I Am From.......

I am from a small town.  The town was booming in the 70's until the major plant-OLIN was shut down by the EPA--dumping mercury into the river.  Saltville is known as the Salt Capital of the Confederacy.

I am from the time when our only toy was a can -that is if you were lucky enough to find one and our favorite game to play at night was ---kick the can.  No need to worry about cars coming down the road because weren't that many cars.  I am from a time when laughter was heard in the streets till the wee hours of the morning.  I am from neighbors helping each other with all chores-from mowing grass to spring cleaning houses.

I am from the never ending rose bushes which  scratched  my body as I tried to catch a ball being thrown. From the fragrance of flowers blooming everywhere.

I am from walking to church on Sunday morning and Sunday evening.  I am from celebrating a Church Homecoming picnic with all the country fixins--nothing store bought and listening to stories and music all evening and night.  

I am from a small family, but one who valued family traditions-from visiting my great-grandparents on Sunday and eating homemade blackberry jam peanut butter sandwiches-which was a real treat to eating breakfast on Saturdays with my grandparents -gravy biscuits and smelling coffee-and then watching mamow crumble up a biscuit to put in her coffee.

From watching men kill pigs a couple of days before Thanksgiving-hearing the squealing and gun shots to seeing other men kill chickens for Sunday dinner. Then all neighbors gathering at one house to work in the sausage for canning and plucking the chickens-listening to the talk and laughter of all with no television blaring in the background.

I am from a Christian family-who attended church on Sunday mornings, evenings, and Wednesday prayer meeting.  Nothing else was planned on these days-not even a drive through a country.  Family who spent the day worshiping  Jesus Christ.

I’m from a small town whose family always had soup beans and cornbread (or a slice of bread).  Who enjoyed having an oyster fry for extended families on special occasions -or no particular reason at all. 

From watching my father teach my mother how to drive to watching him also teach my mamow.  From learning that hard work does pay off and to never give up.  From watching my dad work (Olin) to coming home and then having a hobby-he drove 15 miles to our farm.  Watching him love doing farm work, feeding the cattle, setting/cutting tobacco, planting strawberries, bailing hay and never complaining about the work he was doing.

I am from a family who puts family first.  One who believes in hard work and helping others when bad luck does strike.  A family who takes pride in their faith. A family that believes --behind every cloud is a silver lining.