Told ya I'd find it. Above are Alphea and George Washington Storey. Two GREAT Americans and Grandparents!
What I was looking for is a picture of my maternal Grandfather. His name was George Washington Storey. He was and remains to me today a great American and an ideal role model, especially for a kid growing up in the 50's. Now my grandaddy was a largely uneducated, poor, white farmer, residing in the Miss. Delta. He and my grandmother, Alphea, birthed and raised 11 children of which my mother was the youngest. So, as you might guess, Grandaddy was pretty old by the time I came along. I grew up with a busload of cousins, some of which were older than my momma. But, nevertheless, he always had time for me, until the day he died.
What I am about to tell you is the very first time I ever got my ass beat tho'. I was 5 years old, so it was 1952. My Grandaddy was out plowing behind a mule. I was sitting on an old, rusty crosscut saw he had to cut up kindling with. Everytime he would come to my end of the row, he would tell me to git off that saw before I cut myself, and I would in turn, throw a clod of dirt at the mule. About the 15th time he told me to get off the saw, and about the 15th time I threw a clod at the mule, I made the fatal mistake of calling him an "old shitass".
Well, he laid the reins to the mule down, walked slowly over to me, and gave me an ass whuppin that I remember to this day. He give me a whuppin that was a great, righteous kinda whuppin. I promise you, I never ever even considered calling him an old shitass again.
Didn't love him any less, but he gained a lifetime of respect in about a minute. Well, you say, that is child abuse! He should have explained proper etiquette! Believe me, he did.
Nowadays, you cannot spank a child. teachers in school cannot spank a child. Corporal punishment is taboo and forbidden. CRAP! It worked on me, my parents, grandparents and also on my children.
A good, well deserved ass whuppin has and always will work, despite what any bleeding hearts may want ya to believe.
Otherwise, how else would I remember, 57 years later, not to call my Grandaddy an old shitass.
BTW, I think my daddy taught me that phrase, just to set me up!
Stay tuned for the next installment, "7 Years Old, and Living in the Sticks"
I can relate to some of that story, I too, remember my grandfather behind a mule plowing in the late 1940's and early '50's in southwest Mississippi. I never had the nerve to call him a shitass, and actually never thought about it. One story I can relate to you, we had a dog named Nick. He was a great squirrel dog and let us know when a possum came close to the hen house at night. I loved that dog. One day while sitting on the front porch Dad Hosey (what I called my grandfather) looked at Nick and say, "Nick is getting old" and he was old and slowing down at that time. Next day Nick took his first and maybe last ride as g Dad Hosey took him far from home and put him out. Years later, we had another dog Tiger, great squirrel dog and possum dog. On day on that same front porch Dad Hosey looked at old Tiger and used that same phrase,"old Tiger is getting old". I knew what was coming and I was right. The old man, was a great grandfather and a loving husband to my grandmother, but as many of his era he was very practical. He would laugh at todays ASPCA and PETA(he would think them from another planet).
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Love hearing about family stories! I give you permission to spank our child if he/she calls you an old shitass when he/she is too young to know the truth...LOL
ReplyDeleteYep, PC taken waaaayy too far. PETA...insane (though they have some decent causes) - I think Mr. Russell's grandfather did the humane thing, especially back in the day.
Keep up the good family stories!! Heck, I didn't realize my great grandfather's name was george washington! LOL
Well, stay tuned for some more old family stories. I'm working up to several more.
ReplyDeleteCourse, if MY grandchile called me an old shitass, he'd prolly be right!
That is a great pitcher Lizzard. Yeah, I know for a fact youse a shitass.
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