1/11/2019
Being raised in the 1940-50s and now looking back to that era shows me an assortment of astounding things. I started school the year Harry S. Truman won election. I never paid any attention to it, of course, but during that time and the four years which followed, an Army Camp (Atterbury) was close to our little town. It was built as a temporary camp for the 2nd WW and kept open by Truman, sort of in view of the crisis in the Korean peninsula. So, when the camp began again to grow in personnel, several people from our town worked there—my sister Margaret, both my parents for a short period of time, and many others. As wars will do, our little town of 400+ was economically healthy then.
We had 4 filling stations, 2 grocery stores, a drug store, dry cleaners, hardware(which was also a burgeoning Allis-Chalmers tractor and New Idea farm equipment dealer), as well as, a lumber yard, feed store, grain elevator, florist, and 2 barber shops! There were also small businesses including at least 2 restaurants. We had all we need. A grades 1 thru 12 school (the Redbirds!) and 3 or 4 churches. We just didn’t need anything else. My dad (for a short time) had a blacksmith shop.
Somewhere just after Eisenhower was elected in ’52, he shortened and caused the Korean war to cease fire, establishing the de-militarized zone which still exists today. One of the camp-shut downs was Atterbury, and all our town folk had to go elsewhere to work, mostly Indianapolis and Franklin. During the camp closing process, an officer brought his family to live in our town, a son my age and smaller children. I was friends with the boy for a year or so before they moved on. He was a totally undisciplined kid. He disrespected his mother (probably not his army officer father) and was wild in his thinking of what was fun. So, one day, for no particular reason, he got into a fury about President Eisenhower’s election (1952). It was loud, inside the classroom (I think because of rain), and brought the ire of several teachers and the principal into the room. This boy quickly blamed it on me and one other boy, either Floyd or Curt, none of us being to blame for anything. I’ve often engaged in political debates among my friends since then, often heated, seldom settling anything (if ever.) But, I don’t think I ever saw any “tuck-tail-and-run” event quite like that boy’s retreat.
Later, he told me if his dad found out he was arguing politics, for or against whomever, he would get skinned alive. I remember telling him if he hadn’t brought it up, he wouldn’t have had to lie about us. He never apologized, he never took the blame, …end of friendship. I wonder if that young man ever learned life’s dearest lesson: we are responsible for our own actions. I hope he did. The bible principle in this is “every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.”-Rom.14:12.
The SIMH today was one of the favorites of all “sing-alongs”: I’ll Fly Away. This really old favorite was written in 1929 by Albert Brumley. Recorded by just about everybody. Recently made more popular by Allison Krause in the movie “Oh, brother, Where Art Thou?” Whether piano, banjo, guitar, fiddle, whatever, it is a great tune which presents a real soon possibility of biblical prophecy fulfillment. The “in the morning” portion is an homage to 19th century songs, which spoke of morning as the awakening from death, that is, resurrection—Some golden daybreak, I’ll meet you in the morning, etc. there are a lot of songs making a morning reference.
And when the skies are as beautiful in the mornings as this week has been here, I fully understand the application of Christ being the “bright and Morning Star.”
Thanks for reading, the Elder
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