By Neal Wooten
I came up in a time when getting in trouble at school or with the police meant getting in worse trouble at home. No matter what punishment the school or law might impose, it would surely pale in comparison to what awaited me when my parents found out. They never blamed teachers or officers or even questioned the evidence; they simply added their own brand of mountain justice as an added measure.
I came up in a time when we rode bicycles with no helmets and jumped ramps to mimic Evel Knievel. We drank from the garden hose, rode in the back of pickup trucks, and swam in the creeks and coal mines. We hiked deep into the woods, climbed cliffs, and explored caves. We rarely stayed inside the house until suppertime.
I came up in a time when we got three channels on the television and there was always something to watch. After supper, the entire family sat in the living room to watch the only TV, and we watched new episodes of the same shows every week. My favorite night was Sunday when we would watch Mutual of Ohama’s Wild Kingdom, followed by Walt Disney.
I came up in a time when we had one rotary phone with a four-foot cord. You had to either stand or sit right there. I envied friends who had the wall-mounted phone with a long cord. There was no caller ID, so you had to actually answer the phone to find out who was calling. We even had a party line, which meant only one person at a time in our neck of the woods could use their phone.
I came up in a time when playing games meant actually playing games. We’d get together with other kids in our rural neighborhood, mostly cousins, to play together. If we had enough, we’d choose teams and play softball. Or we might play games like Hide-and-Seek, Flies and Skinners, Red Rover, or Kick the Can and Run and Hide. We would play past dark using the one streetlamp until we were called for supper.
I came up in a time when meals were cooked from real ingredients; before canned biscuits and microwave dinners. And the entire family sat in their spots around the table. There was no complaining about what was prepared and no going to the living room to eat.
I came up in a time when Southern hospitality was a real thing. If someone was sick, we took them food. If someone got injured, we helped with their chores. Everyone helped their neighbors, and everyone treated each other with respect. And that is what I miss most of all.
