Re: What was it like where you grew up?

Posted by Fawteen on November 04, 2012 at 11:14:11 from (72.95.118.210):

In Reply to: What was it like where you grew up? posted by RBnSC on November 04, 2012 at 05:49:15:

Born 1950. Grew up on 120 acre farm on a gravel road in central Michigan.

Attended a 1 room school house that housed grades K-8 and had one teacher. School house had a more-or-less modern furnace and running water, but restroom facilities were outhouses. Walked a half-mile more-or-less to school, every day, any weather.

My last year there was grade 4, attendance was down too far to justify paying a teacher and keeping the building up. Got bussed to the county seat (St. Johns) grades 5-12.

Dad farmed the 120 and worked full time at Federal-Mogul as an industrial electrician. We raised wheat, soybeans, corn and hay, fed out beef critters, kept a few hogs.

I'm 5th of 6 boys, no sisters. We ALL did chores morning and evening, kept the grass mowed and the place looking nice, helped Mom with cooking, canning, gardening, laundry and housekeeping. Never knew anybody that didn't until high school. I was absolutely floored by the attitude of "city" kids that had no chores and wouldn't dream of washing dishes or helping Mom with the cleaning. That sort of attitude in my house would've resulting in getting extremely hungry at best, and a serious butt-whipping at worst.

Started driving tractors ('49 JD-B, '50-something Super W-6) as soon as we could reach the pedals. Forked manure by hand, made hay with an Allis Rotobaler and thought we'd died and gone to heaven when Dad went in with a neighbor and bought a square baler. Spent many, MANY mind-numbing hours on the JD-B with a four row cultivator and shields cultivating just emerged corn and beans.

Kept a couple of acres of grass around the house and outbuildings mowed with a 20" push mower with a Clinton engine (remember those?)

Entertainment was getting out the door after chores and playing with the neighbor kids. We might be anywhere within a couple of square miles until dark. Nobody knew exactly where or cared, as long as we were home by supper time.

Around 1962 or so, Dad relented and bought a TV. Black and White, 3 channels, antenna rotor was a pipe wrench on the mast and somebody hollering instructions out the living room window.

You learned responsibility and self-reliance and the value of a person's word, neighbors helped neighbors without being asked or thinking of reward. Wouldn't have missed it for the world, and count it as a huge loss that so many kids (including mine) couldn't grow up that way.

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