital with kidney surgery and then back surgery, both within 6 months of each other, the man in the other bed named Kenny was talking about his Poddle which would have puppies before long and he was wondering where he was going to find a home for them as he wanted to stay a one dog man. I asked him how many he thought she might have and he said probaly 4 puppies. I told him that my two daughters might want one and he promised to bring them around to get the pick of the litter. So the time came when we had the opportunity to pick out that newest member of our family and guess what.? We got the pretty one and also the little runt who seemed to not want anything to do with the other pups. We named them Tony and Tina and we were one happy family having Tina for 11 years and Tony for 13 years. Tina had a heart attack and Tony was cripped up with arthritis and lonesome for Tina. We have not had any pets since then as it really hurt to lose those dogs who were about as much a member of the family as I was. They gave us a lot of joy and although it was costly to keep them up to date on shots and medical care, we have never regreted having them.

I remember one day when I was dismissed from the hospital and going home after 23 days, I walked into our home and all I could hear was the loud barking and wailing of those 2 dogs who were in another room with the door closed. My wife helped me into bed as I still needed some bed rest, and then she asked me if I was ready to see Tony and Tina. I told her that I was and she left the room and went to the door where the dogs were and she opened it and Katy Bar The Door, here those dogs came. They jumped up on my bed and huddeled in close to me and there they stayed there the rest of that day. Those poodles were glad to see me and I was glad to see them. Pets are like that in that they give their lives to us.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

I sometimes try to write according to what is going on in the present life and how it effects you and me. Other times I write about how life was in my younger age and now and then I write about what the future lies ahead for all of us. And as stated before, my thoughts are mine and not that of others who tell me their thoughts. As  a writer I have to look toward what it is that my readers want to read and sometimes I am at a standstill on what is correct for that particular time, but so far it has met the approval of most of my readers. Thank God for that. I am serious about that in that He sets me down and He tells me what to write. Yes, I write what is in my heart and I try to maintain a level of thought that I get just by being one of His children. So let’s get going about what is here now compared to what we would want to see in the future. I live with the thought of respect for those before me, especially our parents and grandparents along with our brothers and sisters. I hope that the ones who come after me will remember us with respect and loyalty, and try to teach their children that their grandparents were good people who did their part in bringing their present into the future, and ferment that value on to their children. Respect and loyalty are two things that should always be part of a child’s upbringing and without it the line of growth in the family will be tainted and tarnished. I, through the years, have always tried to maintain that loyalty, because that is the way I was brought up. If there is any thing that I would want to say firsthand to those before me, it is “Thank You” for all the help you gave me. If there is any thing that I would want someone to say at my funeral, it would be that “He was a good man, who said it like it was, and he was fair to all”. That folks, is respect for another.

Sometimes I walk through the cemetery to check on the graves of my family including my daughter, Patricia. I look at the markers and in between the birth and death of the person, there is a dash there. That dash is the time spent here on earth for that person and it can hold a whole lot of thought about how that person lived during the time here. Of course you would of had to know that person or someone close to them to know what that dash represents. It is refreshing to see how the ones left behind honor their loved ones with flowers, and visits to where the body lays in the ground. I like to stop at the graves and say my hello’s and sometimes sit down in front of it and just do some heavy thinking. Don’t worry, no one will think I am crazy as I am sure that they probably do the same things. There is a peaceful air about a cemetery as you look out and see how the grounds keepers do their work making all of it look pretty. But there are some who can’t visit a loved one’s grave because they just have never been able to cope with the loss. Folks, take it from me, you don’t get over the loss, but you can accept it and go on with your life just like that loved one would want you to. Dad passed on in 1979, Mom passed on in 1982, and our youngest daughter passed on in 1994. The losses dig deeply in your heart but you learn to accept it, and we want to ask why this happens and the only thing I can tell you is , it is part of life on earth and eternal life in Heaven. So as we venture forward with memories of the past, and into the future, we hope that we all have an abundant life.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

October 13, 2012

# 705

Are they there for us?

As we progress in life, we leave behind a sense of wanting to live some of those times of old, today. As that is not too easy to do because of all the improvements in the world today, we try to just put our being into a memory bring back and enjoy all the things that were so important to us as children living at home full of love and companionship, without having to worry about how we would eat, sleep, or go to school. That was what our parents and grandparents were there for. But as time marched on, we started to take on chores that the older members of the family had been doing as they had to mode their own lives the same as it would be for us when we reached their ages. As the older one left home to do their thing, the younger ones took over the tasks of helping and doing their share in the family.

But sometimes we find that there are some of those children who decide to stay on with the parents and be there to take care of their parents as they grow older in age and unable to carry on those tasks that they had been doing ever since they started their own family. Such is the way that as we grow older, there is always someone there to take up the slack and make life a little easier for the older folks. Well, maybe not in all situations as many times the elders are left in a situation where the only means available are the nursing homes where they can achieve good monitoring and meals on schedule And that is important in that it gives the elders security and the younger members of the family a little chance to go on to their lives and continue the chain of family into the future. Do they forget the loved ones when they allow their parents to be admitted to the homes? I don’t think so in most cases as good children will make every attempt to go spend time with the parents as much as possible without dis-ruping the schedules that they must tend to in taking care of their own family. I have visited several in the assisted living and the nursing homes through the years and although there are some that never get visitors, their are many who await the visits with high hopes and with joy as the visitors walk into the room.

We had a young lady named Thelma who we tried to visit as much as possible and up until she was just about 100 years old, she was so happy to see us and by doing so, she kept herself young just because someone cared. That is what the elders need in their lives as they grow older. If they are home, visit them as much as possible. If they are in assisted living, do the same as they await that visit with joy and love. And if they are in that part of life when they need constant 24 hours a day in the nursing homes, get with the doctors and nurses who work there and set up some type of schedule where you can spend time with your loved ones without getting in the way of the people who are there to assist the patient. You might not think that is important but it is. That way you can spend more time with your loved ones.

Just think about all the times they got you fed and clean and how they gave of themselves so that you could have more. You can still make a difference in their lives just by letting them know you care. Think about if the shoe was on the other foot. Would you look forward to seeing them? Darn right you would and whether they are at their own home, or living with you or in assisted living or nursing homes, you can make the difference. I think of my folks every day and I miss them very much, and I know you do too. God gave your parents a gift and that was you. Remember the receiver.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

 
It is getting to that time of the year when the air is just a little cool and so some will have to put on an extra layer of clothing to keep warm. We older ones seem to feel that change earlier than the young folk because the blood doesn’t run as fast and the bones are weakened by all those years of working for a living and doing some of those yard and garden chores that make your home a little prettier and for growing goodies to eat, can, or freeze for the winter. In my case the garden is my favorite pastime, as I enjoy seeing things grow in the soil of the earth that God gave us to use. And yes, the years of doing that has put a lot of strain on my joints, and other parts of my body, but what a great feeling to just go out there and have that one place that you have all to yourself. You can hear and feel the wind blowing, sometimes more than at other times. And seeing the progress of the plants feeding off the soil into sizes that you want them, puts a lot of pride in your heart and soul. It is a great place to be out there and know that all this is because of our Lord doing for his people. What a wonderful way of having that one on one meeting with Him each day.
I know that many feel that since we had a very hot summer, we will have a very cold winter. But I don’t think so. I feel that our winter will come earlier than the season is supposed to, and we will have a cold winter with a lot of snow but not so severe that we need worry about it. It is of my thought that every once in awhile the Father above will test us in that he wants us to know that we don’t control the weather, He does. So this old man with worn out legs, sore hands, and very weak knees, will be ready to do whatever I need to do to get my garden out next year. It might take a few falls with the fence so far away to have to crawl to to pull myself back up, but gardening is and has been my yearly goal and mark my words, I will be out there ready to go.

I did not order onion plants from Walla Walla land in Washington State last year due to having so many that could be transplanted from the year before that did not grow that great. So we had plenty of shallots and onions to eat and fill the freezer with. This next year, I might order some but not as much as years before. The old tasty tomatoes will get some special attention as will my pepper plants and cucumber plants. We had tomatoes this year but the great taste was not there as in previous years due to the lack of rain and the extreme heat, so I will work on a new system of automatic watering and some shade. You don’t want too much shade as tomatoes like the sunlight and the heat it gives it.

So folks , just because we had an unusual spring and summer, that doesn’t mean that we need to stop doing what we love to do and that is the planting, the maintainence it needs, and the other care you might want to give. While I am out in my garden, I try to praise the plants for the growth it has but I never try to get mad at them. Hey, they are living things just like we are and we like to hear the praises, at least I do. So folks, lets have a great time sitting inside the home watching some television that has shows without all the profanity this fall and winter and the rest we need because come spring, this old man is going to go full blast towards having the gardens that we had in previous years. So much for garden talk for now.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

 
With the fall leaving and winter right on it’s heels, I look back in time to some of the cold days and nights we had in the old days. We had wood and coal and corncobs to heat with and many times there was that little bit of time when you were waiting to get some good results from that fire. In the middle room we had an old Florence heating stove and you got a good blast of heat from it when it was going good. At the bottom there was a place where the ashes would fall into it and you had to keep the ashes cleaned out if you wanted a good draft from the heat. Usually we started the first fire with some paper, and small pieces of wood to get it started and then we would put in the coal on top of that and wait for it to take hold. Then we would put a little wood down on top of that and then some more coal. You tried to not use all the coal because you wanted to be able to stoke the fire enough so that it would keep some hear through most of the house.

 Then in the kitchen there was a big cook stove with 4 holes with covers over them. You started that fire with corncobs and kept it going for most of the day by adding a little coal and wood to get it ready to cook on. Mom did a lot of cooking through the years on that stove and the mouth watering bisquits and cornbread with a big pot of beans, along with a big skillet of fried potatoes with chopped onions in it and we loved every bit of it.

That stove we heated with was just below a transom in the ceiling and that was how the warm air got to the upstairs bedrooms. There was 3 bedrooms up there and one of them belong to Ernie, Bob, and me , until Ernie decided to go out on his own. The middle room was not used except when dad worked midnights at the mill and that was where he slept in order to get enough rest. With all the kids in our family, it was hard for anyone to get enough rest but he got what he could. No one went upstairs except Mom when Dad was trying to sleep. If you knew that you were going to need something, you had better get it downstairs the night before or you did without it. Good thing Dad only worked the midnight shift one week out of three.

Getting back to the stoves, it was the responsibility of us boys to stoke the fire, take out the ashes, and bring in enough coal and wood to last the night and most of the day. I remember some of those cold nights when ice would form on the windows due to the heat inside and cold outside. Dad always, when he had the money to do so, would send us to the outlet store where they had those blankets that our soldies used in the war. Man, you put on two of them on your bed and it was warm till morning when you threw the blank ets over and crawded of of bed to begin your day. Many times there was some thin layers of ice on the tops of those blankets. Down the stairs one of us would go to try to stoke what fire was still in the stoves and then add more corncobs and wood on top to get it going good. The rest of the kids would belly around the heating stove to get warm so that you could change clothes and get ready for school.

But not before that Angel we had in our home starting making breakfast for all of us. We called that Angel Mom and boy was that food good. I don’t think anyone ever got tired of Mom’s great food and to this day, I make some things about like she did, but she was the pro. And the dinner and suppers were great too. Bless her heart.
 
 

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

As we grow up from birth to the early years of our being, to the teenager years and then to adult years, we go through some very drastic sitcoms, as we are in the hands of our parents for most of that time until that time when we decide to embark on a new life without the security of our parents, and most of the time with only a few dollars in our pockets. From that time when we first come out into the world still fastened to our mother as per our Creators making, we depend on our mother to give us what we need and that is a bond that no other can offer. As time goes by, we start finding out that we have a father who is responsible for bringing in the money to buy food and clothes with along with paying all the bills needed by the household. Then as we grow a little older we find that our mother not only has us to bring up, but also a few more kids who reap in the same benefits we do. That is what is called a family and that is good.

The first few years Mom and Dad try to teach us how to walk, speak, and listen to what they are trying to tell us. We then start school where teachers take on the task of working on what has been taught by the parents and also how to read, write, and study all the things needed to get us ready for the outside world when it is that time to leave the nest and venture out into the world to make our mark, plus in time, take on a mate and bring up our own family. And so the cycle moves in life, time and time again and that is good. Soon the parents are turned into grandparents and we wonder where did the time go? Life is like that and it can be a great and joy-full one or it can be a heartache that carries a scar for a very long time. We find out that the times have changed and instead of it being like it was with the parents soon moving in with the kids when they can’t take care of themselves, it is a left turn and the kids move back into the parents home and soon there is a house full with all the rules of how to take care of the house and the privacy that the parents had is no more. Where does that leave the parents who love their kids so much but now have to go through a change in life that should not have to be? Do they just sit back and wait for that time when God calls them home? Don’t they deserve to reap the joy of togetherness with their mate in those golden years, alone as much as possible and still be in daily touch with their children who should be walking their own paths?

Really folks, this is for real as life is that way unless you have made different arrangements for that time in those golden years that have turned a little gray. Lord knows it is a little expensive to have to go to a nursing home, so you need to look forward some and try to set back some assets so that you won’t be homeless, nor being a hindrance for you kids. And that should open up the eyes and minds of the younger members of the family and tell them that they should be there for their loved ones taking care of their needs , instead of waiting until they lose them and then fighting over the assets that are left. Show your love now, not wait till later and find out that it was too late.And if they and you don’t have a will or a living will, do yourself a favor and get one. They can always be changed later if needed but just having one now is a good thing to do. We have ours and our kids won’t have to make a grave decision because it is written.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

 
One of my readers asked me to tell my view of bullying. So here is my look at it. First off, I have to state that I believe that bullys are not born, they are part of a circumstance and association. There are bullys in many fields including schools,business and even politics. You get more news about them when it is the children who are involved, Many times it is because the one being bullied is either smaller, or is one who is properly trained by the family and schools and so does not put up any offense against one who is always trying to belittle someone who will not fight back.

 My parents always taught us to walk away if we could but if not then stand firm and get in the first punch. Needless to say, most of the time the bully will walk away or stumble away according to how hard you fight back. Going back in my school days at Kokomo High School, there was a very big boy who was always picking on a little guy who was the same age as he was and one day that little guy decided that he had enough and now was the time to correct the situation. So he told the big guy that as soon as school was over they would meet over in an alley across the street from where the post office is now. Word got around fast that there was going to be a fight and a large group including me went right over to get a good view of the fight.

Here was a boy who was over 250 pounds and another one about half the size. The two of them started swinging and connecting and this was one bloody fight with no one winning. They fought for almost a haft hour and both were so tired they couldn’t stand up. The fight was finally broken up and as we started leaving to go home,  those two boys were standing and talking and shaking hands. From that day on there was one less bully because someone decided that he had enough,  Fear that comes with a bigger person who wants to always take on someone smaller, goes a long way until someone decides to take that step just once and take the other one down.

 In business or in the factories, you will always have that one person who believes that he or she is dominant over another and until you revolt, you remain a victim of one who is a bully. Believe it or not, there are bullies in the field of politics. Through the years I have been witness to many times when big meant that you could walk over a small person instead of just walking around them. Where is the reasoning for that type of behavior? We have it in the schools, and we even have it in our election process. Many times you can be friends with someone who treats you like a brother and still be a bully to your friends. So let’s get real and find out why this is true in life. Back many years ago, a friend decided to run for mayor of our great city but was told he couldn’t do it because the party had already chosen who they wanted on the ballot. So that friend decided that in a free country, he should be allowed to run for any office he wanted to and so he switched parties and backed the eventual winner. That man was and still is a part of the city of Kokomo who had Kokomo in his heart and he wanted to make that mark in time. This not only happens here but also in the House and Senate where you go with the leaders because they will take you down if you don’t. Over time these types of bullies run with a strong arm because they have others scared of them. Bullies need to encounter fear in order to be a part of a community. We can’t allow them to win any fights except their own. Walk away or stand firm.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

Going back to the days of old, I get a little selfish in what I say or write to others. I have found that there are many out there who want to forget the past and I say to them, you are doing your family an injustice by not allowing them to know directly from you how it was when you were just a child. I get a lot of enjoyment when youngsters come up to me and ask about my childhood. and there are many old folks like me who have forgotten things that played such a vital point in their lives. For the ones who are in their teenager years right now, it is very difficult for them to even believe some of the things I write about because they have been babied all their young lives and have never had to do anything to better themselves because it has been given to them on a silver platter. But there are many out there who like me lived a life of a large family and great parents and we will tell the world about our days back when things were tough but they also were good ones. Think about going to work at the age of 12, passing the daily newspaper which at that time was an evening paper except on Sundays. Think about 300 customers in all kinds of weather and enjoying it because come the weekend you collected and that was when how much money you made each week. And those great customers always made sure that come my birthday or Christmas time, there were gifts given which made this young fellow very happy. Add to doing that, how many of you ever thought that pushing a wheelbarrow around collecting metal and paper to take to the two junk dealers here in town? Mervis and Harry’s were the ones we went to when we had enough collected and got our money for selling it.

 
Most of the money I made as a child worker always went into my bank to save for school books and clothes to wear. And think about having a nice center to go to when nothing else was available to do. We had what was called Dunbar Center and there we would play cards like Rook and Old Maid and Rummy and drink a nice glass of koolaid given to us by the head of the center named Mrs. Madres. Lots of fun in that building until they finally got Carver Center built and we played a lot of basketball in there and really a lot of great ball players came out of that building and even now, there are great players coming out of there, who have made their mark in sports history.

 Now back to some other thoughts, about when I was knee high to a grasshopper, Going to grade school was a distance of 7 blocks and then in Junior High it was 13 blocks, and then at Kokomo High, it was 13 1/2 blocks. We never used a school bus, as it was walk during a rainstorm, or walking through several inches of snow, with the friends from the neighborhood, and it was fun to do that. Then when we moved out to the farm at the start of my junior year, I got to ride a school bus for the first time. Of course, to get to the bus stop, I had to walk from the house to the bus which was about a block and a half.So to say that life was good is putting it mildly as each of us had things that had to be done and many things we had a choice to do. Mothers were the ones who really ran the household as the fathers had enough to do making a paycheck every 2 weeks. A handshake was a bond of agreement between 2 people, and family was as closely knitted as it could be. Rules were kept and sanctions were made if the rules were not followed. Yes, I enjoyed my life as a youngster and having great parents and brothers and sisters made it one to remember.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

 
Well, it is once again that time in the hearts of the Wyant family as Christmas is in the air and We Care Park once again lights up the whole north end so that our little ones can visit the park and take in some of the best sights ever seen. At the helm is that old man who still thinks he is a teenager and he wants to spread the cheer to all . Mike Wyant and wife Nancy with the help of the family and many volunteers every year, give of their time to go one more step each year to make that Christmas scene one to enjoy and one to love. But it just isn’t the Christmas season that work on this project is done as when the holidays is over, the taking down of all those lights and trim is a job that takes them well into late winter. Storing things away takes time too and just about a few months after Christmas is over and everything is taken down and put away, then it is time to start taking all that stored trim and lights and putting it back up again to be ready for Thanksgiving night when We Care starts opening back up.

The Wyants do this out of their hearts desire because when they were young and things were hard to get and the family was always thankful for what they had. Mike was one of the mill workers who worked swing shifts and he was a supervisor who everyone liked, and being able to make things easier for the youngsters of today plays long and hard in his heart. He is one fine gentleman as are his brothers and brothers in law, and his wife, who also came from a large family, is always there by his side waiting to do whatever is needed to get this show on the road. There is no profit in doing this as all proceeds go right to We Care each year. and it seems like each year is a little more than last year.

For anyone who lives in the other cities, if they want to see some of Santa’s helpers then visit We Care Park and see what good hearts can do. Mike is really a kid at heart as are his brothers. They know how rough it was for their parents with a large family to bring them up into good strong hearted men and women and you might say that We Care Park is a reference to the rough and tough times in the years of old. Kokomo is full of good hearted people who want the best for their children and other children too. If you would sit down and talk with Mike, it is like talking to a brother or sister. He is a person who can make you proud to know him and likewise with Nancy and all those Wyant families who give of them selves not only at Christmas time but also during the year when things look bleek. They are good people who live in a good city and they know how it was for kids back in their days, so they use that knowledge to make sure that kids are not left out at Christmas time.

 And there are many more persons in this great city of Kokomo, Indiana who also give of themselves with donations, and time to do what is needed to make Christmas a happy one for the children and those who do not have the means to have a dinner on the table at Cristmas time. Matter of fact, Kokomo is full of good people with hearts of gold ready to help out in any way they can. Many remain in the shadows ready to put forth an effort to do whatever is needed. Some we hear about, others we don’t.. But they are there, and this year will be no different because Kokomo cares. Soft spoken heroes waiting to give a child a gift and a warm full belly. Yes, folks there is a Santa Claus and they live right here in Kokomo, Indiana. ready to put a smile on your face.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

Thanks To Our Warriors

There are times when, we the people, of the greatest country in the world take many things for granted and we need to take a close look at that and do a little soul searching to see if we can change what is important in favor of what is not. Just recently we had a holiday honoring our military and that should of been for the whole year, and not just a small part of it. As one who had had several members of our families go to serve our country in times of war and also in times of stress in countries that seem to need our help always. We look at the ones coming home and find that the jobs they had before are not open for them to fall back in. For those who chose a career with the armed forces, they have a better way of making it to retirement and then off to live a life of leisure as retired veterans . But is it there for them who came home with wounds so bad that life isn’t easy for them anymore.

Men and women who serve us overseas have injuries not only to the body but also to the brain and the trauma that they have waiting for them is very hard to get through at most times. Lost hands and lost legs, blindness, and grief lies within the bodies of men and women who chose to protect us and once the wars are over, we let them live in the streets, or in the trash areas waiting for that someone who offers a hand to them and a promise that since they kept us free, we will take care of them. But do we take it all the way or do we just get them on their feet and then forget about them. Folks, those men and women should be able to ask and receive help whenever it is needed. We need to stick out our arms and pull them into a hug and say thanks to them for doing the deed of keeping us free in America.This is our country that has stayed free because of our military and the fine young men and women who step forward and say “take me”.

At one time, there was a draft that meant once you became 18, you were subject to being called into service as protectors of our country. There were many who made the move north in order to avoid the draft and that meant losing the love of the ones left here in the USA. But for years there has been an abundant of men and women stepping up and serving us as warriors who love our country enough that they would die for it. When we see a person in uniform, our heart says “thank you”, but shouldn’t the hand be extended and the arms stretched out to hug them for what they do. Yes, we do that many times and the person receiving that thanks is proud to have been noticed by the ones he or she protects.

A few times a year, our people in business extends their arms out with discounts on meals and clothes, but shouldn’t that be every day. We live in a country that is proud of our heritage and the ones who protects us. Those warriors should never have to ask for anything. They should get a discount on everything they buy. They should be promised that because they were there for us, we will be there for them. No one should have to worry about having a roof over their heads, nor should they ever be denied assistance when ill. Take a look around and see what is there for you and me because of our warriors commitment to serve the USA. Each year we see the soldiers reunion here in Kokomo and it makes me proud to see them come and let us know how they are doing. . I salute each and everyone of you who make this country safe for us to live in. May God continue to bless each of you and may GOD BLESS THE USA.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

#713

Life is good but tough.

There are many things that each of us do not know, nor do we attempt to find out about those things. Most are content on just living day by day and all things outside of that life is not needed to better themselves. But as I grow older, I find myself wanting to learn more and starting up a new book or just asking questions to those who know, and many times, I start up my old computer and just start asking questions and getting a lot of answers from it. Many times, the ones on the other end do not know anymore than I do and they refer me to different sites where I can find the answers. But I am not content to take that answer as gospel because it could just be another one’s thought and not the facts. A lot can be learned about many things but don’t rely on one person’s answer.

My day starts out the same each day as I get my coffee and my Kokomo Tribune, and I spend about an hour reading just about all of it before stopping long enough to get my daily chores started. Putting the information from the newspaper to use is what I try to do by making notes to check further later, either on the television or by checking with others before that is placed up into my memory bank for later use. I learned a long time ago that many things you hear are just gossip and not the whole truth. Even good friends can give you the wrong information because they put their own wording to it.They don’t do it intentionally but they feel that it must be said before they forget what it was all about. Using the mind for remembering gets a little heavy once in a while and some of those things you thought you knew just isn’t there anymore.

The brain gets a little tired and feels like it has all it can handle without adding to it. But the brain is a wonderful asset to everything we do or say and many get the illness that dulls the brain to the point that we don’t even know our own family. Once a good friend had to put his father into a nursing home because he was getting old and fell a lot and wanting to keep his dad from getting hurt, he did what he hated to do but it was for the health of the father. He went in one day to see his father and the father looked at him and said “Do I know you? Who are you? Well, the son said that broke his heart because the father had been a big part in him taking up the ministry as the father was a minister too.

Another old friend told me one day that he visited his wife every day at a nursing home and he had to constantly tell her to breathe. He said that it hurt him very much to have to holler at her because they had been married for over 50 years. We never know when that will happen to us or to one of our loved ones or friends. I guess we take life for granted and we expect to be able to live without problems but it just does not work that way. Life is what you make of it but sometimes the making is a taking. Maybe one day, they will find out what causes that brain degeneration and be able to live a full life without remembering all the things you did and all those wonderful members of the family. I guess that I should be tickled pink to be able to remember the things I do but I think what helps me is the fact that I read as much as I can and I watch as many news shows that I can and I am alway ready to listen to others who lived before me and still knew what things were like in their day, That is why I write this column. It keeps me alert and happy.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

#714

Memories more precious.

I know that there are times when some do not want to remember the past, but I love to go back in my memory bank and pick out some of those wonderful memories of my younger days. The music today can not compete with the music of yesterday. When the singer would dig way down with his mellow voice and the pretty sounds coming out, you could go right along with the singer and sing to your heart’s content. Singers sort of told stories with their music and you felt like you were right there with them, and the music stayed with you all day long. Writers back then had a way of putting words down on paper so that you felt like you might of written it.

Mothers were mostly stay at home angels who knew all they  they needed to know about the family which was sparkled with love . Fathers went outside the family confines to find work and then be gone from the family at all hours of the day. And those grocery stores who let you buy on time and then pay when payday came. Neighbors were close knit with many times one mother watching her kids and those of the other mothers. Games were played right at the house or in an empty lot close to where they could be watched and yet not be bothered by someone watching over them. Just about all children had some chores to be done by them and that built up responsibility in their lives. Children had curfew times set up by their parents and they had to be followed to the letter. It was a fact that if you bent the rules just once, it left a week link that kept getting weaker.

There were churches just about everywhere and most of the families went at least on Sundays. Children were taught that they were a gift from God and to honor Him was part of the daily life. Oh, there were times when an old drunk would be staggering around in the streets but the people in that area kept a close watch on them. Policemen were part of the neighborhood and they walked the areas several times and kept peace in the neighborhood. And they were there to maybe play a little catch while keeping their eyes on the neighborhood. The Amish were out there every day to bring eggs and baked goods to sell to those who wanted them. I don’t think I have ever seen the Amish in anything but the horse and wagon and they were so nice to everyone.

The iceman cometh with blocks of ice carried by tongs over their shoulder, and they always had small pieces to give to the youngsters. The newspaper was delivered in the evenings and the holiday paper was delivered at about 1:am in the mornings. Movies were plentiful as we had a choice of going to the Fox or the Woods where we followed the tales of our favorite cowboys. The Isis showed a lot of movies for the whole family as did the Indiana, Sipe, and Colonial. You could stop at McCellands to get a big sack of popcorn and then go down to Hill’s Snappy Service to get the best burgers and shakes as well as a nice amount of french fries. After the shows were over we liked to walk aroung looking in all the store windows to look at the clothes we wish we had. Up by the Indiana Theatre there was a wagon where they sold hot peanuts and up north of that you could smell the great aroma of fresh bread at Dietzens Bakery. Yes it was a great time to be from and my memory bank is full of things we used to do on our Saturdays after all our chores were done. And when Mom or Dad gave us a time to be back home safely in their arms, we better be walking in that door at that time or sooner. Our parents always felt that many times hard love went a long way in making children more responsible. And it did not hurt one bit.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

# 715
December 22, 2012

ANGELS ARE HERE

Well, folks there is a little sickness in The Day household, because this old man has been taken down to my knees with a sickness that I would not wish on any human being. My bladder problems have gotten worse and now there I have ugly bumps in my colon. Turns out that Doctor won’t take a chance to remove them until I have stopped taking my blood thinner for a week or two. At this time he believes them to not be cancerous but won’t be able to tell until removed as soon as possible. While being in a predicament of not being about to void without lots of pain, here a new load gets dropped on me.
 Well, we make life go by while we accept the perils that come with it. I have found out that the toughest person will have some bad days unless we take care of ourselves with proper care and with a positive attitude and a good look at our system from head to toe. Don’t be like this old man who thought he was tough as steel, when it comes to taking care of myself. I have put off going to the doctor, many times because I thought I had the problems taken care of. Everyone should see the family doctor once a year. Keep all medicine, in place and know where you put them. Never take anyone’s medicine because it could cause you to get sick in a way that you have never experienced. As you know I am a positive person and I should stay that way if this episode at this time comes out on the good side.

So now let me tell you about what I have found while going through the things that put me down. I had several tests taken where the use of medicine to put me out into a deep sleep so that those tests were being done. But what amazes me is that I can’t remember when I was put in that deep sleep and when I came out of it. Both times here I was talking to the man administrating the drug. Both times I would ask the lady at the end in recovery room when they were going to get me in there. Both times I was told that it was over and will be taken back to my room, I am amazed at how this can be without me knowing anything about those amounts of time, that I lost. Those spaces of time are out there not belonging to anyone. So to go a little further with the happenings on those 3 days in the hospital, I encountered a band of Angels taking care of this baldheaded old man, in his time of need. It seemed like from the time of entering the hospital, I encountered smiles, and help for this person they have not known before., while doing what they know as their job. Although being in great pain and ready to fall apart, these people are patting me on their shoulder telling I will be ok.
That is why I call them Angels as they won’t let me get that far down. They gave me hope and not fear. They do everything needed to get me out that door a little better than how I was coming in, They don’t try to give you more, as it is some what like having a family member sick with the others trying to make them well. I am still down but at home in the arms of my darling wife Ramona. I know that my path has been narrowed by the recent illness but I won’t give up on life as it has been good to me. I intend to put out my garden this spring but not as much. And doing the things that make my day doing it. I refuse to allow the things that happen to the elder people like me take me down to that level of not being able to manage without full time help. I ask for your prayers, and also the opportunity to continue to write for the newspaper.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

#716

December 29, 2012

My thoughts about choice.

Sometimes I receive some pretty good questions about what my thoughts are about a certain topic. One of my readers is an adopted child, and he wanted to know if I had any personal feelings about adoption. Here is a subject that requires a lot of thought before you bring forth your views on it. First, if you say the wrong thing, you could break that person's heart or you could break the heart of those two people who chose to adopt that child into their family. My feeling is that there are times when things happen for a reason, and that when a child is adopted, he or she is done so with love by two people who want to share their love and their life with another person. Sometimes you have to look at the full picture to find out why this came about in the first place. I believe in Angels and my belief is that when a child is born, he or she is an Angel sent by God to two wonderful people who will spend most of the rest of their lives nurturing that child with love and devotion. But there are times when a mother will decide that she can't care for that child in the way that is needed and so she gives that child away for adoption, so that her child that she carried around for about nine months, could have a better way of life. My thought on this is that if God did not think it was a good idea, he would of let her know in some way. That mother gave her child away out of love in most cases, because she knew that she could not take care of it.
 

So when these two adoptive parents decide that they want to adopt a child, they are doing it out of love and also because they were destined to do so with the will of God. So as the years go by, the child will naturally wonder if he or she was abandoned or given up because they were not loved. My thought on that is that he or she was loved enough by the natural mother, so she gave that child a chance at a better life. God works in mysterious ways, and sometimes it is better to just accept it and go on with your life. But what happens when that child starts wanting to look for the natural mother, and they start asking questions that will hurt the feelings of the adoptive parents. They wonder if their natural mother really cares about them and so they start looking for her. For some adoptive parents, that can cause some bad feelings and for some, that child will receive some help from his adoptive parents in trying to locate the natural mother. My next thought on that is that I really believe that the most mothers know where her child is and that in most cases is comfortable enough to leave it alone.
 

Whether there will be some problems between the child and both sets of parents depends on how the search started and for what reason. Sometimes there is a medical reason behind the search and that is ok in my book, but I have to look at this in the way that I would feel, if a child that I adopted and loved for all these years decided that he or she wanted to find their natural parent.I would feel hurt because it was myself and my wife who chose that child to love and raise. The key words here are chose and love. They chose you and they loved you, and just maybe the search for the natural mother should not start. Only those who are involved can make that decision. If that child and the adoptive parents can be comfortable with it, then start the search, but be aware that somewhere down the line, someone will be hurt , and my thought on that is that you have to use some common sense in this matter. I do believe that time heals most hurts. and blossoms the love of one to another. To be chosen is to be loved.
 

?Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

#717

January 5, 2013

My Brother, My Friend

This week, I want to honor a person in my neighborhood. There was a gentleman who lives 2 houses over from ours and he has at many times come over and mowed my lawn without any asking on my part, Also there is a neighbor who gives me advice and has repaired my car for me without any asking on my part. There is one person who keeps a watchful eye on our home whenever we are away. And not only the house but also any place in our property.One person in the winter comes over and uses his snow blower to clear my driveway and walks. Many times I have looked up while in the garden and have seen someone working right along side me .

Right here I have to tell you that all these gentlemen are just one person who has been there for me and my family for a very long time. I also have to tell you that he is my younger brother. Here is a man who has through the years made sure that he has checked on his brothers and sisters and always was ready to help someone when needed. He has been my buddy at the ball games and a solid Kokomo Wildkat fan. The Chicago Cubs has been his favorite baseball team through thick and thin, whether they lose or win. He has never been one to beat around the bush when he thinks you need his advice. Being the next to last child in our family, he was always there for Mom and Dad, and he would never say any thing negative about his brothers and sisters.

 About 6 years ago he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had an operation to try and get rid of it. During those six years, he has always been positive about winning this war against cancer, and we are proud of him for the way that he has lived the years since first finding out that he had cancer. About a little over 4 months ago he was told by a doctor that he only had 3 months to live. This started him on a road of hope being slammed to the ground. Without hope you have no way to fight it. It is my opinion and mine only that no one who is not connected to the case should ever dash the hopes of a brave man or woman who lives on that hope to get well.
Well, anyway, he started going downhill after that but he kept saying that he would one day go to a Kokomo WildKat game with me. There was a desire in this fine brother who tried with all his might to conquer this fight of his life. He passed away the other evening and God stretched out his arms and said “Welcome Home, My Son”. We will miss that great person known to me as my brother, my buddy, my machanic, my gardner, and my good friend. Never will I ever have another buddy like him, because he was one of a kind. He will be missed by the brothers and sisters who survive his passing. But he will be in “Glory Land” with the brothers and sisters who preceded his passing.And what a wonderful reunion with Mom and Dad. We will always remember him as one who wanted to help others, and the path he walked. There will be times when we will think of him as that great little man with a big heart. There will be times when we wish that we still have him with us, but what better place for one such as he was that being held in the arms of our lord. As for me, there will be tears flowing often as I go about doing the things that he helped me with. And there will be those days when we allow out thoughts to go back in time to those wonderful times when we were all home with Mom and Day. He will always be in our thoughts today, tomorrow and always. Thanks Russell for the memories. Thanks for you being you and thanks for our buddy days spent with each other.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

#718
January 12, 2013

Bless all my readers.

As a locol columnist for the Tribune, I have written about many different things such as the time of my childhood, the times of my elders who came before me, the city where I live, and my own family. I even had two front pages about our daughter, Patricia written by The Tribune Staff, who so graciously along with Channel 6 told a story about her death and also what we did as a memorial to her and all cancer patients who had passed on, since 1994. A wonderful newspaper with good people telling it like it is. When I wrote my story of Patricia Ann, it was to alert everyone to the fact that cancer is out there and it can be defeated. I never put that story in print as it was long and I thought one day, I would turn it into a book if I found someone who would back it.

As for my weekly column, I do it because I like doing it. Since the new century 2000 came around, The Kokomo Tribune has printed 720 “Uncle Ray” columns as of December 22, 2012. Children, and people from several generations, read my column and email me how they like it or don’t like it. Believe me when I brag about readers and when they see me in the stores. Every once in a while, I will come up meeting an old timer and I ask a lot of questions about their lives and once they get started telling how it was, you can see the sparkles in their eyes as they relate how hard it was in those times and how rewarding it is to them that they made it through some rough times and now reap the results. And if you meet up with one of the older ladies you will find hearts of gold nestled inside those rough and tough bodies. One of the things I found out about those who are my elders, is that they believe in being honest and they believe in the bond of a handshake.

 Many times I have wanted to go out and visit with writers like Bill Hall, Tom Hamilton and Mr. Jeff Hatton over in Greentown. Just recently I met up with Mr. Hall while visiting my brother who had cancer, and I found a man of distinction, honesty, and very knowledgeable,  I told him I would be back but my brother came home and I went down with some illness not known. It started with the chills, the skakes, the legs with no strength in them and cramps all around the middle section of my body. So since I can’t get out there to se him again, I hope that someone will visit with him, pick his brain and gain knowledge from one who has witten about his time and before.

We have a wealth of knowledge lying in the minds of people who have lived it and we need to ask them to relate back to us and those younger than me, as it is a treasure laying unopened, that could help us learn the nuts and bolts of life. In my lifetime so far, I have been blessed with knowing many people who bellieve as I do in that you need to let those younger know how it was in their day. A lot of youngsters of today are going the wrong way of life as they expeirment with the killing effects of dope. Many could of turned the other way and made something of their lives if only someone cared enough to enlighten them with the happenings of yesterday. My youngest daughter who passed away from cancer said to me one day. “Daddy , here they are trying to get me better with medicines and there are those kids out there on the streets killing themselves with it.” Oh I know I am not that pure person who never did anything wrong, but I know that education by my parents and teachers kept me from crossing that destructive path. You need to open your eyes to how things were yesterday and today and change accordingly. I want to say “Thanks”, and God Bless.
 

Ray “Uncle Ray” Day

#719
January 19, 2013

"About the past"

The years go by and the memories of a life long ago either stay within the hearts of those were there and done that, or laid away to gather dust and eventually be forgotten. For this writer and many others, we find that reliving those memories keeps us young and it gives us a chance once in a while to go back and remember those things that were so precious to our parents who passed those thoughts on to us to carry forth in today’s world, to enlighten those who come later. I remember Mother and all the little things she did in her everyday life as a wife, mother, and friend to the rest of us in the family. I remember our cousin Julia Marie who was there a lot and it was like having an older sister. Our oldest brother “Ernest" always called her “Sis”, and the name still sits in my heart as she still is one great lady who loves all of us. I remember cousins Hallie and Esther and Pat who were my age , and they all were and are great ladies. Hallie and Esther have passed on but their memories are with me always.

 As time goes by, we lose the companionship of those brothers and sisters, cousins and their parents, but we don’t lose the memories of a time that still is a precious memory of life. Both of my grandmothers lived into the ninties and lord love them, they were precious to all of us. Mom’s mother was one who said her peace and then backed it up while Dad’s mother was a quiet lady who didn’t say much but you better not get her upset because that little white haired lady could put you in your place. People back before me were ones who tried to get along with everyone but don’t open that door of distrust as they were set in their ways and that was one of trust among all and handshakes and their word were like gold. I never had the chance to know my grandfathers as they both were called home at an early age. And of course being younger than the oldest, they were able to know them if only a short time.

Grandmother Sapp moved to the state of Washington where she raised chickens and was remarried to a new husband who worked in another town so they saw each other only on weekends. There was a time when Grandmother was doing some trimming on her trees there at home and she was knocked to the ground by a falling limb and was there for a couple of days until husband John came home and found her. The story is that she resumed her trimming the next day and John just shook his head. She was one strong lady both in mind and in might. Grandmother camed home to live here in Kokomo with Cousin Marie who took care of her until the last closings of her eyes. Now with Grandmother Day, she remarried and buried two more husbands and the last one having the last name of Little, we called her Grandmother Little. She was about as sweet as they come but her sting was with power if she saw something wrong. One of the things I remember about her was that while fixing potatoes, she would sprinkle salt on a piece of potato, and eat it a little at a time. So one day, we were asking when supper was going to be and she said, it will be a little while, so take a cold potato and wait. I will never forget her saying that because every once in a while while fixing a meal, I would take a sliver of a potato and munch on it. Boy, our grandmothers were great ladies and loved by all the family.And so as I close for today, I look forward to some of you letting me know some favorite memories about your family, your likes or dislikes, and I will continue to tell you about mine. Like I say, the past is gone but the memories live on in my mind.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

"720
January 26, 2013

"Human or Machine?"

The times change while we drift along with our thoughts of how to better ourselves both in a comfortable and secure way so that our children can live in a world without fear of those who would try to take us over both in government and in our personal lives. As a child in the grade school at Willard School, we learned the traditional classes of Math, English, and History . The teachers were good ones who’s hands were not tied down by the rules of today brought forth by people who care less about the teachers and the students, elected on a platform of universal change through out the teaching profession. In the schools today, at least here in Indiana, we are setting our young folk up on using the computer instead of using everyday teaching of my time. It is my contention that computers are OK as a way to bring forth into the light another way of education. Now I am not saying computers should not be used. I am saying that my fear is that one day the networks the computers work on will go down and not come back on for some time. It is my thought that once that happens, where would we be as far as knowledge of events so long ago that are in my memories and not in those who leaned on the computer use for the answers. I say that the people who come from the old school would want to keep the basics of learning to the books and the teachers who teach the classes. Thank goodness, we gave our notice of get out and don’t come back in the recent election and that was good.

When I was in grade school, we participated in classroom discussion, blackboard work for the rest of the class, and homework to take home. Parents made sure that the children did their homework before going to bed. What you learned from the classroom discussion came into being with the homework taken home. Classes were ready to go as soon as the kids got seated. If there was someone in the class that might be a little less inclined to do their work at home, they were kept after school and parents were notified that the child was to be picked up later. What I am getting at is that we can’t depend on using the computer as the main tool of teaching. That is what the teachers are for. Where does anyone with common sense think that computers can do the jobs of good educated teachers? Oh sure, I work on the computer maybe 3 hours a day but it is to increase the knowledge of happenings that go on in the present time and not that of the history of our world, and our great men and women who got us to the present day without using the computer as the only way to be educated. As one who uses a computer, I taught myself through trial and error to work the computer but I don’t rely on it to be my only way to refreshen my mind of the things that made our country great. I would not of been able to do that if my early training was not brought forth by good educated teachers who put pride into their work and the way that they got the most out of their students.

 There are those out there who can’t master the use of a computer so where would they be without having their primary education given to them by good teachers. If someone asks me what the “Bill of Rights is, do I go to the computer or do I dig down into my memory bank to get the answers that were taught to me by human beings? Don’t get me wrong folks as the computer has a place in todays world but not to replace teachers who don’t have to push buttons for the answers. That is what our GOD gave us, a mind to use and to keep the answers in. I hope that we continue to get great teachers and less computers.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
 
 

"721"
February 2, 2013

Reliving my time with Mom & Dad

As I relive those wonderful days of old, I  get a little wet in the eyes and my heart goes pounding as the things that at the time did not really mean that much to us, now are memories so precious to me and my brothers and sisters. Mom standing at the cook stove for such a long time, you would think that she would want to sit down and rest. But rest was not her way of life when her man and her children were looking forward to some of the best eating there is. Mom was a great cook and she was a greater mother. I remember that in the mornings before school, she would have a big platter of bacon and eggs,  ready for us as we were all ready to start the day off right with a warm fed belly and at the door a nice wonderful hug and kiss for each of us. Man, you couldn’t start any day off better than that.

Dad would still be at the table taking his time tasting every little bite he took. Dad was never really the type to hug and kiss us but we knew he loved us anyway. About the only time we would see him would be at the breakfast table, right after he got home from work, or just before he would leave for his midnight turn at the mill. He was a hard worker because he knew that his family relied on him to bring home a payday each 2 weeks. While we were in school and he was at work, you would think that Mom would get a little rest but she always had something to do. If she did have time, she liked to play songs on her piano. Mom made quilts and she was good at it and usually each member of the family would get a quilt when they got married. She was good at darning socks and she always laughed when I would say that I had the best darn socks ever.

Mom was a cook that stayed with the same type of foods and tasting the bisquits smothered with butter that was running down our mouths, really het the spot with a good hot cup of coffee. To set it straight, we boys in the family were started on coffee early in life and we have never changed. Cornbread and beans with fried taters and onions made a meal for a king and sometimes she would surprise us with a big pan of mush for us made from scratch and she would slice it and fry in a lille lard or bacon grease and boy, that sure hit the spot. Always, there was some beans left over and Mom would make bean cakes by adding flour and seasoning with chopped onions and she would fry them like she did the mush. Boy, this old man is getting hungry just writing about the things that our mother cooked. She would make homemade pancakes and the sryup she used was made out of sugar and water heated up until it had some thickness to it. Eating meals at the Day household was a happening that was made by the best cook ever. And Mom just kept doing and doing, finding something to do until her family got home and when you got home, there she was standing at the door with a smile on her face that would light up the whole neighborhood if it was dark.

 I could go on and on writing about my mother but the hardest thing we ever had to do was give her back to God. She had done her time to the fullest down here on earth and God said, “Come my child, it is time to come home” For those of you out there who still have your mothers with you, I ask you to go to them and give them a good hug and kiss because even though you think that you did that a lot, there is always one more that you can give her. Mothers are a gift to us and we should show that we appreciated it..

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
 
 

"722"
February 9, 2013
 

Have we ever received the right answer?

It would seem  that my memories of my time at Continental Steel would be of no use to others since it has been 27 years since it’s passing. Yes, I said passing because that is what happened. The body that was one of the best steel mills in the good old US A. was milked dry of the blood that ran it. It wasn’t  a sudden happening, but one that made it get weaker each day and slowly but surely a company that made the best roofing, sheet metal stock, billets, chain link fence, wire, rods, nails and welded fabric, and had good workers who did their best to keep it afloat, and good supervisors down in the main plant. But when you have people who don’t care, doing all the underhanded things that was done by those who did the milking, you have to know that one day, the message would be heard loud and clear that the closing was near and nothing or no one could stop that from happening. But, why did a company which had such a good reputation for making some of the best products really closed down?

Down in the plant there were hard working employees who wanted to make as much money as possible so that their families would be warm and fed. Up in the main office, there were good employees who did their work each day because they too had families who looked to them to be fed and kept warm. In other words, The old Continental Steel was a factory that not only make great products , but also had the people on the jobs who wanted and needed to keep it going. So where does the blame lay? Let me tell you what I think and you can take it to the bank or you can throw it away . When stock was being bought by a secret source, we should of known that something was wrong. When the head of that outfit came to look over the business he bought, we should of know that something did not look good. When he showed up with frills on his shirt collar and sleeves we should of known that we were in for a time of worrying about our jobs and the families we wanted to feed and keep warm. People, who were supervisors who had good records of putting out a great product, were called to the front and told to hit the gate and don’t look back. Concessions were given by the employees to help keep our company going at a time when there wasn’t any reason to do so. The people gave and the ones at the top took it. I was in supervision and by knowing who was assigned to my department each day and checking that with the computer sheets sent down by the main office, I could see that something did not add up. How can a employee spend 8 hours in two different departments, on the same turn, on the same day? Many did not understand how to read those computer sheets and so they put them away or threw them out to the trash.

Continental Steel, later known as Penn Dixie Steel was slowly sinking away and nothing could be or even would be done to change that. Today, there is an big empty field out there on West Markland and until the EPA decides that they can’t make any more money off it, it will stay that way. That land could be a spot to bring Kokomo back to prominence if someone had the guts to chase away the ones who use it as a place to milk dry. Why do I care? Sometimes I wonder about that. I guess that I just wanted to set things straight for all those people who have families left here in Kokomo who wonder why did they lose their jobs. This could be my last time to relive the memories of a great company who got caught in the dealings of those who just did not care. For those who are still here, continue to ask why, until answers arrive.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

"723"
February 16, 2013
 

"Inventions made it better"

Remembering the past is a favorite hobby of mine because it gives me pleasure to relate to you the reader all the things my generation and those before me did to survive in a time that will go down in history as the great generation. Maybe those readers of today want to hear or read about more so I will continue to dig down in my bank of memories and bring them forth to you. In today's world one would not think it was possible to survive without gas cooking stoves, electric refrigerators and freezers, electric washers and dryers, and running water and toilet facilities inside the house. Well, that was part of life for those who lived before me and even some in my generation. Believe it or not, in my day there were many who still use outdoor toilets and water pumps outside. Sounds weird doesn’t it? Well that is what was the normal for generations before me and I usually got my information about those days of old from the older generation and by George you could take that information to the bank as today’s people would say. Think about going to the creek to wash your dirty clothes. Think about going to that little building out in the yard to take care of nature when needed. Oh yes, it wasn’t easy for those before me but the things they had to do turned out to be the reasons that newer situations were thought of and created so that my generation had a somewhat easier time of life as it was and then we thought and created newer ways of making life better and easier so that today’s generation might enjoy life without the hardships that my elders had to endure. Are we better today than we were in the old days? Well yes and no. We have all the easy ways of doing everyday chores but do we appreciate it? Do we really care how hard it was for our elders back in those times where families were close knit , and could we have endured such a hard way of life as it was for them? What I am getting at is this; Where would we be if none of those improvements were made? Could we do without a warm furnace when it is very cold outside? Could we do without the cooling from air conditioners when it is so hot outside. And could we survive as the people on the east coast who have had to endure the worst of situations, as their homes were demolished by high water and wind?

Just the other day, 4000 people were out having fun on a cruize and they lost power thus putting them in a situation of living in body waste and hot sun along with not having enough food to get by with. They suffered a time of turmoil because they were not prepared for having to resort to how it was in the old days before someone came along and said “lets make life better and easier by inventing a answer to how to survive in the most terrible times of turmoil”. As we go from day to day, we ask ourselves how can I do something that will not only benefit me but also all people of this land. Most of us will sit back and be content with life as it passes us by. Others will look for ways to improve life for all. So when you tell others to forget the past and live only for today, you lose because what came forth from the past continues today with thoughts of making it a little better for all and not just a few. I am thankful for what the generations before me did for those who will come later. Look up and then out so that you can get a full picture of life as it was, as it is, and how it could be , if we only cared about those who follow us. Yes, I will continue to write about the days of old until that time when I can’t anymore. I hope that you read my thoughts each week.

Ray “Uncle Ray “ Day
 

"724"
February 23, 2013
 

"Our Golden Years"

As we grow older and sometimes wiser, we find things  we did not know about or even cared to learn about. We find that those golden years which we have looked forward to are really not that great as along with it comes illness, being tired a lot, not wanting to get out of bed sometimes and putting on a few extra pounds , thus finding out that those clothes we thought we would use the rest of our lives had to be replaced. Your eating habits change too because of losing your teeth and not able to afford new dentures, along with the reflux you get from certain foods. So sometimes that big belly you are carrying around just might be a gas problem and when that blows, you don’t even want to know why there is a dampness in the area of the backside. There are or will be times when we go back to a time similar to being a baby as diapers are needed and the dome is bald.

 As for friends, only the true ones will have the gumption to tell you that you stink and could use a bath. The ones that laugh and make fun of you are not true friends and really you can do without them. And the money you have been saving all those years so that you can live close to the way you did in the early years, seems to not be enough for you and you go out to find a job and you are told that there just isn’t too much available in the job field. Then there are the young ones who always say”Grandpa, it really wasn’t like that , was it?" Kids just don’t want to believe that we  and those before us actually had to work for what we received. In today’s world, there are many young folk along with an alarming number of folks my age, that think that the hand should be out to receive and not to work with.

So as we enter the golden age, are we better off or worse that what it was in our working years? It should be because no more do you have to rise at the early hours of the day, nor do you have to stay with a certain task for 8 hours like it was in earlier times. No more packing a lunch to eat at a time set forth by your boss, and then find out that some things are not in the bag. No more breathing the air that is full of smoke. Oh wait, there are still those out there who are filling our air with their smoking. So, as we do grow older we still have those things that linger on and play a drastic happening to our bodies and those we love. When we really get down to some heavy thought, we really have not changed things that much. Our golden years will still be ones we love because it is what we have waiting for all those working years and we take it one day at a time, and we enjoy our lives the same. As we grow older in years, we wonder what we could of done different and really what we did was live our lives, supported our families, and kept the bills paid. Maybe what we have to show for it is what it should be. We took life and we lived it. We treasure all the memories that came with those years and gosh darn it, if that wasn’t enough, then go sit in the corner and feel the closeness of the two walls around you. Get out of that corner and enjoy the time you have left because it can be the best time of all. We are weak but we are strong in the thoughts that life was given to us to enjoy and not to let it go by way of the thoughts of dispair. One day at a time, with the thought at the end of the day, that we made the most of it. Love life to the highest, and let God Bless.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

"725"
March 2, 2013
"More about Then"

When going back to those days when life was tough but worth it, I think about those things that made a mark in my memory book and even though I can’t go back physically, my thoughts remain in a way that it seems like I am right there redoing things that I did as a child. I can remember when each of Neva, Wanda and Russell were born, but by different doctors right there at home. The doctors always carried a big bag that had the tools of his trade and  medicine in it too. The bedroom door was closed and the only ones in there were the ones who would help Mom with the delivery. Dad usually stayed out in the living room, waiting for that baby’s cry and then he would go in and help out with whatever needed to be done. Our brother John was born in the hospital and he was the last one to enter the family.

 Bringing children into the world was no more for Mom and Dad. They had 14 children born to them and it was time to just live life as it is given to them. Always after Mom gave birth to the kids, it would not be long before she was back on the job taking care of her family as only she could. It was nothing to see her hanging out the wash or scrubbing the floors. That lady was a work-a-cholic, you might say. Dad would catch as much work overtime as possible so that there was money coming in. I have to say right here that five of their children died before I was born, so except for Ernie and Bob, I did not know my other siblings before me.

I look at then and come back to now and there is so much difference in how people think and do as to the bringing up of their children. As a youngster, I was part of a family that breathe love and caring down to all. Chores were delegated to each boy and girl in the family. Outside work like garden and chopping of firewood were the chores of the boys along with doing the dishes after a meal. That also included bringing in the coal and wood inside for heating and cooking. We also took turns stoking the fire so that the family could be warm at night. The girls in the family helped Mom do some cooking and setting up the dinnerware for the meals. Also moping the floors, and cleaning the windows as well as hanging out the wash when Mom was too busy to do it. In a family, you did your part and that was what was so great about living back then. You did your part and you did not ask for money to do it. Mom always had a big hug and kiss for all her children and for me that was enough. The kids back then went out and found ways to make some spending money. I had a paper route when I was eleven and when I did not do that, I was out looking for junk to sell to the salvage companies. Mervis was one of the best places to take the junk as they were fair with what they paid you..The Mervis family as a whole was a great family.

When it came time to play games, there were always someone in the neighborhood to play with and playing softball in the Globe American parking lot on the weekends was the spot to be. I remember the ice cream wagon coming through the neighborhood and those of us who had the money would just about clean that wagon out. So life that some today would think as rough was really the mark of the times and life was good because you were loved by the two best people in the world, Mom and Dad. In todays world, there is a stigma attached to doing things around the house. It was our way to honor the father and the mother by doing things that would make their work easier to do. And is how it should be.

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day

The next page will have 25 columns writings from March 2, 2013
HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED MY COLUMNS SO FAR.