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The other night, while watching Sixty Minutes, there was a story about a couple who adopted two children, because they were unable to have any themselves. The love they gave those two children, was just like two parents would of given to children that they would of gave actual birth to. They were two happy people who had thier hopes and wishes fullfield by adoption. But then something happened that would change thier lives and leave them in pain and agony. It seems that the youngest of the two had somehow fallen and when he hit the floor, he was damaged in the next neck and head area. They rushed the child to the hospital, where the doctors and nurses worked on him to try and save him. The youngster died on the table, and the parents were subjected to a terrible rash of questions from the police, who were called by the doctor on duty. The doctor said that through his experience with this type of death, he knew that the baby had died from what he labled"Shaking Baby Syndrone". He showed , using animated grafics, how this could cause a baby to be injured and the result could be death.. Now remember that this doctor had never seen this baby before, nor the parents, but he was able to say without a doupt that this child was killed by shaking.
And so the parents went through hell on earth, because they were damaged by the accusation of another person, of child abuse. The city, through the courts, arrested the mother on circumstansal evidence, with no actual proof, except that of the doctor on duty. The parents had to stop being alone with the other child, and so had to live down in the basement and only spent time with the girl, when there was someone else present. The mother ended up spending some time behind bars and the city prosecuter charged her with killing the child. As the case came to court, the prosecuter found out that his case wasn't as complete as he thought, and that if the case was to go to a jury, it was possible that she could be let go. So a plea bargain was offered and the mother was told that if she pleaded guilty, she would be able to go home and resume her life with her husband and child. And so that is what she did, so that they could put this whole terrible mess behind them. All those neighbors and friends who were with her all the way were sorry that she had to do this to get free, but they still stayed along side her because they knew that she couldn't be guilty of doing what they were accusing her of doing.
And so the mother was set free to go home with her husband and be with her other child, hoping that all this would just go away and life would go on. But does it go away and will thier lives be not affected by going through this hell on earth. My answer to this is no, it won't go away and yes, thier lives have been affected greatly by this whole mess. To be accused of doing wrong without evidence is wrong. To be prosecuted without any strong evidence, is more wrong. To be told that the only way to be able to go home was to plead guilty to a crime where there is doupt in the prosecuter's mind that he could win his case is a miscarriage of justice. To live the rest of your life bearing the scar of pleading guilty to a charge of child abuse and murder, when you are not guilty, is to give you a life sentence of misery, because somewhere out there, there is someone who will remember only the accusations and not the result. Even though a person is found innocent by a jury, the stigma of being accused lives with that person for the rest of his or her lives.
Where do we place the blame of this whole mess? Starting with the doctor , who by law has to notify the police anytime there is a slight doupt of how a child is injured, he was doing his job. But to enter his own personal feelings in the report is wrong. He should of backed off and let the law do thier job. Then the so-called experts that were called on to give thier views was wrong also. By doing this they branded the man and woman as possible child abusers, without no evidence. In other words they were not innocent until proven innocent. And for the prosecuter to change from a charge of guilty because he found flaws in his case, to a plea bargain getting the same result, really makes me sick. Where did the innocent until proven guilty part of our system go? The branded scar of guilty will stay with that family for several generations, and one only hopes that the friends that she had will continue to stand by her side and knock down any memory of that time when our justice system stopped to move thier bowells
As this old man writes this, I am very dissapointed that this could happen in a land of the free, and I hope that something was learned from it. To accuse someone of an act without any strong evidence, is to brand that person with a scar for the rest of his or her lives. To bear false witness is to forever deny that person peace and to attempt to send that person away through our court system without making sure that it is a solid case without any doupt, is to deny all the rest of us a chance to live in peace without fear of it happening to us. There is no doupt in my mind that we have the best system in the world, but there are holes in it that need to be filled. We use plea bargaining to get to the big crooks and so let the little ones back out on the streets where in time they move up to be the big crook. And in this case mentioned above, we use it to keep our innocent victim from spending life in peace as it should be.
A final thought and we will end our little visit today. My dad always told me that if you can;t say something good about someone, don't say anything at all. There were many times when Dad was without words. To brand someone with a false accusation, without any proof, is to be subject to answering to The Great Father on judgement day. I hope that this week, I have presented a good solid case of "innocent until proven guilty" Thanks for listening, and remember that those guilty in the killing of all those people in New York and D.C. will not go without severe punishment. We will never have closure until those guilty are taken out.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day--
Most of the people living today do not remember World War 2. Only the ones who were born in the thirties or before remember that day when we were bombed at Pearl Harbor. I remember sitting on the floor at our home and listening to President Roosevelt saying. "This Day Will Go Down In Infamy". I remember listening as our older folk worried about sending their youngsters to fight for freedom and also for the revenge against a nation who while their people were talking in Washington, took it on themselves to bring the good old USA in the battle. Well folks, they were wrong then and they were defeated and today that group of cowards who hit and run will soon be defeated and removed from this earth.
The bad part of all that has happen is that we as victims want to label all the Islamic as bad. And that my friends is wrong. That is what those who did this act wants. They not only want to take us down in the financial sector , but also they want turmoil amoung all who exist in this great world.
Now to answer some of those questions, why did it happen? I feel that those who want to feel powerfull, want to be able to grind Americans to their knees. It won't happen. How did it happen? We were too relaxed. We never thought anyone would dare to strike us. Well, you can bet we will be prepared from now on. Where were the people who were supposed to know what was going on? Well, I can't answer that but I bet they will be on the spot from now on. What are our leaders going to do about it? Well, I think that as soon as they know for sure who is guilty and once they know that they can get them, they will go in and take them out dead or alive. Once that is done, then we as a nation who wants to remain free have to bolster up our defense and let the rest of the world know that they are either with us or against us. It is that simple.
I remember as a child when there were blackouts in our city so that planes overhead could not see any lights. Most of that was in practice so that if and when the need would arise, we would be ready. The fear never went away, but also the bravery never went away either. Most of the battles between the other countries was done on their own land and we as a nation sent our men and women overseas to fight so that our country could remain free. That is until now, and now we have to brace ourselves for whatever might happen. We as a nation of freedom and the American way have to pull together and unite into one force of people who want to remain free. It is time for the whites, the blacks, the browns, the yellows and the reds, to say that we will unite into one group to fight anyone who wants to take us out. We are all Americans and we are all God's Children. We will take care of our land and we will protect our families from those who will feel the wrath of GOD as they are sent to hell.
Those who know me real well know that I am not associated with any group either religious or polictical. I am an American. I am a Christian and I am saved. I can talk with any group as long as they don't try to change my views. I will not try to change theirs. that is what this country means to me. It gives me the freedom of speech, the right to assembly, the right to pray in my own way, and the right to vote for whoever I want. For all the years of my grown-up life, I have not been afraid to move around any where I want. I have not been afraid to go to sleep at night with the window open. I like all of you have all these freedoms to use as I see fit and I am not about to change and hide in fear because some group has tried to take us down. We must go on with life as we have for all these many years, but we need to be alert and be aware that somewhere out there some group who doesn't want to live on this earth any longer, will try to change our way of life. We should not live in fear, and we should be ready to take out those who would want us to fear them..
To all my old friends from the old days and for all those who have
made my life here on this great earth, I say GOD BLESS, and to this great
country, I say GOD BLESS THE USA. Lets' all gather together as one and
remain that way after we take care of this tragedy.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day--
Before I get on with my article for today, I want to remember
a fine man who not only was a protector of the people, and a good employee
of the City Of Kokomo, but he also was a great friend. Harold Braden went
home to be with GOD, and I, as will his many friends and co-workers will
miss his great smile and friendship. We are blessed here in our city with
many great people and Harold was right up there at the top of my list.
I sure will miss him coming into the store to just say hello.
As I sit here thinking about what to write about, I am reading a letter from Orangeburg, South Carolina from a Ginny Shaffer, who's Grandfather, Robert Grant worked at the Continental Steel Corporation.. He died while on his job in 1938, and had been an employee there since 1905. She stated that she read in the paper that I had proposed that some sort of a memorial should be erected on the site where the steel mill stood for all those years. She said that those who lived in the city of Kokomo and employed by Continental were one of a kind. She said that at the time of Grandpa's death, there was no retirement, no pension, and Social Security had not taken effect yet.She said that it is a shame that a man who literally worked a lifetime for the mill, never owned a house, nor a car, and who walked to work every night and never missed a shift, should not be remembered, along with the hundreds of others like him, who gave their life's blood for Continental Steel. She stated that although she lives so far away, she is still a daughter of Kokomo. Evidently that is so true because she still reads the newspaper from her home town.
There have been many people who are children of old steel workers who feel the same way that Ginny does. This writer has always said that something should be done to remember all those men and women who made their living at the steel mill. I hope that when it is time to do something with the old steel mill site that a little patch of it about where the main gate was is set aside for some little garden of plants and flowers with a sign saying that our folks worked there. I hope that if the Mayor is reading this, he will try to implement it into his plans for the site.
Going through some old newspaper clippings in the May 14 , 1960 edition of the Kokomo Tribune, I found some old memories of a day gone by. Remember "Talk Of The Town" written by Frank Gregory. I always looked forward to his little column, because he said what he wanted to say and he gave praise where deserved. And on the sports page there was "Diamonds In The Rough" by Bob Ford. Here was a man who knew his sports and he wrote in a way that made you think you were right there. At that time, Kokomo was in the Midwest League and they had just split a doubleheader with Quincy. In the classifieds there was a picture of a young Archie Cooksey who said he would sell you a new 19 inch Admiral TV, for only $!.99 a week with no down payment. He was with Cooksey and Miller at 511 North Washington. Sears was on 118 East Walnut and they had an advertisement of Chain Link Fence, where they would give you a free estimate, no money down and up to 36 months to pay for it. Well I know where they bought their fence because it was from Continental Steel and that fence was the best made and you can still see many homes still with that chain link fence around it.
Looking at the movie section of that paper, I saw where "Operation Mad Ball" and "The Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad" was showing at The Colonial Movie House. At The Sipe Theatre, "Please Don't Eat The Daiseys " as showing with Doris Day. At The Indiana Theatre there was a doubleheader showing "Prime Time" and "Carnival Story". At The ISiS, they were showing " Gunmen From Laredo" and "Battle Of The Coral Sea" At The South Drive In Theatre, it was "The Gene Krupa Story" along with "The Giant Behemoth". At The North Drive In Theatre, It was "The Angry Red Plant", along with "Bowery To Bagdad" with Leo Gorsey and The Bowery Boys. You can't say that there wasn't anything to do back in those days, because if you didn,t want to go to a movie, you could take in a night at "The Capri Room" or at "The Casa Grande".
I am asked many times why I dwell in the past instead of letting it go, and I can only answer that question in this way. The past was my beginning as it was with all of you. To just let it be forgotten is to say that it was not important in my growing up. Not to remember all the good times in the old days is to say that they must of been bad ones. To forget all your friends and family members who have since passed away, would be to say that they were not a part of your life at all. I can't and I won't ever do that. My life as a youngster is a very important part of my life now and the friends that I had then and still have will always be my friends until the day that I pass on to be with those who have already been given the gift of eternal life. And the memories of the old days will always have a spot in my heart and brain, because they give me great pleasure recalling them and also telling others about them. That , my friends is my love for all of you that has befriended me in these last sixty-four years. Without your friendship, I might of went the wrong way in life. I think and I know that the road of life as I have walked it will get me to my final destination one day, and I might counter some detours along the way, but because of you and your friendship, I will make it.
The thing that really keeps me going in my writing is that through it, I am doing several things. By reading my articles, you can do your own reaching back into the past, because it brings up things that you remember, and you can add to it. Another thing that it does is that it can reach out to those who are daily fighting some illness, that needs someone to help with. Many of my readers have expressed to me how by reading my words, they have fought harder and are getting better. A lady in New York, who has cancer is in remission now because someone cared enough to talk with her and to pray for her. An e-mail from her last week said that she is doing a lot better and that she worked about five blocks from the Twin Towers, and that cancer at that time was the last thing in her mind. A man here in Kokomo said that he looks forward to reading my column each Sunday because it gets him ready for church, and he can sit there and listen to his minister talk about the same things that I write about. It is a circle of events that slowly helps you and I to connect. Most of the time, as I sit here writing, I find that the words just flow out onto the screen and they tell my thoughts that come straight from the heart. The Great Father puts those words there into my heart to give back to you. Thanks for letting me know how you feel about my articles. Because of that I am proud.
Ray"Uncle Ray" Day
As the thoughts of what tomorrow will bring in light of the September
11, 2001 Tragedy, I look back to the past to see and feel the hurt and
the final solution to the wars that this great country had to be in to
preserve the freedoms we have now. war has been in this world from the
start. The serpant was the enemy then and we are paying for that still.
But as the time progressed, man and women progressed, and the world began
a life of turmoil, with groups splitting off into factions, proclaiming
that their ideas were the right ones to follow. There has been a war in
the far east since it's beginning and there will be war until it's ending.
That is something that we as Americans , have no way of stopping. They
will fight until there is no more or until The Great Father decides that
enough is enough. But why bring in America , who through the years since
the Pilgrims landed here, have tried to make this world a better place?
Why did so many innocent people have to die , because a coward who hides
in caves, and is condemed by his religion, wants to take America down?
Why doesn't the Izamic religion take this man out before he kills more
innocent people. The people who died on the terrible day did no wrong to
that coward, yet he took it upon himself to punish the United States Of
America, by killing all those people. And the only way for a peaceful nation
to make sure that it does not happen again is to eliminate him from the
human race. Once that is done, then The Great Father will do his judging
and HE will send that lowly coward to the place that we know as hell. There
he will be alone in his own pocket of fire, to endure the pain od damnation.
Through my years on this great land given to us by The Great Father, I have witness the WW2, The Korean War, The VietNam War, and The Gulf War. But those before me were witness to many wars, and those wars were to try and preserve freedom in our country. Freedom is here for all of us and to keep it, we must do everything possible to keep it. There will always be someone somewhere who wants to take us over or to take us out. Our world is not perfect, nor are the people in it. Everyone needs a leader that they can count on to guide them and keep them free.
Since that terrible day when someone dared to do that cowardly act, I have witness the coming together of the people here in this great country. I have witness the coming together of our representatives in our capital, backing our President in his quest to rid our world of the terrotists, who use their religion as a reason to kill innocent people. I have witness the outcry of the people of that religion who have denounced the act of killing, and I have witness the comming together of the children in our schools who are now doing what we did when I was in school, and that is reciting The Pledge Of Allegience, and the return of prayer in the schools. Everywhere you look, you see an American flag flying free as we tell the world that we will fight to keep what is ours, and that my freinds is freedom.
By the way, if you have trouble being loyal to America, I suggest that you go back in time and listen to Kate Smith singing her songs of patriotism. I know that after you have heard her sing "GOD BLESS AMERICA", you will feel the butterflies in your stomach, the fluttering of your heart and the wanting of freedom for all . This lady who was sort of large in girth, had a heart that was large too. She was and will always be the finest voice in music in my mind. I would say that if you listen to one of her songs and you don't feel the way that I mentioned, then just maybe you aren't as patriotic as you think. Just maybe, your heart is not in the right place. But that is for you to decide and not for me or anyone else to judge. That is because we live in AMERICA, the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The main thing that I am trying to impress on you is that we have had a wake-up call, and for the most part we have responded to it in the right way. But even though we must be on the elert for those who want to take us down, we should not be judgemental of others just because of their nationality or color. And we should not be condeming GOD for what has happen. GOD would never do to us the terrible things that happened on September 11, 2001. we must keep the faith and we need to go about our everyday life each day in the same way that we have before this. Of course the ones who have been doing wrong, should of gotten a bigger wake-up call than others because the road that they walk will be a short one and they will need the help of all of us one day.
Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I am not a doomsayer, nor am I any more important than anyone else in God'seyes. I try to walk the straight and narrow road and sometimes I get off the path and encounter a detour. That is where I use common sense to get back on that straight road, because that is what The Great Father wants me to do. So to end this weeks column, I hope for the following; I hope that the war is over and the cowards have been brought to justice. I hope that everyone uses that common sense and not panic. And I hope that all of you keep the faith, and I hope that you will continue to read and comment on my columns each Sunday in this newspaper." Keep the faith.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
As time goes by, and things change, we sort of live in a fixed
pattern of life as we were trained as children to live by. And there are
times when a person fines out that time has passed him by without allowing
him or her to adjust to the new situations. Most of the time, that is our
fault because we didn't want to change. Some times it is because we haven't
looked out to see what is changing and why it is changing. Things do change
with time and so do most of us. But as I write this week's column, I think
back to last week when I discovered that the ribbon on my old Smith-Carona
typewriter needed changing. My gosh, I don't think it had been changed
once since we got it for the two daughters back in the sixties, and it
still was working ok to use. Trying to find a ribbon with both red and
black is sort of an impossible task, but after going to some of the new
stores and having no luck, I decided to call one of the old mainstays here
in Kokomo, Beckleys, and I found on the other end of the phone, one nice
lady who told me she could order it and have it for me the next morning.
I was amazed to hear this because normally having to order something takes
a few days to get here, and this fine lady said that she would have it
tomorrow for me to pick up.
So the next morning, I drove uptown to Beckleys , parked right in front of the store, went in and said who I was, and this fine lady went right over to get the ribbon and took care of me right away. While I was there, I told her that the last time that I had been in this building was when it was the K&S Department Store. And it brought back a lot of old memories of my young life when the people of that time were able to come downtown or uptown, depending on where you were coming from, and be able to go to The K&S, Woolworths, Kresges, Hooks, Bostons, McClellands, Rapps, Kambers, and many other great stores to buy whatever you needed and to walk through those stores and meet some of the greatest people around, who's main goal was to make you happy with their wares. Such was a time that still stands in my mind as the greatest period in our city of Kokomo, Indiana.
Just about all of the old places are gone now , and so are the ones who ran them and were there to assist you. But there are still some old places that this old man visited, such as Victory Bike Shop, which had one of the nice people running it by the name of Charles Sullivan. who probaly is still there. Up north there is The Walt Moss Barber Shop, and probaly Walt is still there standing behind the first chair taking care of his customers, just as he did with me from 1953 to the year of 2000. I don't need any haircut anymore, as The Great Father has finally let my head go the almost perfect path to be shown to all the world to see. Most people call it bald, I just call it perfect. Just to the north of the barber shop, there is Jamies, who used to be across the street on the northeast corner, and he is still there to serve you. The old Tribune Building is still there about a block to the east and across to the south is the Kokomo Public Library. There are still a lot more old places still around here in Kokomo, and the one that stands out in my mind as one where if you can't find something anywhere else, you could find it there at Handy Handy Hardware. Mr McCarter ran that place for a long time and I think his children are taking care of it now. That is a place as you walk into the door, you are amazed as to how much can be put in a place and still be very visable to the customer. And the expertise that the people there have for their product is amazing too. As soon as you walk into the door, you feel like they already know what you need. They really are great people who as members of the Kokomo community, have been there up on Kingston Corner for a long time.
Such is the way that I remember how we as customers, were recieved by the people who through the years have taken care of us. Many have closed down and have retired, but there are still many who through the years have maintained their business here in Kokomo through their offspring to take care of the old customers as well as all the new ones too. I could go all day with my thoughts of how it was back in the old days , but I have to realize that times do change and some things are no more, but I bet if you really look hard enough, you will find one of those old stores still doing business and there to take care of you just as they did in those days gone by.
In this age of throw away goods, I think back in time when something you went out to buy had to be good enough to last for a long time. You saved up to buy what you wanted and you didn't want to have to wait until you had enough saved for another. You took pride in shopping around and making sure that the item you wanted was of good quality and a reasonable price. In today's market, it is to go ahead and buy and if it don't last, then we will buy a new one. Are we a wasteful society or is it that the money comes easier now? I would say that the reason that people buy now is more for intertainment and conveinence than for need. Whether we need it or not, we still buy and then let it sit there in the corner until company comes so that you can brag about it. Now, that is not to say that all people are like that. There are many out there who are getting by by the skin of their teeth. Many only are able to enjoy today's luxuries, if they are given to them as gifts or if they are able to buy them at flea circuses or wholesale markets. Every little penny means a lot to them and a little help from someone is deeply appreciated, even though it is not asked for.
If you know someone who is having a hard time making it in this world, you should try and make things better for them by donating some of those things that you will never use or need. Clean out that freezer once in a while and give the food to someone who really needs it. That is what it is all about, helping others in need. It is getting that time of the year when our thoughts seem to be about getting something for Christmas, but what about giving something for that family that can really use it. Our city and county has always been in a giving mood during this part of the year and I hope that this year will bring hope to those who need food , warmth, and housing. and to sign off for this week, I am going to ask you to take time tonight to say a little prayer for Uncle Ray, because I sure can use it. Because of you, I am able to maintain my goal of trying to bring some old memories to you through this column. I hope that you enjoy them, May GOD BLESS ALL. My email address is uncleray64@writeme.com
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day-
Many times in my life, I have feared the happenings of that time
in life and thus my faith gets me through. Through my early years , I had
Mom and Dad to guard my life and to help me through my fears. They
were always there for all of us children to lean on and to hide behind
if someone tried to hurt us. That is what Moms and Dads are for.
They have been entrusted with the responsibility of not only raising their
children, but also to protect them until that time in life when the child
has grown up and can stand on his or her own two feet. But does it end
there or does the parent still share in the son or daughter's life as to
be there if and when the fear is so great that he or she can't decide on
a path to walk on.? I would say that a parent's responsibility as long
as they are still on this great earth, is there for the asking.
There is nothing wrong in going to Mom or Dad for advice,
as long as you who requests it are going to use it. Now there has to be
a line drawn as to what you ask for. If you have done wrong and are trying
to get away with it, then asking for someone to hide behind is a form of
dis-respect for your parents. If you are deeply in bills created by silly
spending or betting, don't put Mom or Dad in hock just to get you right.
In other words, don't expect Mom and Dad to get you out of a hole that
you kept digging for yourself until it got too deep that you couldn't climb
out of. That is your fault and you should get yourself out of that
hole.
You and I were given to our parents by GOD to raise and nurture until that time when we are able to leave those arms of love and begin our lives in the same way that they did. It is a circle that keeps going until the end of time. It is a circle of love that grows on you and you pass it on to your children. When you are ready to leave those arms of love and go out into that mystery of life, you have to do so with the code of self respect and love of the family way of life. It is a different life and yet is a copy of the life that you had growing up. Life is like the blooming of a flower in the spring, only to dry up in the fall, yet to rebloom in the spring again. Life is what you make of it, remembering all the things that Mom and Dad taught you while you were under their direction. Those my age were youngsters when World War 2 was going on and if it hadn't been for my parents who were there to hold us in their arms to protect us from the fears of war, just maybe this old man would of been a mess of nerves. But they were there and thank God for that.
Sometimes in life, we as the adult, are given the task of taking care of our Mother and Father, because they have undergone a sickness or they just have trouble getting around due to age . That is where we repay them for bringing us up and instilling into us the respect of others. How many times have you who still have your parents here with you, taken them out to have a nice meal? How many times have you just called them or gone over to see them? If they are in a nursing home, are you taking the time to visit with them on a regular basis? And for those who have seen their parents take that wonderful trip to HEAVEN, do you visit their graves out of respect for everything they did for you? My parents have been HOME with THE GREAT FATHER for many years, and I visit the gravesites of them and the rest of my family as many times as I can, and while there, I tell them that I love them. Do they hear me? I know they do, because they are in HEAVEN and GOD lets them hear those words. It only takes a few minutes out of your life but it is sure worth it. I sure miss my mother and father, but I know that they are in a much better place now and both of them deserve it. I love you, "Mom and Dad", very much.
This old man likes to talk about Mom & Dad, because through the memories of being one of their children, I have been greatly enriched with love for everyone. Through them, I was given the gift of respect for all, and the gift of feeling for those who need someone to care. Mom and Dad didn't have much in the form of money, but they had much more in the love for all their children, and the chore that GOD gave them when he sent fourteen children to them to raise and nurture, was performed with satisfaction by all of us.
Give Mom and Dad a call today or take time out to visit the graves and tell them that you love them, and while you are there, tell them that I love them too. Until next week, when we visit through this column, as always say a little prayer for me tonight and GOD BLESS ALL.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day-
As I look back in time and remember my childhood, I try to remember
those who I knew and respected as a look up to figure. This week I am going
to tell you about two people who I knew and was close to. Many times
in our lives, we tend to forget those who were there as part of your life
and who meant a lot to you and so you sort of tried to copy that person,
because you admired him or her.
One such person was known by me all my life until The Great Father called him home. He was known by all his family and friends as "Bud". That is what I always called him since I first knew him up until his death. In his early years he was a lean type of person, who never met a person he didn't like. The same was true in that Bud was liked by all he met. I remember that he had a special buddy by the name of James Weaver and the two of them were unseparatable. You see one, you see the other. And the ladies really liked him because he had that sort of John Wayne look and additude to match. And when Bud had something, he shared it with his friends and family.. Bud came home one night sort of tanked up because he and some of his friends got ahold of some beer and he couldn't handle it. His mother met him at the door and told him that since he made a fool of himself by drinking, he could suffer the sobering up out on the porch, because she was not going to let him in until he was sober. It was pretty cold that night and when morning came, she let him in and he went right to bed and slept all that day and all that night and half of the next day. He had learned a valuable lesson that day and he knew that his mother meant what she said.
Bud went off to war during the Korean Conflict, and he did a little paratropping only to break his leg and so he had to go to ground patrol. When he came back to Kokomo, he married and they had some children and he lived a good life working at Stellite and enjoying fishing as his number one hobby. That man could sit on a bank with his line in the water and be as happy as one who had a million dollars. He was one happy person with his wife and kids out on Park Avenue, where he lived. It didn't take much to please this jolly man who had gone from a lean machine to a robust chunky type, who never turned down a chance to eat a good meal.
But Bud came down with cancer, and so he had to start with chemo
and then radiation to try and kill the cancer. He spent a lot of time down
in the hospital in Indy and when you went in the room to see him, he was
the same jolly person that we had known for many years. That is until they
told him that they could do no more for him. This giant of a man was told
that his time was limited and although this would of been a hard blow on
the average person, Bud was a man with faith and he took the news like
a man who knew that his final days were close and his trip to HEAVEN was
scheduled. This was a man who loved his family very much and he didn't
want to leave them, but he knew that GOD was calling him home. Bud died
on August 30, 1977 at the young age of 49.
Another man who I knew, who was known to all his friends as "Happyjack" was a person who knew no enemies. Everyone he came in contact with took him into their families and were lifelong friends with him. Here was a fellow who came from a large family, and yet everyone was his family. Happyjack loved to just go up to someone's house and spend the day just sitting on the porch and talking with his friends. Here was a man who really didn't want for anything, yet he was a happy-go-lucky type of man, and he made his visits so enjoyable, that his friends would always tell him to hurry back to see them. Happyjack wasn't in any sports, nor was he in any activities, but he knew how to intertain his friends. Happyjack went away to the state of Washington to spend some time with his grandmother and there was always someone asking when he was coming back to Kokomo. Happyjack soon came back to Kokomo, because he had the girl of his dreams here and he missed her very much.
Happyjack got married soon after he came home and through the years he and his wife Willadean had four beautiful daughters. That man sure loved each and everyone of those girls and he was so proud of them. You could see the gleem in his eyes as he watched over those young ladies as they grew up. He was protective , yet he gave them space. And although he had his family to love, he never forgot where he came from, and he still went and visited with all of his old friends. To this day, I hear some of his old friends asking how he is.
Happyjack was taken down with a massive heart attack , and died on Labor Day of 1983, about a month and a half before reaching 49 years of age. Just before being strickened, he was giving his grandchild a big hug, just like he would do to anyone he knew. He had love in his heart and he freely gave of it to all he met. He, like Bud was taken early in life , called HOME to be with GOD.
You probaly are wondering how I knew so much about Bud and Happyjack, and so I will tell you how. Bud's real name was Ernest E Day and Happyjack's real name was Robert L. Day and they were my two older brothers, and they deserve the praise I have given to them in this article. Many times when I get to the point of thinking that my days here on earth are about to end, I think about seeing them again as I do with my parents and my daughter Patricia. I, like Bud and Happyjack, still have so much here on earth to love, but when the time comes to depart on that ladder to The Promise Land, I will be ready, just as they were. But the sad thing that I know in my heart is that I ,as a brother, never took the time to say man to man that I loved each of them while they were still here. Coming out of a large family, you just sort of take it for granted that each one loves the other, and so you don't take the time to actually say so. It seems that Bud and I could always talk to each other because we both liked to fish, and we liked sports, but with Happyjack there was always something there that kept us just a little apart, and now I think that all it was , was not saying to each other that we loved each other. Children who are close in age as we were , seem to try to do things that get them more attention from the family , and so they really don't take the time to look in the mirror at themselves and realize that they are loved just as much as the other in Mom and Dad's eyes.
Bud and Happyjack still have the proof of their love here in our city in the forms of the wives and the children, that they loved while still here , and they both are missed very much. What I am trying to say to you, is that all you have to do is tell someone you love them. The rest comes naturally. As always, it is my great pleasure to visit with you each Sunday, and if I have opened the door for you to do something that you have wanted to do for a very long time, then I have done well. e-mail me at uncleray64@writeme.com . Any comments are greatly appreciatted.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
But what about those who have no food, no home, no warm clothes, and no love of his or her freinds? Those are the ones who would be depressed, and so they wonder all the time why is it happening to them, and they don't know how to get back on track with life . Where do those people go to get help, and how long will it take to get well. Well, even though I will be stepping on someone's toes with my answer, I will give it anyway.
First off, depression is a thing of the mind, where someone has turned off all reasoning, and they think that everything is going against them. Depression in today's world is sometimes a natural part of everyday life, but it is not something that can't be fixed. Sometimes it takes some visits to a doctor to be examined and medicine prescibed for it. Sometimes it takes several visits to someone who will sit there and listen and who will try to bring them back to reality, without prescibing many different medicines to balance out the brain chemicals. Sometimes the depression is so bad that a person suffering from it, might have to be placed in the hospital so that they can keep a eye on them to see what is really bothering them. There is one thing to do before you decide to find help. That is, to ask yourself why you are depressed. Find out why and how you got this way. Many times it is some little thing that is blocking your way to reality. Ask yourself if there is anything that you can do to change it. If so then do it. If not, then forget about it and get on with your life. Dad and Mom always told me that if you can't do anything about it then don't worry about it. And those who lived in the old days had a lot to be depressed about, but they were too busy to worrry about it.
That , my freinds is how I would fight depression. I would either
get me a hobby, change my way of life, or I would seek help from someone
who cares. To just sit there and drown in self pity is the wrong road to
take. Remember that if you keep your body busy, the brain will be busy
too and it won't have a chance to send down a message that you are depressed.
I am not a doctor nor am I schooled in the way that depression comes about
, but an old freind of mind who has been around for a long time by the
name of "Common Sense" whose has another freind by the name of "Don't Worry"works
with "The Brain" and "The Heart" to bring around my freind "Calm" and we
just sit back and think this whole thing out. Now if you want to, these
freinds can be yours too just by asking for them. They have been waiting
in the background for you to visit with them.
To sit around depressed and not do anything about it, is to just waste your remaining days on this great earth, and you are not only hurting yourself ,but also you are hurting those around you that love you, but they don't want to get in the same problems that you are having. Remember that you have those out there who love you and want to help you, but you have to be the one to open the door for them. Take it from this old man that depression can be whipped if you want to do it. There is nothing out there that is so bad that you can't beat it if you want to. And there is someone out there that is holding on to you trying to let you make the decision to get well. HE is always there and HE always will be. Start this morning off with a thank you to HIM for allowing you to be a part of HIM.
Through out my years here on this great land that The Great Father made for us, I have seen the worst and the best of life. I have to say that losing our daughter to cancer has to be the worst thing that we have had to experience. Witnessing her courage during those five months, and seeing the way that she accepted it during her last days, made me a stronger person mentally. Knowing that she is with The Great Father now, I can truthfully say that I will not let depression take me down. Even though my body hurts all the time without hardly any relief, my mind and my soul tells me that I can and will get through it. That is the best of life, and that is why I say that you can beat depression if you really want to. But it is up to you only to either do it the way I do or to seek the help of those who know how to deal with it.
So do this old man and yourself a favor by taking the bull by the
horns and beat those blues out of your life and bring in the harmony of
power of the mind over the body. Start your day off with a smile , follow
it with a laugh, do those things that you always wanted to do and then
tell yourself that you done good. Go to bed at night without worrying about
what will happen tomorrow, because when you wake up, it is a new day to
smile about. If you see a friend, don't tell them about what is wrong,
but what is right and good.
I hope that this week's visit was a good one and I hope that you
will continue to allow me to visit with you each week through this column.
Remember that if there is any of my columns that you want to go back and
read, you can see them on my website at www.geocities.com/kokomoman/ any
you can e-mail me at uncleray64@writeme.com May each day come and go
with a smile.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
The same goes on right here in AMERICA, where freedom is a goal of all. We still are left with the stigma of what our fore-fathers did back in the slave days. There are still those who think that one race is supreme over others. There are those who are decendants of slaves who feel that we must continue to pay for what happened to thier fore-fathers many years ago. And there are those who feel the same way that I do, and that is that we are all brothers and sisters made by the same GREAT FATHER, who felt for some reason that he would made different races, in order to balance out the human race. There are still out there the Native Americans who still feel that the white man cheated them out of their land, but it should not be placed on the shoulders of the people of today to give back the land that was lost.
Over in the lands where most of the history of the world started there has been fighting among the different factions who feel that they have been decieved of their land and so fighting will continue until someone has decided that enough is enough. Why is it that man can't get along with each other. My feeling is that as long as there is someone out there who wants to be more important and more powerfull than any other person, there will never be any peace among man.
We, right here in the greatest country in the world, are subject to a small group of radicals who want to take down all that is good with the land. They want to tear down our great history of living in the path of GOD. Our country was started by a group of men and women who believed in GOD and they made the commitment of placing on our money "IN GOD WE TRUST". They placed in our government buildings the best ten rules of life as it should be. In our highest court, the rules still stand. But a small group of no-good backsides doesn't want the majority to believe in GOD. They hide behind the group of civil lawyers , without their names known, and cry "Separation of church and state." Why don't those members of those radical groups move out of the USA and go somewhere they can spit out their wastefilled, smell terrible language on someone who cares. My words to you my freinds is that if you don't like it here , leave our country and let us live as our forefathers intended us to. No one is forcing you to stay.
As we start to leave this year and go into the year 2002, we need
to take a good look at what happened this year and what it did to our way
of life. We as AMERICANS open up our country to all who want to live free.
We expect those who come to AMERICA to honor our way of life and not to
try to destroy it. We expect those who accept our hospitality to respect
all races, religions, and ways of life. You can only find freedom if you
practice it. For those hate groups and for those groups who don't want
to follow our lead, then it is time that you left our country and go somewhere
else who will appreciate your views. AMERICA is the greatest country in
this world and we as AMERICANS want to keep it free.
Right now we have some groups who are trying to undermine
what our government is doing to make us safe and keep us free. Everytime
our leaders come up with a new rule that is only designed to keep outsiders
from sneaking their way into our country, they meet with the holler of
"police state". There are those out there who want to keep our government
and all the people in turmoil so that they look strong to others. It is
time to tell them and all their backers that AMERICA is a free country
and we intend to keep iy that way. If we have to tightened our belts, or
if we have to abide by some new rules, so be it. You can not be free if
you have to fear everyone else. So lets get off our backsides and back
our leaders as well as back all those fine soldiers, policemen and fireman,
so that we can get back to living our lives free. Any comments as to this
article can be sent to me at uncleray64@writeme.com.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day--
Another thing that gets in my craw is the fact that a couple of years ago, the state of Indiana was in the black as far as surplus money was concerned. Yet now we are told that Indiana is facing a critical deficit. Where did that bundle go and why isn't someone checking into it. We pay our taxes, we give to the charities, we look out for our fellow man, yet we don't keep a close watch on our state and federal purse strings. Do you think we are in trouble with our state financial situation? Once again this is my opinion only, but guided by someone more powerful, WHO guides my fingers as I type.
Now getting away from the groups who use our money foolishly, I want to tell you about a group that does what they say with the money they collect. That group is called WE CARE and each year they with all the volunteers do a great service to the Kokomo area with a telethon and auction designed to collect through pledges from all the people here in Kokomo and the surrounding area, so that those who would not have a happy Christmas otherwise, would have one. The Wyant family is a part of that group who each year makes it a point in their lives to help keep WE CARE going. They spend quite some time starting in September till the end of the year preparing and maintaining WE CARE PARK, which has one of the most beautiful sights ever seen , with over 700,000 lights and displays of the season. This year, Mike allowed me to design a web site for WE CARE PARK, which they will maintain with any assistance that I can give them. You can catch it at www.geocities.com/mnwyant/ and when the pictures of this years "turning on the lights" are ready, they will be placed on the site for the whole world to see. It is best to see those lights in person if you can.
WE CARE started out the first year many years ago as a collection to help a family out of work and with the people of this fine community , Bronson and Cropper with all their angels there at WWKI, WE CARE has blossomed into what it is all about at Christmas. Helping your fellow man and bringing joy to those who otherwise would not have a Merry Christmas. It amazes me that no matter how bad the economy is, the angels in this city of Kokomo and the surrounding areas always find some way to express their love for others. That is why the web site was made, so that others far away would see that Kokomo is not only "The City Of firsts" but also "The City Of Angels". If I was to pick a reason for being proud to live in Kokomo, it would be because of the people who live here, and the way that they take care of their fellow man.
Through the years, this old man has seen many changes in the way that we live, and the way we work, but the love that Kokomo has not and will never change. We here in Kokomo , should always hold our heads high, because we will never let a child go with out some sort of a good Christmas, if we are aware of that possibily that the child won't have one otherwise. My hat goes off to all of you out there that take time to share our blessings with another. The expression of love of the Kokomo area with all their neighbors and friends is mostly visable during the Christmas season, but it is always in the background working silently trying to take care of someone less fortunate. Those people do not ask for praise but they deserve it anyway, so to all of you out there who try to make this season a happy one, I give my "salute" from Uncle Ray.
Once again you have allowed me to enter your home and visit with you through this column. Many of you let me know that you want me to continue to bring you my words through this newspaper and as long as they allow me the space, I will continue to visit with you each week in your home with a cup of coffee and the newspaper in hand. May your holiday season be a happy one and may the new year bring lots of joy.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day---
As this year of 2001 comes to an end, I look back to those things
that happen to you and me, and I wonder just how much longer will this
old man be around to do my writing, and to see and hear from all those
who tell me that they like the way I write. Believe it or not folks, I
wasn't much of a writer before the loss of our youngest daughter, and I
wasn't too much better until that wake-up call I recieved in December of
1998. It was then, that I was told that with nine blockages in my heart
and arteries, I was a prime candidate for a trip to The Promised Land.
Well, this old man with the help of several very gifted surgeons , guided
by the hand of The Great Father, made it through that heart surgery, and
while under the knife, I found out that HE wasn't ready for me yet, And
while under, I witnessed some very bright lights and I saw some figures
on the horizon. So when I came out of the surgery, I knew that I still
had something to do with my life while I still had time left here on earth.
It seem like the words came flowing out whenever I started to write. And
as the thoughts came down where I could see them on the screen, I knew
that writing was what HE wanted me to do. So until that day when HE calls
me HOME, I will continue to write this column for this newspaper as long
as they allow me to.
Now let me tell you what I would like to see in the new year of 2002. First off, I really want to see cancer whipped. This terrible illness has taken a lot of young people, including my daughter Patricia, as well as many members of my relation. Cancer can only be stopped ,if we as a whole, do everything to fund the research, and if our government puts a full emphasis on trying to stop it. And to add to that this dreaded disease of the brain, that is taking many of our older folks, needs to be stopped. If we were to put as much money into research on those two illnesses, as we do in sendind aid over seas, we could win the war on cancer and alzheimers.
Then it would really be great to see the end to the war that we are in right now. Of course there will always be someone of stupidity that is willing to kill himself in order to kill many more good people. Whether it is done in the name of their belief or of a cause that they think is needed, it is wrong and must be met with a penalty so severe that others might think before following such a maniac.
And as for our young children in the schools, who are suddenly turning into monsters with guns and knives, we must find out how this is happening and do something about it before it gets completely out of hand, and we resort to violence of our own in order to protect our youngsters. I personally feel that most of our problems reaching our children is because they always have their ears closed to us by wearing these earphones on their heads, where they listen to a continually line of hidden words that we can't hear. Have you ever listen to some of this loud nothing understood songs, played by these dirty looking bands. It doesn't make any sense in the way that the words are said and the so-called music has no merit as far as music goes. Anyone can stand up there and do a lot of hollering and banging on the guitars and drums, and draw our youngsters into their fold. I really think that it is a hypnotic way of distroying all that our children were taught and planting orders into their brains to someday do something to kill many others. This is my opinion only and maybe I am wrong, but what if I am right?
And another thing I would like to see is the return of business to America owned by Americans. I have nothing against any foriegn person, but isn't it time for us to stop giving our country away? Most will say that it balances out, but simple math shows me that we are decreasing in owning things in the USA, while those in the other countries are picking up on ownership of the American Way.
Another thing that I want to see is the changing of attitude toward the Social Security program. Everytime that a new man gets into some big position in our government, he or she will want to change Social Security for what they say is better. What they really want to do is to fill their own pockets with our money. Folks, there should never be changes made to that plan. They have proven that right now, it is safe to the year of 2053. So if we, who are working, continue to contribute to it through our earnings and if people work longer, there is no problem in it being safe through the entire century. That is as long as they make sure that it is not moved into a stock program or through a private concern. If that would happen, then all could be lost in one day. Dad always said that you don't fix something that is not broken. So my word to our people in Washington is that if you mess with our Social Security program you will have to answer to all of us. But of course they are supposed to be answering to us anyway because we are the ones who sent them there.
And what would make the year 2002 really great would be the closure for the family of Julie Johnson. Someone out there knows what really happened to her and it is time for them to come forward and tell the story. The parents and the rest of her family need to know what happened so that they can finally put her to rest in their minds. If you know anything that will help, then tell it to those who have kept this case opened for all these years. You owe it to them and you owe it to yourself. GOD knows and HE wants you to tell.
And the Phil Kauble story needs a closure so that he can go on with his life. Here is a man who has been fighting for the people he worked with at the mill and he has not backed down from his quest. The people he has been fighting so that others might have a pension need to finally come forward with the truth. If the last two things I mentioned could come true then 2002 will be a great year. We can only pray that 2002 will be a year to be proud of.
So until next Sunday when once again we sit down with our newspaper and a cup of coffee, I ask that you have a good week and I ask for your prayers for this old man whose words are guided by The Great Father, so as to not offend anyone. Sometimes the truth hurts but most of the time it soothes the soul.. Take care out there and be proud.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
In our life,there is a beginning and there is an ending. The
beginning of life starts with a very small being ,deep in the warmth of
a mothers body, protected by the mother ,until that time when the baby
is due to enter the outside of a mothers womb, and destined to be cared
for and protected by the mother and father. That is the beginning of life,
as you and I know it to be. That is the starting point of a quest to be
whatever you want to be, as to goals set down by the parents and followed
by you ,until that time in your life when you say thanks to Mom and Dad
for bringing you up right, so that you might be the starting point of someone
else' life. It is a circle of events that go on and on until that time
when the family tradition stops ,due to no children being born to the last
one on the list. Is life over as to your family tradition or is there a
way to carry it on with an adoption.?
There are those out there who are very content with not being parents
either by choice, or because of not being fertile. There is no sin in that
,because we know that GOD works in ways that we don't understand, nor do
we question HIM.
In the case of a couple wanting children and not being able to do
so, I really think that they should look into trying to adopt a child ,so
that child would have the opportunity to be loved in a family way, and
have a chance at life as it should be. Of course, I want to make it clear
that the couple wanting to adopt a child, should be able to supply that
child not only with love ,but also the warmth and protection of that couple
as to the goals that they would like for their new member of the family.
If you can't give that child everything he or she needs to grow into a
person who can make it in this world, then just maybe you need to back
off until you can. The only difference between a child born to a couple
and one that is adopted, is the nine months in that womans body. The love
for either child should be the same, whether it happens or it is chosen.
Coming from a large family, as I and my brothers and sisters are from, we knew the love from our mother and father. We recieved the warmth and the protection from our mother and father. Although we were not rich, we never went hungry, we were never too cold, and we never feared anyone, because we knew that our parents would protect us. We had a great life and as we went off to start our own families, we had the foundation to build upon, because of the way we were trained as children. There wasn't any spoiled children in our family ,because our parents did not spare the rod. We knew that there was a right way to do things and a wrong way of doing things, and you only made the mistake of the wrong way once. Were we abused ? Not on your life, because our learning of the right way was done with love ,and Mom told me once that everytime she took a switch to us, it hurt her more than it did us. Mom said that she thought that she and Dad did a good job of raising all their children and she was proud of all of us.
Sometimes ,we really don't understand our parents while we are young but as you get older the parents seem to be smarter, and you start understanding what they really wanted for their children. And as they get up there in years, you grow a lot closer to them, because you realize that one day they will be called HOME with the thanks from The Great Father with HIS praise of "WELL DONE". So you value those moments when you can ,with each of them when no one else is around and it is just you and them. So now I am going to dig deep into my heart and tell you a little story about each of them when it was just me there with them.
There was a time when for the first time ever ,my Dad had to have surgery and so was taken to the hospital. I went there one day before he was to have some tests before surgery, and while Mom and I were sitting there talking to him, Dad motioned to me to come up alongside his bed and he slipped a piece of paper in my hand and then motioned me to sit back down. Knowing how my Dad was, I decided to wait until I got outside to look at that paper. I figured that if he wanted Mom to know what was on that paper, he would of told her. All the time that we were there, I felt my Mother's eyes on me and I knew she wanted to know what was on that piece of paper. So when we went out to get on the elevator, she asked me to show her what he had written. I took the note and opened it and read it and then gave it to Mom to read. It said in these words;" Ray, they are going to put me to sleep tomorrow , so don't worry about being here with me." Mom read the note and looked at me and said;" You know what he is trying to say, don't you?". I told her that I did and that he was telling me in his own way that he wanted me there with him. That is the love of a parent to one of their children.
I remember about two years after Dad has gone HOME, Mom took sick and was placed in the hospital. she eventually went into a thirty day coma, and we , her sons and daughters, spent most of that time out there waiting for her to get better, and things sort of looked pretty bad and we knew that we could lose her, but she came out of it and she came home to live with us, with the sisters and brothers coming over to help us take care of her. One evening ,with the snow backside deep to a tall indian, she started to get worse and with the help of the city plow we took her back to the hospital. Before we called for help, I went in to her room and told her that she needed more help than what we could give her. She looked me right in the eyes and said; Ray, I want to thank all of you for giving me a chance to live with someone before GOD called me HOME. Mom didn't come home with us any more because she went HOME to be with Dad and GOD.
I think sometimes, how hard it must be to live with someone for all those years only to have to spend two more years alone. No one should ever have to be without someone to live with in their own home. It must of very painfull for Mom to be alone any one of those days after Dad passed away. It must of been very hard to say goodbye to anyone who had come to visit, and then had to leave.It must have been a very lonely time in my mothers life after my dad passed on. We ,as children never really give it any thought, that the older folks would miss us, but they do and they need companionship. No one will ever replace that love that went on for all those years but they still need someone to love them.
Parents are the backbone of our very existence, because they were
the ones who did without so that we could have those things we needed.
We don't just put them by the wayside, and let them rot away. We go see
them and we call them while they are still with us, and we tell them thanks
for doing all the things for us. We let the grandchildren see pictures
of their grandparents, and we tell them stories about those great people
that I and my brothers and sisters called "Mom And Dad" How are your parents
doing and have you told them that you love them? Have you checked on them
and ask what they need? Do you go out and get them a gift once in a while.?
They did all that for you. Think about that until next week when we will
sit down with the newspaper over a hot cup of coffee or tea, and ask yourself
if you have given just a small portion of what they gave to you back to
them. I hope that this column is reaching your heart because it comes straight
from my heart. You can e-mail me at uncleray64@writeme.com with any comments.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
My goodness, we made it into the year 2002, even though we went
through a lot to get here. We survived the scare that was sent to us by
one of the most cowardly persons ever born in this great world. We survived
the economy scare that wanted us to crawl down deep in a hole or corner
and let someone bankrupt us. We survived the loss of many of our great
firemen and policemen who did all they could to try and save others. And
we survived the fear that our president and his cabinet could not lead
us in this time of turmoil. He did his job and he is doing all he can to
bring peace to us and to the world. It doesn't matter what party he belongs
to because he is our president and he belongs to the USA and all the people.
Where would we have been if someone else might have been our leader? We
don't know because this man is getting the job done. We, here in the good
old USA, will survive because this is AMERICA, the land of the free and
the home of the brave.
As all of you know, by my own declarlation, I don't belong to any group, nor to any party , even though I am registered as a democrat. I vote the way I choose to vote, and I listen to no one as to how to vote. That is a right that I and you have in this country. I do believe in the two party system, because it has proven to be as close to perfect as you can get. Too many times we do get someone in office , who has gotten there, because there was a third party getting the votes, but not enough to win.. Those votes could of been put to use better under only a two party ticket. But that is the right of those who back the third party, and I will not run them down. The one thing that I do not believe in, is the decison by a party to back someone, before the voters have something to say about it. And too many times we have those who leave their elected positions, to take on a more powerfull job ,as to further their chances at getting a top position in our city, state, and federal government. My stand on that is ,if you are elected to a position by the voters, then you should have to serve the whole term, unless there is sickness or death or if there is undue sacrafice on the part of that person. That person is under contract to you and me and if they want out, then they should have to pay back whatever earnings they recieved while in office. But then that is your choice and you will have to live with it. As for myself, if the voters were confident enough in me to elect me to office, it would be my obligation to serve the entire term, and make it clear that the party does not own me, the people do. And you know that I would never get elected to office ,because of my word to the people being the path that I would follow. That is of my opinion only, even though I have heard the same from many others.
Now ,to get on with this new year, I look for things to continue to prosper even though we might meet with a few roadblocks along the way. We might have to pull a little tighter on our belts, and we might have to dig deeper in out pockets, and we might have to forget about some of the things that we want now, but there will be a brighter day with more to follow. I don't get down on life because it is only a day at a time, and what wasn't a great day today, might be a better one tomorrow. You use what you learned about yesterday, today, so that tomorrow will be better. Don't dwell in the past so much that today passes you by so quick that tomorow is here and you aren't prepared for it. Live it one day at a time.
Being in the retail field, I meet a lot of great people who come to me for advice about tools or sometimes they come in to tell me that they read my column each week and they like the way I write. Last week one of them came in and said that he read the one about how you can combat depression before it gets a big hold on you. He said that it did a lot of good for him because he had been depressed due to losing a good job and not being able to get another one such as the one he lost. He said that after he read the article, he felt a new presence in his body and he declared to himself that he was going just take it one day at a time and he wasn't going to let depression take over his life any longer. That made me feel real good about my visits with all of you because what I write straight from the heart is making a difference in someone else. Many times you only hear the negative view and not words of praise, but when someone comes up to me and says that they like my column and then walks away, that is all the praise this old man needs. When they hang around to talk about my column when I get time, that raises my spirit, and makes me feel great. I write this column because of you out there who let me into their homes each Sunday morning and we visit over a cup of coffee and the newspaper.
So to all of you who take the time to open your newspaper each Sunday before church or whatever you do that morning, I ask for peace, love, and joy for each of you. May your new year be one of tranquillity, of prosper, of knowledge, of opportunity, and of blessed events for your families, which will mark the year of 2002 as one to remember. In our lifetime which is only a blink of the eye, we are blessed with all the beauty of the seasons and the effect of love that springs from The Great Father, and spreads to the far corners of the world, for all to enjoy. I look forward to any comments to this newspaper for allowing me to visit with you each week, and for all of you who let me know you read it. Blessed be the reader who uses my words to help themselves and others around them. Until next week, I bid you a Happy New Year.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
Once again, we visit this Sunday morning over a hot cup of coffee,
in this new year of 2002. It is still hard to realize that we have been
in the new century for two years now, and yet the doomsayers are still
in the past century, with thoughts of 2000 never getting here. Please understand
that I am not running those people down, because they do have the right
to believe as they choose. The only fault that most of them have is that
they don't keep it to themselves. Only The Great Father can tell us when
this world will end ,and only through His words, should we abide. So until
we hear from Him, lets' make the best of the situation and enjoy life to
it's fullest. We should find out what is wrong, attempt to correct it ,and
then live with the results. Let's glorify this great land with pretty flowers
and plants just like He does each year in the proper season. And let's
tell our fellow man or woman that we love them, and help them in times
of dispair.
Now, to get on with this column, I want to address something ,that I had not realized until it was brought to my attention. I have driven through the north end of Kokomo for all these years, and I had not realized that there are so many areas here in Kokomo that have no sidewalks. From Apperson way going east on Gano, there are no sidewalks all the way to the by-pass. Why is this true? Don't those people, who live in the homes on that street pay taxes? I am sure that they do, and they should have the sidewalks just as those who live in the rest of Kokomo do. And this isn't just Gano which is left without sidewalks, because you can drive up and down many streets up in the north end of town and witness the no sidewalk problem. And there are areas in the rest of this great city that have the same problem. So this old man is going to ask this question once ,and just maybe the people who have gone without sidewalks all these years will ask it too. Why aren't there sidewalks in those areas?? Why have we continually gotten grant money and nothing is done to the far north end?? Where is thier representation and what have they been doing for all these years. Kokomo is a whole, not just a part that needs the attention of all concerned to correct that problem. Maybe the people who represent the city of Kokomo, have done the same as I have and that is to not see what is right in front of us. Do we wait until some child is killed before we act? So now as I drive through this city I call home, I am going to take a closer look at what is there and what isn't there. You, my friends should do the same.
Now, getting to another area of this great city, I look to all the money spent on the old steel mill site, and I wonder just what can we do to take it from a new eyesore, to something that would give all of us something to be proud of. I say new eyesore because after the superfund was milked dry by the group working out there, they say that it still is not safe for human use. Why don't we go out there , build an outhouse there , call that group and say that because we can't get more than one person in there at a time, we have to liquidate and they will run in and tear it down because funds will be available. Does that seem silly? Well ,so does the fact that millions have been spent at the taxpayer's expense to clean that area up and you still can't use it. As long as there is not anything there, this city will not have the money raised from taxes paid by the land owners that could and should have some sort of business there. Some will say that the only reason that I bring this up, is because I worked there so many years, and I can't get it out of my system. That would not be true, even though my family and many thousands of families were fed and clothed because of that mill which was the backbone of this great city for such a long time. Do you think that the other factories would of been here, if not for this being a steel city? People who want to relocate a business look for stability, so that they can stay there for many years making a profit, as well as giving the people a place to work. They want to know that the people want them here and that the place they hold in the city is one of honor and prestige. The main reason that I am writing about this is because I am a taxpayer just like you, and it doesn't look like all of us are getting a fair share. Think about all that I have written about this week and react to it. Start asking questions , find out why all this is true, and then do something about it. I personally know many of our people who represent us in office, and most are good people who just might have not seen what is right there in front of them.
You in the next few weeks are going to read some words about what you are getting out of your taxes, out of being a resident of Kokomo and out of the theory approach of combating crime. There are those out there that will be very mad at what I will say but remember that it is of my opinion and not that of any group or of this newspaper, so keep reading because facts are on the way.
Getting that out of my system, I want to thank all of you who let
me know either by e-mail, letters or visits to the store, that you read
my column each week and I will continue to write about the past, present,
and what the future might bring to us. Any comments , questions, or topics
that you might have, can be directed to this newspaper or to me at
uncleray64@writeme.com or at uncleray@skyenet.net.As I have stated
before, you are the reason that I write and The Great Father guides me
in the words that I use. So as this new year rolls by one day at a time
, so does Uncle Ray, as I wish all of you prosperity, love, respect and
honor. My this day be a happy one and may it be filled with lots of joy.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
Again this old man was asked how much longer am I going to live
in the past, and here my friends is my answer to you just like the one
I gave him. I don't live in the past, I remember the past. I live in the
present which tomorrow will be in the past. The past is yesterday and before.
The present is now and the future is tomorrow on. Now you are saying to
yourself or to others in the room, where is this old man who's words we
read each Sunday, going with all this glibberish?
Well, you are going to read and wonder about me from now on, because what I write for you to read , will be guided as always by The Great Father, who has given me a mind, a soul, and a purpose in life. He has shown me that life is just a blink of the eye, and that which was so long ago really was just yesterday. There are many who don't want to remember the past because it was filled with sadness, and they just want to forget it. There are those who only live in the past because they see no future for themselves. And there are those who only think about the future because they want things to be better than it was today or yesterday. The Great Father who made man in His image, also gave each one of them a mind of their own, a soul to guide it and a concience to keep it in line. Although man looks like he or she has the same qualities, they are different in ways that you and I haven't discovered yet. And that my friends takes this old man to reality. And what you read here will do several things. It will get you mad, or it will enlighten you to some facts. It will step on your toes or it will put you in anothers person's shoes to feel his or her pain. Most of all, it will cause you to ask just what has has been done to correct the incorrective view of these items of interest. And you say again, where is this old man going with all this glibberish?
Now the rest of this week's column will get your dander up or it will cause you to sit back and say that the old man writing this stuff knows what he is talking about. Just remember that these are my thoughts on the subjects and someone else will have a different view. I don't intend to cause any problems with out law enforcement people because they are doing thier jobs and where would we be without them? So here goes with my thoughts about some things that really bug me.
They say that fingerprints are a great source of identification and are used to convict someone of a crime. They say that DNA is a way of identification to convict someone of a crime. Taking my sense of reality, and common sense, and applying it to those two theories, I find it hard to believe that these are used to convict and not to prove a person of innocence. In order for these to be effective in a fair and honorable way, there would have to be a system where everyone in the whole world would be checked for fingerprints and for a DNA sample. That way, it would not be wrong to say they match totally. That , my friends is something that I hope never happens because then "Big Brother" has taken over. As of right now those two ways of using theories should only be to prove an person innocent and not guilty. It has not proven to be perfect, and like most, is only a theory set down by those who researched it, and then submit thier finding to be used as a tool to decide between innocent or guilty. It should be used only to decide a person innocent.
There are a lot of flaws in our system, but they are not so bad that with a little common sense, they could be corrected. Take the court system for one, a person sitting in the witness chair is told that they can only answer yes or no to a question by either lawyer, yet the lawyer can ask a question that is asked to get a certain kind of answer from the witness and is told by the judge to not ask that question. The answer has already been given and the jury is told to dis-regard the question and answer. The seed was planted and you know that some of those jury members have been swayed by that answer. Also in this same sense there are the picking of jury members who don't want to serve as jury members either because of a belief or an illness, yet they are put through hell trying to get out of it. There are a lot of people out there who find it not only an honor but also fun passing judgement on someone else. In my case, with all the medicine I take to stay alive, I sure don't want to be judging someone on something that I have not witness myself, because in my own feeling, unless I saw it happen, it is only hear-say. For me to bear false witness, and to judge against another human being, would be for me to one day answer to The Great Father.
Now getting to another flaw in our system, how many times have you heard about a study that finds so-many percent did this or did that at a certain time ?. Where did all this information come from? How much did it sway you to do something or to believe everything they so-called found out. Our society is swayed every day by studies made by some small group using large percentages, so as to sway you and me to thier way of thinking. What this old man is trying to say is that we all have a mind of our own and we all have a soul to guide us and we all have a concience to keep us straight. Why do we need someone to tell us that we can or we can't do something.
There is a set of rules set down by The Great Father himself that all of us could follow in our own way, and that my friends is The Ten Commandments. That set of rules can take in any situation and be yours and my schedule in this lifetime. In each commandment there is a story. What that story tells depends on you and no one else. Those rules were used by our forefathers when they decided to band together into a nation of colonies which grew eventually into fifty states. Each state joined with the promise to abide by the rules set down by the original thirteen states with the option to set up thier own rules within the state's boundries. So we as a nation of fifty states united together, working not only in the federal state but also as an individual state with our own rules to co-incide with the federal guidelines. That my friends is only possible in a free society, and that is the good old USA here in AMERICA. We, here in AMERICA, are very fortunate to be able to do the things that we do everyday without the fear of someone telling us that we can't do it. We have the right to decide who we want to represent us in the governing bodies. You can't do that in most of the other countries because you are told who your leaders are.
So as we sit down each evening with the family or friends, let's do what we should be doing all the time. Thank GOD for allowing us to live in America, where each of us has the right to freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of the press. As a matter of fact , thank GOD for giving us this great country, because without being an American, we would suffer a lot worst life than what we have today. Until you and I meet again, I leave you with this thought; be thankful for living here in the good old USA. If you have comments, send them to the Kokomo Tribune , or you can send them to me by e-mail at this address. uncleray64@writeme.com or arermdrd@netusa1.net -Until later, get the coffee pot ready for next Sunday, so that we can visit longer over several cups of coffee or tea and this newspaper, who allows me to send you my thoughts of the day.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
As this old man goes about my everyday duties, I look back to
the many readers of my column, and of my web page, and I feel good about
the response that I am doing good with them. I have reached people from
Newfoundland to Australia. From Germany to Sweden, and even from Japan
and Spain. And several times I have had to send back a reply that they
need to send it back to me in English. Most of the time I am able to read
thier message and reply my thanks to them for allowing me to enter thier
lives and visit with them through the electronic airwaves. One such person
named Birgitta from Sweden had looked at my web site and had gone to my
"History Of Kokomo" section and had seen the name of Carl Molin as an inventor
of Diralite Tableware. She was a Molin and wondered if this might be some
of her relatives who came to the states from Sweden early in the century.
I wasn't able to help her much but what she recieved was something to start
with . What I recieved was the satisfaction of knowing that there are many
people out there who use my website and my column to help themselves.
Another young lady named Aprile out on the west coast ,was interested in the Elwood Haynes story and said that her husband was a relative of that great inventor and she wanted to know if there are many sites with facts about Mr Haynes and what I could relate to her about him. I wrote what I knew as far as our records show and I gave her several addresses on the internet where she could get her information. Another happy reader and once again a happy old man.
Another person who I think that I helped, lives in Newfoundland and is blind to the extent of only having tunnel vison. We met through his mother and aunt who visited my first web site and found out that I was a wrestling fan. Yes, it's true I am a wrestling fan although in the last two years it has gotten so filled with violence and sex that this old man can do without it. Getting back to my friend in Newfoundland, he was really down on himself because of his failing eyesight and the news from the doctor that he soon would be totally blind. His mother said that he stayed in his room most of the time except when the canadian wrestling would come on and he would watch his favorite wrestler Bret Hart perform. She asked if I would start an e-mail exchange with him and discuss the different wrestlers and keep him up to date on his hero Bret Hart. So we started our exchange for about a year and he soon came out of his shell and started going to a camp for the blind. He found out that there are others just like him and that he and the others could either sit back and let time go by or they could get out and have fun and get educated. His name is Robin and now Robin has no time for me because he has taken ahold of his life and will be ok. That is great with this old man and his mother never hesitates to give her thanks to me for being a friend to her son.
And of course there is Lee who left here in the thirties, who still calls Kokomo home and who is going to give me some information to use in one of my articles about the old days in Kokomo. He says that I am just a spring chicken, but he looks forward to reading my column each week.
That is what life is all about. You can't go around feeling sorry for yourself, because a good friend won't let you do it. You can't shut your door to your past history because with the past you don't have the present. And to hide your ancestry in a closed mind sends me a signal that you are ashamed of your heritage. That is where this old man will tell you that to go back in time to find out about all your ancestors, which can be something that can make you one happy dude. My younger brother Russell has been interested in where our folks came from and he has gone back six generations. You should never be afraid of what you will find out, because that is somthing you should be proud of.
Life is too short for anyone to let the past slip away without checking and documenting the findings. Life is also too short to let someone go without help and assistance from a friend. You can make a difference in your and others' life for just being there for them. My life is just a blink of the eye and what I do with it sets a path for those are are still here when I am gone. The path I walk is of my own choosing, and the best path is the straight one. Sometimes there is something in my path which is placed there to make me take a detour to a crooked path but I can either wait until that path is cleared or I can go around just far enough to not lose my way back to the right path. You can do the same as each of us has our own path to follow in life.
It is wonderful to know that there is a way to visit with all of you as I do each Sunday morning. The Kokomo Tribune has been very gracious in allowing me to connect with you and allow me to speak in my own words which are guided by The Great Father. I look forward to visit with you next week over a cup of coffee with the newspaper in hand, and discuss the happenings of yesterday , today, and tomorrow. So if you will set aside a few minutes each Sunday to visit with me, and if you will let this newspaper know that you like the way I write, I will continue to write until called HOME by The Great Father. God Bless each and everyone of you and God Bless America.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
I was told the other day from one of my readers that they would
like to read more about the good old days and life as it was in that time.
This young fellow who came from a large family, who didn't have a lot of
money but enough to get him through college because they saved for it.
He told me that his dad worked hard at two jobs and many times the family
didn't see dad for several days because he was resting as soon as he got
home and was gone when they woke up. sounds a lot like my family. This
young fellow told me that they always had food on the table and clothes
on thier backs. They were never cold as mom and dad made sure that there
was heat in the house. He told me that his brothers and sisters took part
time jobs in order to have a little extra spending money. He said that
when he reads about how it was in my time , he knows that what I write
is the truth because he has been there and done that. He told me that many
of his friends have read my column and have gone to thier parents to ask
them if what I write about is what they went through in thier growing up
years. Most of all, he treasures the time that he can spend with his parents
because he knows that one day they will be gone and then only memories
will take thier place. I talked to this fellow for about twenty minutes,
but I feel like I have known him for a long time. Thank goodness there
are still some young children out there who care enough to ask about what
it was like to live and survive from the thirties up to now. And to know
that some of the youngsters of today, still have some degree of respect
for the older generation, I feel that just maybe looking ahead isn't such
a scary thing to do.
Now I am going to tell you about a lady that comes from the good old days. An angel was sent by GOD to Harold and Sarah Mckee on February 10, 1939, here in Kokomo Indiana. They named her Ramona, and they raised her to the best of thier ability into a young lady of seventeen years of age. That is where I came into her life and we have been together ever since. We were married in 1957, and we were blessed with two wonderful daughters. We were also blessed with two grandchildren. Ramona lived in the hard times when she was young and now she still puts up with this old man after all these many years. I feel that through this column, I must and I will say to my lovely lady on this day , February 10th 2002," HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAMONA". You deserve it after spending all this time with a cranky old man.
Now I am going to tell you about another young lady, of nineteen, who on March 1st, 1991, disappeared after leaving her home, in her 1980 blue Chevrolet Citation. The car was found the next day and she was reported missing by her husband that same day. Officers conducted a search in the reservoir and the area around it, but to no avail. Many volunteers came out to help search for her but came up empty-handed. A reward of $5000.00 was offered by her parents Hugh and Betty Dalton to anyone, who could supply information to the whereabouts of thier daughter. Since no body was found, there was hope that she was still alive somewhere. Julie Johnson was her name and she was 5 foot- 2 inches tall, weighed 118 lbs and had brown hair and blue eyes. There was an elert sent out seeking the public's help in finding this young lady. To this day, eleven years later, we still don't know where she is. Some fear that she is dead, others feel that maybe somewhere she could be alive. Julie was a mother of four children who she loved very much, and friends and family said that she would of never left them voluntarily. Our law enforcement agencies have never closed the books on this file because they believe that one day, someone will come forward with the answer needed to finally place a closure in the minds of all who loved her.
Ever since she first was missing, The Crisis Center has asked for leads, or any information about one of thier most loved fellow workers. They have never given up hope in finding out what happened to thier close friend. Her brother Desi along with the workers at the Crisis Center, and friends have staged a candlelight vigil and prayer at Julie's former workplace at the Crisis Center at 309 East Deffenbaugh Street in Kokomo. Richard Chamness who was a good friend of Julie's at the vigil in March of 2000, said; "As long as I have a breath in my body, we will continue this vigil every year until this case is solved.
So I am asking all of you that reads my column to attend this vigil and prayer in honor of Julie Johnson. There has been a tree planted and a memorial made in her memory but the people who really loved this lady need closures in thier hearts and minds as to what happened to her. This writer lost a daughter to cancer but I was able to say goodbye. Those who knew and loved Julie need to be able to say goodbye. Take a little time out of your busy day and try to attend the prayer and candlelight vigil for Julie Johnson at The Crisis Center on March 1st at eleven-thirty am just before noon, and bring a friend. GOD knows what happened and he will someday judge someone. We need to know now and we need someone to come forth with the answer to a mystery that will never close until it is solved.
As a father, I feel for the family of Julie. I have met her brother and her parents . They loved Julie very much and they need to know what happened to her. If there is anyone out there who knows or knows someone who knows what happened, let the proper people know so that we can finally put a wrap on this case. You don't have to give your name, and to help bring an end to the case, you will release all the tension that you have had since this happened. The Great Father will mark it in the book that you helped end this mystery, and you will be forever happy that you came forth with the information. Uncle Ray is asking that you release the burdom of secrecy and let the whole world know that this mystery is finally closed. May you be blessed in your help to bring closure to this wonderful family. Thanks for inviting me into your home this Sunday morning and be sure to remember that the vigil will be on March 1st at eleven-thirty am, just before noon at the Crisis Center at 309 East Deffenbaugh Street here in Kokomo. GOD be with you as you travel the road, and may you be truly happy as you go through life knowing that you helped someone.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
As I think back in time, and then refresh to the present, I see
so many changes in how things are done, and I see all the hardships
connected to the past as compared to the conviences of today. We went from
washing the clothes in the running creek waters, to a washboard in a galvanized
tub, to a ringer washer, to an automatic washer. We went from drying our
clothes outside on a rope or wire supported on each end by a post, and
supported by a long board slotted in the end to hold the line up high in
order to keep the clothes from touching the ground. to hanging them in
the house on bad weather days by the heating stove, to the automatic dryer
of today. We went from a telephone that had a mouthpiece on the phone itself
and a hearing device on the line ,to one that had both on the end of the
line which was hooked up to a party line with several other homes on it.
You had to know the signal that told you that you were being called, which
was how many long rings and how many short rings was sounded. Of course
there were those who would pick up the phone, after they were sure it was
picked up ,and they would listen to conversation that was supposed to be
private. Soon the private lines came in and you could talk without the
whole neighborhood knowing what was said. Then they went to a touch dial
phone in place of the original rotary phones and you could talk and do
other duties at the same time. Now everyone who can afford it goes everywhere
with a cellular phone and you see them talking while shopping or dating
or just hanging around. I witnessed a young man the other day who was in
the supermarket and as he shopped , he talked and he asked if the other
person on the line needed that certain item.. In my day, we had a list
and it was checked twice before leaving for the store. And to top it off,
he ended up on the computer in the store and did his own scanning before
ending his rough day doing the shopping. My goodness, he must of been worn
out after all his duties.
Now, I am not knocking computers, but where did we as a whole go wrong when we accepted a computer to do what should come naturally? Why are we allowing something to do our thinking for us? Did we get all the modern inventions to make our lives easier, or did we get them to do our thinking for us? Have we gone so far off the path that knowing how to read and write is put second to a computer doing it for us? The other day while shopping in one of the large stores here in Kokomo, I observed a cashier who was upset because a customer gave the cashier a twenty dollar bill and a nickel and three pennies to pay for a item that cost a final price of sixteen dollars and eighty-three cents. The cashier had to call for help, because she didn't know how to make change. A helper came over and showed her how to enter the amount tended and the change would come up automatically. In my day we could figure in our heads that the change back to the customer would be three dollars and twenty-five cents. Have we progressed so much that we forgot to use our brain to figure out a answer to the question at hand?
And add to that the driving while talking on the phone, and eating at the same time. One time while driving in the south end of Kokomo, during a very busy time of day and busy traffic, I saw a lady eating, talking on her phone, and puffing on a smoke, and looking over at her child standing in the front seat, while trying to keep her car going in the right direction. Needless to say that this old man drifted way back in line to protect myself. Have we progressed so much with inventions to save time , and still this lady had no time to stop her car, do her eating, and then talk on her phone? What would she have done if she would of had to stop suddenly and the child went through the windshield?
Now we get to another instance of progress and how it effects all of us. That is the system of paying a group to come into a city that they really have no knowledge of and tell us what this piece of land is worth or what can be done with it. It really gets to me knowing that there are residents in the great city that know more about a situation and who would be better to consult with and yet we go out of town to pick someone. My call on that would be to use our elected officials who are getting paid to make decisions , and have them with selected residents decide what to do with our city property. Why should we use our money to pay outsiders to do the job that we can do ourselves? Have we progressed so much that we can't make the decision on our own property.
To sum up this column in a short sentence, we need to use our own thinking to what we do in life, and we need to use progress to make it happen. But we don't need to get away from the basics. We need the foundation to build the building. We need the knowledge to furnish that building. And we need faith in ourselves to maintain that building. That building is you and I, and we are the ones who use progress in the way to improve our lives but not to replace our lives. Thanks for the visit this Sunday and until we visit next week, keep this in mind. It takes a long time to build the right building, but it only takes a short time to tear it down, unless it had a foundation made strong with the right thoughts and preparations. Any comments either to me or to The Tribune are greatly appreciated, and if you want , you can visit me at my web site at www.geocities.com/kokomoman/ . Thanks for listening
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day-
Well, this writer has finally been drafted in the journalist
society, as one of my articles offended one of my readers. Up to now I
have been swamped with positive reviews of my writing, and that really
makes me feel good. But it seems that I have offended one reader and for
that I am very sorry. You must remember that I write from the heart, and
I feel that GOD has given me a gift since my heart surgery, and the words
just flow out on the screen, as I write for you to read. To Mr. Davis,
I meant no harm, nor did I mean to infer that our system is wrong. What
I wanted to do was to give you my opinion and not that of any group or
any other single person. To say that I might of damaged our legal system
is to say I think criminals should go free. I am not saying that . What
I am saying is that a person is innocent until proven guilty and that anything
said in a courtroom while sitting in the witness chair or by the defense
or state does not go away. You will remember it and I will remember it
and so will all who are in that room. I am but just one, but there are
many more out there who feel the same way. Since that article, I have recieved
many reponses that said that it needed to be said. I am not alone
in this , but the stigma will always be there that has been placed on me
that I offended you, as is the case whenever someone is said to have done
something without absolute proof. It follows you where-ever you go,
but that will not bother me. It is of my own opinion and you have
the right to yours. Thank you Don, for refering to my column, and thanks
for reading it each week. I welcome feedback, whether it is positive or
negative.
That brings me to a topic that I won't spend too much time on, and that is the stigma that follows someone who is said to have done a bad deed, but was found innocent due to no proof or to a mistaken identity. Even though he is innocent, he still carries the burden of being suspected. People remember and they talk among themselves about that person. That is where the so-called judging comes in. Even though he or she is innocent, someone will think otherwise because the seed was planted, and they will pass on their thoughts to others who knew nothing about that person to start with and the first information they recieve about him or her is a negative one. And so the story goes on with it building up so high with no proof, with the burden of it heavy on the shoulders of the innocent person. Yes , people judge every day, and they pass it on like a chain letter, and that , my friends is not right.
Now, lets get off this topic and go to one that is one of my favorite topics and that is talking about my children. Ramona and I were blessed with two pretty daughters, and as they grew up into beautiful ladies, we were so proud to be their parents. Both were very good in school, and both were in the honor society. They went places together and were not only sisters but best friends. Sometimes they dressed alike, and they liked to do the same things. To have gone through life without them , would of been not having a life. To live with them was the best part of my and Ramona's life. As I sometimes sit watching tv or just resting, I recall all the good times that being with our girls were, and how they would always give us both hugs and sit on our laps, and play games with us. When we would go on a trip, they both were so happy to go somewhere so that they could tell all their friends about it when they got home. And looking through the scrapbooks at pictures of all the relation, they would laugh and ask questions. Both of them were always asking about things that they knew Dad and Mom knew about.
One of the things that I remember about them is the way that when they were asked a question, and how they answered. They would take the time to squint their foreheads and what they were doing was to look back into their memory bank and see what the right answer should be. We always told them that they were given a memory bank that has room for al the files that they would need for a lifetime. We told them that everything that they would hear or see, would be filed away into their memory bank and whenever they needed to remember, all they had to do was to sort through their files. They ,through life, used that gift that GOD gave them, and we were so proud of them. Patricia left us at the age of thirty-four to go HOME, and during the five months that she had left here , she ,many times, went back into her files of memories, to relate and remember the good times that she and her sister Deborah had with Mom and Dad.
On Feb. 29, 2002, which does not fall this year, she would of been forty-two years old. Deborah, who is our oldest , remembers having a sister who was also her best friend. Deborah goes about her everyday duties working at Whites Meat Market and enjoying camping and taking trips with her man, John. So as we go on with our lives, we will never forget those glorious days when you heard those precious words, "I love you daddy, and I love you mommy". What can a person want any more in life, than a memory of thier children while they were growing up. As I write this, it is a good thing that it is on a screen, because I would be dropping tears of love on a sheet of paper. I will admit that this old man has a soft heart, when it comes time to talk about our two daughters. But then, so do you when you go back into your memory and think about those great days. I will leave you with this thought and I hope that you will remember it when you read my column each sunday. When I speak and when I write, and when I do, it is "straight from the heart", and sometimes my heart will deal out to you some things that normally would not be remembered, if I didn't have you to read it each week. So thanks for allowing me to go back in time, while I am still here in the present. Thanks for allowing me to visit with you this Sunday morning and if you will, say a little prayer for me as I can use it.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day-
Now if this would of happened today with all the traffic on the road, there would of been wrecks caused by my spinning, and the hospitals or mortuaries would have new occupants. But back then there wasn't that much traffic and along that road there were cornfields and not too many homes. The chance of being hurt without someone to help you was a large percentive. But we don't live in the past. We live today where travel and traffic are out there in large amounts and you have to try and drive defensively, and not only drive safely but also look out for that driver who has no respect for the other driver. That is the difference from the old days and now. Once again you have allowed me to visit over a cup of coffee and this newspaper. I leave you with this thought; "Don't ever forget about Julie Johnson". Thanks for listening and we will visit again next week
Ray "Uncle Ray"Day
But we have to get it through to those who want to live in this country that there are rules and there are laws that are designed to keep us free and safe from those who would take us down. If you come to be free, you have to help us stay free. There are taxes that are supposed to be used to run our government and pay our leaders to ensure our stability and our freedom. I truly believe that if you come to live in a english speaking country, you should learn to speak and use our language and not have us to adjust to yours. You should follow your preference of religion but also respect ours as the one we have chosen to follow. And we as a whole should not condemn a whole group for what one of them did. We should not rate a person who wants to be free in the same respect as one who chooses to live in another country and who plots to take us down. We are all brothers and sisters who make up the human race. Life for us will end for each of us but what we do while we are here , will help those who will someday make that graceful entrance into the lifes of two people who will be known forever as mom and dad. We do while we are here and we leave that legacy for those who will stay for a while longer. Freedom is not protected unless there are those out there destined to ensure it for us.We are those people and we are the Good Old USA.
Remember that on September 11, 2001, it was a blow to all the countries designed by people who have no respect for freedom. When that terrible event happened, it affected people from all over the world because those countries had people living here that wanted to be free. Many people went to Heaven that day and those who did that terrible deed went to hell. Someday God will judge the leaders of that group who plotted to take us down. I guess that it is up to us not to judge but to send them to be judged by God. Someday we will have soothed our wounds in a way that we can go on with our lives without looking over our backs to see if someone is sneaking up on us. Thanks for the visit and I will see you next week.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day-
You know, sometimes this old man can get surprised at things
that go on all the time, but don't notice until you are part of that happening.
Recently we had a member of our family who lives in another city pass away
and one of his sons called me to let me know that his father had passed
away. Certainly it is quite a blow to anyone to hear this but since we
here in Kokomo hadn't met very many of that side of the family, it was
in regret that we hadn't gotten together before this passing. Time is so
short in all our lives and there are things that each of us should do before
we get the call Home. Well, Ramona and I went to the visitation at the
funeral home in Tipton to pay our respects to the family of Clayton
Day, and it was wonderful to see how many were in line to hug and give
condolances to the family.
As we stood in line to give our respects to each of the children and the wife of Clayton, we observed a great showing of that love and respect that meant this man was a vital part of the city of Tipton Indiana. And as we neared the casket where his body lay, we saw tears, and smiles as those who knew him related some stories about this man that God had called home. We saw that the children of this man and his wonderful wife were brought up with respect and with love as each of them greeted thier friends with hugs and words of praise for thier father. And as we set down and we watched the line of people who were there to show thier love, we saw that it never ended. As we left to travel back home to Kokomo, we looked back and cars were still coming into the lot. That my friends is what life is all about. You come to this world as an angel who will be loved until the day that you are called home and the expression of love is eternal.
I hope that when that day comes for this old man, my family can be given the same respect and love that the people of Tipton gave to Clayton and his family. And I say this to Clayton Day, because I know that he can hear me; Clayton, you did ok while you were here, raising a great bunch of children and having a good wife to be with all these many years. And Clayton, if you see Grandpa Day, tell him I said hello. And I address this to all the children, take good care of your mother and remember all the good times you had with your dad.
And that is what this old man and all those who lived during the hard times, tries to do each day and it is to show respect for Mom and Dad, and to remember that they gave up a lot in order that thier children were kept warm and fed. Remember what Mom and Dad taught you in the ways of showing not only respect for the dead but also for those who are left behind. They left a opportunity for each of you and that was to make your lives and the lives of your children a happy and prosperous one. It is a circle that never ends, with each day one to cherish while that loved one is still with us. It is a square where you have to turn corners to get to another point in life. And it is a triangle with each of you at one end and Mom and Dad at the other two. Life never ends, it just turns a corner.
Many times, I sit at my chair and try to think about what to write, and my thoughts always seem to cross the paths that my mother and father walked while they were with us in body, and my memories inspire me to write about the things that they taught me. Respect all others regardless of race or religion. Show your love for all of God's creatures, human or animal, and seek out the best for those children who have been sent by God to nuture and train for what lies ahead for them. Teach them that in each of them not only is a part of Mom and Dad but also the soul given by God to help quide them in all the things that they might encounter while walking the road of life. God gave each of us a brain to think with and a soul to help guide that brain in all the thoughts needed to make your life one to cherish by those who love you. It was nice of you to allow me to sit with you and this newspaper and to enjoy talking about love of your fellow man.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
So, my question to those people who are supposed to serve us is; where are those sidewalks that people who have lived inside the city limits deserve to have so that they can walk without fear of getting hit by a car? Why hasn't the tressel been replaced or widened so that traffic can run smoothly? Why has Hoffer Street been so bumpy all the years without someone fixing it? And why are we wasting so much of our gas supply waiting on lights to change even though there is no traffic coming? Am I stepping on some toes? Well get those big feet out of my way because now I am going to really do some stomping. Why are our elected officials hiring consultants every time something comes up to make decisions for our own good? Isn't that what we elected you for? Why should you pay someone to make decisions for us when they don't have any reason to do so except that it is what they get paid for. They have no true interest in our city and any consultation with them is money wasted paid to those who have no ties to the city of Kokomo. I have never understood why people need to ask someone else what to do in any situation. Sure, maybe some money in the long run might be saved , but how many of us will see that savings. Most of the time before that time comes, we see another group brought in to once again run our city. Where are we saving money? Where are the rights of all those who live in this city to make thier own decisions? And why aren't the people we elect to office making those decisions or appointing those who are actually living here to help make them? As everyone knows, I am proud to say that I live in Kokomo, and the people here are my friends and family, but sometimes I have to question the reasons for hiring consultants when you have people here that could and would make the best decision for us, and not for the money. Have any of you out there ever wondered how much money is wasted on outside consultants? Do you care how your money is spent? Let those who represent you know and then follow through with letters to all the rest of our elected officials. You might find out that some of them feel the same way that you do and they were just waiting to hear from you. And on election day, those who are worthy of your vote, will recieve it and represent you, the resident of Kokomo and Howard County.And also you might find out that they want your vote to furthur thier chances of securing a hold on a higher position open only to those who have the clout of being an elected official. Either way our vote would be wasted as they would depart that post to an higher one in office. When you vote someone into office, you have the right to expect that person to stay for the full term. How long do we wait for someone to represent us with common sense ? How much longer can we wait? Thanks again for sitting down with me this Sunday morning and talking about how our city is doing.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day-
Sometimes this old man is asked to help and sometimes I am just
asked for advice. The other day, we were talking about life and death and
the subject seemed to drift to the losing of a child and how to cope with
it when the idea is to grow old and then when it is time, you are called
Home by God. Now everyone will feel different when they lose a young child
in thier family. No one is the same and we go about coping with it in our
own ways. You hear someone say that they know how you feel, but do they?
How can anyone ,who has not lost a child ,know how we who have, feel. And
I can only relate to you how I felt and how I went on with my life without
that child.
To start with we need to go back before the child was called Home and feel the joy of her being with us. We need to remember all the good times we had together, and we need to realize that that loved one might not be here one day. We need to realize that the day might come when that child is taken from us and sent back Home. Realize that today is all that is given to us and enjoy the love of that child.
I still have times when I question whether it ever happened and that if it is just a dream and I will wake up to see and hear that pretty little girl. I have even woke up from a nights sleep and the first thought is that it was a bad dream I had. I have been sitting watching television or reading the paper and I will look over to the other chair and see my daughter there. Am I going crazy? No, I am remembering all the things that this little lady meant to me. I am thinking about all the things that she did to make us laugh. Do I miss her? You bet I do. And so does her mother and her sister . Patty was a vital part of our family and the lost is felt in different ways. I can't tell you how Ramona felt when Patty died. Only a mother would know that and that is because that child was carried by her mother nine months before I or her sister saw her. I can't tell you how Deborah felt because only a sister would know. Those two girls were like peas in a pod. There were things that they discussed with each other and to no one else. They not only were sisters, they were best friends. So each of us deal with our loss in our own ways. I can only tell you that I deal with it by remembering all the good times and by talking about her whenever someone is willing to listen. My writing of my column is mostly because of Patty because the way she fought cancer inspired me. Her story is on the internet and at the last count it was over the 285,000 hit mark. Words of praise and thanks, from all over the world, have been given to me because through that story, it has made it easier to cope with cancer in those familes, who are victims of that terrible disease. If through those words and those through this column, someone is able to either beat the cancer or to be able to ease the pain, then Patricia would not have died in vain. I know where she is and she knows that daddy will see her one day, as will her mother and sister. So my words to you out there that either is going through a cancer, or is a family member of one, is that you never give up on life. Live today as if it is your last. Enjoy the company of those you love and most of all, never be afraid to talk about it. I have known many friends and family that have suffered through bouts of cancer and many of them have been called Home. Be not afraid of taking that trip to Glory Land, because then the cancer is gone. But don't hurry that trip because God has that date planned for you, and you need to make the most of what time you have here with your family. And I want to say thanks to Dan for asking me how I cope with life. Until next week , I leave you with this thought. Remember yesterday, live today and ask for tomorrow.
Ray "Uncle Ray" Day
More on the next pages.