Reflections

This morning I got up and went into a warm bathroom. I looked out the window to see it snowing. I realized that it was my special day and that I could be thankful to have made it another year. I don’t know what prompted my reflections of the past; perhaps it was the cold outside.
I remembered what it was like when I was a kid. We had no inside toilet and no running water from a faucet. We had a Washing stand with a large bowl. Next to it was a jug of cold water. For warm water, we went into the kitchen and dipped hot water from a water compartment in the stove. We bathed daily using wash cloths. On Saturdays, we took a bath in the galvanized tub Mom used to rinse the clothes after washing in a ringer machine. Before that, she used a scrub board. We enjoyed the weekly bath and often shared the water in the tub until it needed to be changed.

As we progressed, we moved from the farm and bought a house that had a bathroom. There was a tub and cold running water. There was no toilet. We used a Chamber Bucket for overnight use. Each morning, I alternated with my brother in emptying the bucket. The steps upstairs were very steep and narrow. I shall never forget the morning I was carrying the bucket downstairs, slipped and fell. The chamber bucket followed me down the stairs and emptied its contents all over me. I lay there crying. My Mom thought I was hurt, but I think the cry had more to do with the accident and the mess I caused. Under our steps was a clothes closet and the liquid from the bucket seeped through the cracks onto the clothes. Cleaning up the mess was one thing, cleaning myself was another thing. Cleaning out the closet still another. The detergent Mom used had a very strong smell. It somehow covered up the smell from the contents of the Chamber Bucket, but the smell lingered for days.

Another chore was feeding the furnace. We used coal and every morning the ashes had to be cleaned out. This was all done before going to school. Before moving from the farm, we also had morning chores before school that involved cleaning out the stables and throwing down fresh hay from the hayloft. That was done before we milked the cows and fed the pigs and chickens. Then we went into the house, cleaned up, dressed in our school clothes and had breakfast. Before going to school, we had morning devotions. Mom read from the Bible and then we all knelt by a chair in the living room while my mother prayed and prayed. She remembered to mention each member of the family, her cousins and those who were sick. She especially prayed for those who were still sinners asking God not to give them any rest, day or night, until they got saved.

Those were the not-so-good old days. Many of us lived history. We appreciate the things we have today that many take for granted.

On a lighter note, yesterday as I was sitting in my chair, my wife passed by and kissed me on the cheek. I was startled in that it was not a normal thing to do. She said that she wanted to kiss me before I got old. I replied that she wanted to kiss a younger man. Today and for the next three weeks we are the same age. Then on February 4th, she springs ahead a year. I think I will kiss her then and say that I wanted to kiss an older woman.

Happy Birthday, Abe. Your childhood reflections remind me of my grandparents' farm.

The best is yet to come....

Happy Birthday, Abe, Glad you are here.

Thanks to all. I appreciate the good wishes. As Don would say, I'm still on top of the dirt and as long as that continues, I'll be here.

1/14/2013

Abe..

" HAPPY BIRTHDAY "

Cheers..Joe..

Joe and Shelagh, are you trying to fatten me up? Thanks for the good wishes. The one candle I can handle.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY FRIEND!

GOD BLESS

Happy Birthday Abe and enjoy.

I hope you have a GREAT day.

Huggles,
Katja

Belated Happy Birthday, Abe!

I love the bittersweet recollections of youth--bucket and all, would you have it any other way? God Bless you and your bride, always.

Congratulations again, Abe.

Victor, I just noticed your books in your signature. Neat!

DK,

I've added the last three books some time back, borrowing what seemed a good idea from you and several of our other friends/colleagues here as I found it an easy, interesting way to see what others are doing at a glance.

Abe,

The chamber pot must have fertilized you.

alice wrote:

Abe,

The chamber pot must have fertilized you.

Yes, Alice, and now I have a biological (pig) heart valve. Guess I'm a real swine.

Abe F. March wrote:

alice wrote:

Abe,

The chamber pot must have fertilized you.

Yes, Alice, and now I have a biological (pig) heart valve. Guess I'm a real swine.

I think not--funny though-- YES!

Missed you b'day, Abe, but sending my wishes now that I've seen it. We grew up in much the same way, other than your family had a lot more than ours did. The "no water in the house" and using the "chamber pot" which we called a "slop jar," are very familiar to me. Looking back though, I don't know that I'd change very much. We were taught values, self reliance, and that our actions had consequences that we were accountable for. Those are life points that I have lived by now for over 70 years, and I think they give me, and you, a viewpoint that almost no children today will ever truly understand.

And I think we're better off because of our upbringing.

May this be a great year for you, and may you have many more, each one better than the last.

Dear Abe,

I am sorry I missed your birthday, too. I concur with everything that E. Don has said. We called the chamber pot the "pee pot" and hoped that was all that was done in it oover night

Love,

betty

Thanks Don and Betty. I don't regret my past, and as Don said, I am better for it. The tough part of that kind of upbringing is watching kids today that want more and more without appreciating what they have. Sometimes I wish that they would experience greater hardships. The funny thing about all this is that we didn't know they were hardships. It was the normal way of life back then. That is why I object to pointing fingers at other countries who appear backward to us. They must evolve. What we see as backward or hardship is often an acceptable way of life. Let it be.

I think the children have more hardships now. They are living fake lives.
They play video games and don't dare even walk to school for fear of a creep getting hold of them.

We had respect for everyone. Now we know everyone's failings.

I remember when my brother's pet rabbit died, he said, " I feel bad even worse than if President Eisenhower had died." We adored Ike.

Our relatives would visit and tell stories and laugh. I miss all of that.

It seems to me that things are different, but not necessarily better or worse. there are at least as many things and people in my past that I am glad are behind me as there are things and people I miss.

When I can let go of the past, I worry less about the future. It seems to me that the present moments are the best and most joyful when I stay focused on just living each one as it comes.

I don't manage it all the time, but life tends to go better when I do.

We cannot bring back yesterday, but when we keep our now moments joyful, we do a better job of contributing to a positive tomorrow.

Just me.

Of course, Ann, You are so right.

Someone once said you cannot create the past you wish you had; but you can create today - and todays well lived will create a new past with you as co-creator.

dkchristi wrote:

Someone once said you cannot create the past you wish you had; but you can create today - and todays well lived will create a new past with you as co-creator.

Exactly - well said.

It is often disconcerting to talk about the past. We hold onto pictures of our ancestors, we write books about characters of the past while at the same time we want to forget the past and move on. History is history and cannot be erased. There is much to be learned from history. Our past has influenced us and made us what we are today. We can’t live in the past; however we cannot and should not forget it. We search for information about our genealogy; we remember our Civil War and world wars. These events help keep us alert to avoid the mistakes of the past.
There is often the inference that we should forget the past and move on. I agree that we should move on while at the same time allowing the past to guide us in our future endeavors. We all know that what is done cannot be undone. It is much like trying to unfry an egg. We cannot take back words we spoke in anger, but we can use these past experiences to hold our tongue in the future.