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Well, "when I grew up? (Ever hear that before?)
Now that I am getting old as dirt, I think a lot about the "old days" and how information and history was transferred from generation to generation……
from father to son, mother to daughter, uncle to nephew, neighbor to neighbor.
It was a time in Eastern Nebraska when farms were small, with farmsteads , four to a section. (did you know that 160 acres was the size of a homestead?) Travel was by foot, horse or mule, consequently towns and villages were densely located about 5 miles apart. All were self sufficient with grocery and general stores supplying needs varying from fence posts and horse harnesses to material to create clothing from. It was a place to market grain and livestock produced product, as well as the livestock too!
Of course each community had a blacksmith shop, undertaker and grave digger. In later years they also had at least one business that supplied gasoline. They called them a "service station" because not only selling gas, they mounted tires, changed oil and did minor repair. Oh, yes, they also pumped the gas!
Nearly all towns had a couple of general stores, hardware and drug stores (complete with soda fountain), butcher shop, a couple of taverns and a pool hall.
A town would not be complete without at least one or two churches and of course a secondary school as well as a café.
It was a time that at least twice per week, the farmers would take their wares to town to sell, purchase provisions and just have a great evening of sharing. Recipes and gossip, news about family and friends were shared around the wood stove in the grocery store by the ladies. Tips on crop or livestock growing techniques, how to mend a piece of machinery, or just plain 'braggin about how good each other's crops took place by the men at the service station, pool hall, tavern, or on warm summer evenings …. the built in wooden benches on the front of each store.. Because the farms and crews were small, it was also a place to arrange for each other's help with a task too large for one person.
Don't forget the time where free movies such as 'Abbott and Costello Go To The Moon' and 'The Little Rascals' were shown on the side of an available building at dusk. I am convinced now that they were sponsored, not only to keep the kids off the streets but also out of Mom and Dad's hair so they could visit.
As all things do, times have changed………. now we have "Internet" and "Email" and we no longer have to take time for those moments of sharing and teaching like we used to. After all, we have wonderful search engines like "Google". In fear that sometime after my generation, we will look in the history book (or in the memories of youngster's) and find an entire century has disappeared.
Soooo, I'll use that same technology to record some of my thoughts.
Enjoy!
Rich
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