STORIES

Remembering:
It was John Henry who said" Let us take things as we find them: let us not attempt to distort them into what they are not.... We cannot make facts. All our wishing cannot change them. We must use them."
Perhaps the facts in storytelling will help add substance to names and dates chiseled in granite and help to preserve the stories about them.
It was a bright sunshiny day in March of 1943, in fact it was Marh 9,1943. A little crisp from winter and us kids were able to get outdoors, to play , because it was Sunday afternoon.
You might ask me how I remember the facts. I'll tell you is because I lived them. When you are a kid you look forward to your next birthday and if any body asks your age. I am almost 10 or I am 8 and one half. Anyway that was the year I was 9 on the 9th and it was one month to the day following my ninth birthday. When you are old like I am you can remember things in the past, but don't ask me what I had for lunch last Tuesday.
The little red wagon that had traveled to Grandpa's house a couple of years earlier was the principle toy of the day. My sister Mary, was pulling the wagon and I was standing in the wagon while she was pulling it. Lots of fun, until the side walk popped right up and hit me in the mouth. Of course since it was cool out we all had our coats on.
Wouldn't you know it, mine was suddenly covered with blood.
In those days my Dad[ H.Ray ] usually took care of all of us kids when he was home. So I went to the front porch crying and yelling in pain for my Dad . He came quickly and picked me up and carried me to the dinning room table.
Incidentally, that is the same table we have in our kitchen and will seat 18 people around it when it is fully extended with the leaves. Many of you have sat at that table.
They inspected the injury and found my front tooth had been broken. My Dad called the dentist and we got in the old Graham Paige car and met the dentist at his office.
Of course I wanted to know what happened so the dentist gave me a mirror after I got a shot of pain killer and I watched him cut the tooth off with his drill. Some of you probably remember seeing me with a missing tooth for quite a few years back then. That was the first "rat" . The second "rat" came the following winter when I was sliding on a sled down a hill in the front yard and broke half of the next tooth off when the sled hit bare sidewalk and stopped and I didn't. So for many years I wore a gold cap on that tooth with the one beside it missing.
That was one of the first times I even thought about what Grandpa had told me several years earlier. If I had taken his advise to heart and not had to learn the hard way, maybe the facts would be different .
It was Anatole France that said: "One must never lose time in vainly regretting the past nor in complaining about the changes which cause us discomfort, for change is the very essence of life."
STORIES:
"Storytelling adds substance to names and dates chiseled in granite and keeps memories alive."
John
By the way this is my own "quote" not some one else's