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MUMBLINGS May 25, 2006
Memories and such things: almost 100 years ago
I was lucky enough to be born on a fine three horse farm on Yellow
Creek in Melborne, Al, which is between Tuscaloosa and Columbus
Mississippi. By the time I was eight years old I was plowing,
milking cows, chopping cotton, thinning corn, feeding hogs, mules,
chickens, bringing in fire and stove wood and whatever else had
to be done.
My brother and I, who was five years older, worked
from “can to c’aint”, daylight to sundown, where
the work was never done. We had a saying that we would go home,
eat supper, throw our overalls under the bed and catch them on
the other side and go back to work. At least it seemed that way.
Happiness was evident among all workers back in those days. People
sang and whistled while they worked. People now never seem to
whistle or sing while they’re working. While I was plowing
our mules Pet and Minnie, I could sing loud and carry every part
from base to tenor. While so doing, fortunately no one was around
to hear except the mules and they didn’t seem to mind.
We Americans have so much to sing and whistle
about and if we did so, we would have less time for complaining
and being unhappy.
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If you were born around 3/1/16 you could remember
a lot of stories. My great uncle “Burrel” Faulkner
lived to be 103 years old. As his 100th birthday was celebrated
in Lamar County High School in Vernon, Al, I was privileged to
introduce Senator Jim Allen who spoke and praised Uncle Burrel
while celebrating his birthday. Senator Allen presented Uncle
Burrel a plaque and asked him to say a few words. He took the
plaque and simply said, “Thank you, but I do not make speeches.
When I was a boy, I went up on a hill and practiced a speech under
a chestnut tree. The tree died.” And then he sat down.
Incidentally, my great uncle did not smoke nor
drink, but kept thin and walked every day as long as he lived.
He is my model relative, at least in age.
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A recent Baldwin Poll lists that we have over
95,000 voters. Recently, we claimed over 100,000, but deaths,
purging the list, etc, reduced it some 5,000. But be patient,
with our rapid increase in growth, it will be 100,000 again soon.
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In our Democratic and Republican primaries in
Alabama, you have to vote for one party or the other and you cannot
switch if there is a runoff. This rule does not hold true in the
November General election; you can split your ticket any way you
want to.
If you want to vote for someone local in the
first primary, you have to vote Republican, as there are no contests
in the Democratic Party and not many in the Republican. Even minorities
are considering voting Republican in the primary.
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There are several things of which you cannot
be sure, elections and trials by jury.
There have been a lot of changes in the life
of this great country during the past 100 years. The average life
expectancy 100 years ago was 47 years. Now it’s over 75.
A national poll says that of every three boys
and girls in the U.S. who enter high school, only two will graduate…what
a waste! Those who graduate will make an average of $9,000 more
a year. Of those dropouts 1/3 were making failing grades but the
others were making average and above. Note to the sufficient should
be wise, but often isn’t.
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