Grandmother

 

I thought I would share a story with you about my brother and I, and our paternal Grandmother Elsie (1897-1973). Our Grandma was from sturdy southern Indiana stock that was the essence of hard work, family and earned respect. There is really no reason why I am sharing this story, other than you might find it interesting in light of today’s new and improved culture.

On day my brother and I was enjoying a day with Grandma, who was also a mother of six fully raised children, that she and Grandpa Ira fortified with that hard scrabble southern Indiana way of life. We noticed Grandma was worried and looking around like she had lost something. We asked what was wrong, and she said nothing was wrong, but she couldn’t find her eyeglasses. We immediately saw that her glasses were perched atop her head. Well, we thought we would have fun with Grandma, and went scurrying around acting like we were earnestly searching for her glasses, knowing that she was unaware that her glasses were stored atop her head. Deciding to have fun with Grandma illustrates the folly of youth of not thinking through the full implications of their actions. However, some people never learn how to fully think through the implications of their actions even though they have reached a ripe age of adulthood.

The implications of having fun with Grandma, was of course, that she would discover her glasses atop her head and also discover that her snot nose grandsons were having fun at her expense. Big mistake boys. She thereupon ordered us to go out yonder to the peach tree and get a “switch” (a limber tree part) that was suitable for hard application around little boy’s legs with enough force to leave welts. Well, we went out to that peach tree to get the switch that would surely cause us pain because Granma ordered us to do so, and it never occurred to us to disobey Grandmother’s orders. One must wonder if today’s grandchildren would also be so obedience. Of course, we finally selected a switch that was small enough to not cause much pain. Another big mistake. Grandma then ordered us back to that peach tree to get a really big switch or she would use Grandpa’s big leather belt to do the job. Well, the pain and welts taught little boys that disrespecting their dear old Grandmother, and other deserving people, was not to be tolerated. And the lesson Grandma metered out to my brother, and I have endured over these many years since then. Here is a thought, one must wonder if today’s grandchildren and their parents would tolerate such behavior to teach a worthwhile lesson.

 I’m just saying.