Originally published Thursday, November 10, 1983

Social Security and Retirement

I guess you call this retirement. I have been home now the month of October. My biggest problem is shall I work in or out? After working away from home for 40 years, it is a change. I, myself, have been amazed at how much I have enjoyed it.

I cleaned every drawer in the house looking for my birth certificate. I had placed it in a real safe place. I found it in the little tin box where we keep things like that. My pot plants are saturated with water. I have sunned the blankets, they are as straight as you can fold old blankets. I have straightened the linens (as my late friend Eva would say) I have made the Salvation Army a box or two, finally fave up on losing enough weight to get back in those things.

I have made two batches of the give-away stew. I give stew instead of flowers sometimes. I have made six cakes and two "tater" pies. I have made two batches of the good pepper jelly and one of relish. We have been to Auburn twice, going again for Homecoming. I have cooked at least 80 meals. Raked the leaves twice, wrote stacks of letters and spent hours on the Philpot story. I caught the ironing up to date. Now it has come undone. The yard is full of leaves. The basement must be cleaned. I have not dusted yet. I don't like to dust.

I have been Christmas shopping already and simply can't wait to decorate if my back holds out. Its the same back that picked the cotton and shocked the oats, that wagged the babies and drew the water and ironed the clothes. What is the warranty on a good back?

I think our neighbors will agree we did not have to leave home this year to see the beauty in the change of the season. Fourth Street has been a burst of color. I can't get enough of it. I peep out between every job.

I have experienced the warmth of the unemployment office and the Social Security office. The American people have been conned many times, but Social Security is the biggest joke yet. They either need to quit taking it from the young or else lead them to believe this is not going to be anything so don't count on it. Just pay it. Some of the letters I wrote were to the Congress who so generously voted themselves a good retirement and gave the notch babies less because they weren't born soon enough. Come now, we are not all dummies.

I have had a rewarding career. Started out selling leather shoes for Joe Sapp. Sold Furniture, made Popsicles, managed a soda fountain with all of the romance and glamor of the early drug store. Managed a dress shop for 20 years. Worked for the board of Registrars and if I can learn to use this typewriter I may have a career yet. The instructions could be in Spanish and German as far as I am concerned. I don't understand English. "Because I must write tomorrow the thoughts I have today - For in a fleeting moment they too may get away."

Valentine's Day
Originally published in the 70's

Saint Valentine's day was the day of revelation. You had worried and wondered, if he really did like you. There was positively no give away of the secret that you withheld. It was something that you could not share, not even with your sister nor your best friend, especially not your brother, he would have teased you unmercifully.

He did put some valentines in the box, by some miracle could your name be on one of them. There was also the possibility that the person that you disliked very much would stuff the Valentine box with Valentines for you with sweet nothings written all over them. This would be the living end of embarrassment because you felt like the entire world would know and believe that you liked him.

Valientine's Day was a day of excitement, you hands perspired, and your hair wouldn't stay in place, your long stockings itched and your underwear showed at the neck.

Your name has been called a dozen times and you have a handful of Valentines. The moment you have been waiting for has finally arrived. There it is modest in size, the most beautiful red that you have ever seen, with double hearts and arrow completely through both.

The verse says "We are a pair of hearts". Your heart pounds like you have been doing push ups. You safely tuck it inside your literature book next to Elizabeth Browning's "How do I love thee, let me count the ways". You have never handled your literature book so fondly before. Mama's picture box is much too public for your prized possession.

In the weeks that follow, he sometimes stands behind you in line when you march in for books. He lets you drink from the dipper first and sometimes throws the ball directly into your hands, on the playground. When you are playing Red Rover, in spite of how hard you hold, he breaks through the line and nods that you are the one he wants to take back to his side.

Ah! spring and young man's fancy turns to love. Your true love acts a little smarty on the baseball field and is a show off. He is still wearing his long underwear and it is a little dirty around the neck. He shares a piece of licorice with your best friend. The final break comes when you see her name printed in ink inside his dirty palm, with hearts and arrows all over the place.

It was not too hard to give him up. His Valentine found a final resting place among the hot coals in the fire that your daddy had built for the cool spring nite, and no one will ever know, besides there is a new guy in school, who sits in the desk behind your own, and he ain't "bad lookin'".

Originally written just prior to the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, TN.

I have had a few experiences in my lifetime that I do not care to repeat. The second trip to Carlsbad Caverns held no excitement for me. The Grand Canyon was not as exciting on a return trip.

We covered every mound and confederate memorial at Vicksburg one summer, fought it like work. We pass through there now and say we have been there. I don't care to go back to Yellowstone. My excitement of Yellowstone has been overdone. The mystic of those little hot springs and waiting for an hour for Old Faithful to erupt again in the wind and dirt, roped off so far away you could not see, was the really big thing there. There was a lot of natural beauty. The snow was on the mountains. We saw bears and antelope but I don't need to to again.

We went to the top of Pike's Peak on that same trip. The trip up was treacherous and coming down was no better. We thought, "When we get on top, we'll relax and see the beautiful scenery." It was on Pike's Peak that the author of "America the Beautiful" was inspired to write the song.

When we were finally there, the wind was blowing forty miles and hour, the temperature was below freezing, and we were light-headed, we were 'typsying' around like astronauts. It was nothing short of miserable. We lacked sufficient clothes. The way you felt you could have flown away from there. The only haven was a pressurized gift shop to get yourself back together again. We were on John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High", as tipsy as Mrs. Minerva.

We were told to stop on the way down and cool our brakes.

We hauled out the picnic baskets and had a picnic in outer space, hiding behind rocks and heavy growth to stay warm. The scenery was majestic when we dared to look. We threw snowballs at one another and drained the coffee thermos.

I never tire of the big redwoods. That, I do want to do again. I never tire of the Navy tied up in San Diego or Norfolk. Touring one of those ships is strenuous. However, it makes you feel more like a sailor.

I do like the mountains. I like to look at the snow on top through binoculars and by peeking outside my motel window at them at sunrise. I like mountain laurel from the window of the car. Climbing mountains holds no intrigue. I stood on the side of one when I was a child and picked cotton and thinned corn, balancing my six-year old body to stay there.

Knoxville is getting ready for the big World's Fair. I marvel at their gusto. Imagine spending all of that money to tear up and reset your town. People will come from all over the world. Some make a hobby of going to a World's Fair. Some people never miss one. The Smoky Mountains will never be the same. Folks in our area can go conveniently. No one should miss it.

We were disappointed with the United States pavilion, when we went that time. The point of interest was the movie industry. Hopefully, since it is in Knoxville, the country music industry will be highlighted.

Space and natural resources, education, and the field of medicine are other fields we have excelled in. I hope the people in charge will show us in reality instead of the make believe world.

The arts should be something to see, with present trend toward crafts. The Tennessee hill country should exhibit their best. Ham, biscuits, and red eye gravy should be staples on the menu.

Knoxville is so accessible from Ashville, Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Nashville, tourists should really get their money's worth.

The Indians in Cherokee will need new garb and Maggie Valley will to grease the merry-go-rounds.

A World's Fair never makes money. I am told, however, there will be some floating around. Maybe, it will be a boost to the Southland.

I intend to go. Blistered feet, chapped lips, and little miseries will not keep me away.