morals and values

Back then, you respected your elders. You listened to what you were told and anybody would correct you if they saw you doing something wrong. And of course, at the time we thought it was bad; but later on, we found out how great it was. Everybody in the community looked out, basically, for everybody else: children, adults, whatever, and that part to me, was a lot better then than it is now. Of course, living conditions and financial conditions are a whole lot better now than they were back then. But, born poor, living poor, you didn't realize how poor you were until later years. I mean, you can't miss what you never had. . . .  

Back then, people didn't argue with kids. What they said went. I played hooky one day in school the whole time I was going. I went up there and I made sure I missed the bus and I went home, and my grandfather never mentioned it, but he got the crosscut saw out and hung me on the crosscut saw until lunchtime. Well, we went in to eat and I'm going to eat slowly so that I can get a long break.  

When he got done eating, he said, "Come on, son, let's go."  

"Well, I ain't finished eating yet."  

"Yes, you are."  

And then, we went back out and we were on that crosscut saw until dark. Then, I had all of my regular chores to do after that. And the next morning, I was there half-hour before the bus came. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss the bus because that saw was still waiting. But, this is the way they got their point across. They didn't argue. They didn't do a lot of talking, but you knew they knew. 

 One other chore I had was pulling baskets of grass for the hogs -- honey grass in the field. But you wanted to get by. So, you'd go out and you'd pull grass and fluff it up in the basket so it would look like it was full and you'd look and [Grandfather] was nowhere in sight. But one of the corners you went around, he was there. He pushed that grass down in the basket and it'd go way down. Well, you didn't get to go back to fill it. You went and dumped that in the pen, then you went and got a full basket. So, it was a lot simpler to fill it the first time, then you wouldn't have to make two trips. And I mean this is the way they got their point across.  

You were supposed to get in buckets of water at night. If it was 11 o'clock at night, frost on the ground or whatever, when the water went [down] in the buckets, you went and got more water. Even if it was 11 o'clock at night, they got you out of bed, but you still went and got that water because you should have got it [earlier] that evening. You knew you were supposed to do it.  

And it's better to get all these darn things done while you can still see and get around than going out in the middle of the night to do these things. So, you learned to do what you were told. . . .

You have teenagers out here today that is good people. They are mannerly; they have respect for theirself; they have respect for other people, but that's the way their parents raise them. And to me, a lot of the teenage problems today go back home. They have no home training and that would really tee some people off.    

But like I said, I've been driving a bus, school bus [for] 35 years. I'm hauling grandchildren of some of the first students I hauled. Not their children, their grandchildren. And, it's just as much difference in the kids that I'm hauling today and the kids I hauled 30 years ago. It's just night and day. They are loud; they're abusive. A lot of them have nasty mouths and the parents -- well, they're not like that at home.    

Kids are not an angel at home and a devil when they step out the door. It just don't work that way, but it's just the teenager of today, or a big portion of them, has no resemblance of the teenager 35, 40 years ago. I mean, they just--. They're different. . .

It's when you get out of the community, you start to look around. "Hey. This is different. I don't have to go in the back door. Why, when I go back home, I'm gonna have to go in the back door? Why can't I sit down at the restaurant and have a cup of coffee? I mean, Mr. Charlie's sitting here having a cup. Why can't I have a cup, too? And you know, you don't start to think until you get out of the community, get out of the situation. You're introduced to somethin' different, and that's what happened with the colleges. You know, you see another aspect. You see another side. This is what-"This is not what we do back at home. Well, if I can do it here, I go home I want to do it, too. Not only do I want to do it, I want my kids to be able to do it. I want my parents to be able to do it." And so, that's where the change come. ...

 . .  . . . the idea was you know, you get out of the situation. You get away from home, what you've been-what you were born with, born and raised all your life, that's all you know. Then, you get away and you're introduced to these foreign ideas. This is acceptable. This is what the normal people do. Then, you start to think, and that's bad when you start to think because then you want change. 

And, we saw the change. . . .  And, that is something else. We talk about the segregation. You know, before we said [when you] went to college; you get your eyes open. You get your eyes open or whatever. Now suppose you stay in the community. How do you fight it then? I mean, I'm in the community. I've got to depend on Mr. Charlie for the job. I want to go to the store to get something to eat. Where do I go? Do we have any black stores? No. I mean, you know, they - The resource just wasn't there. You fight it and it's kind of like cutting your nose of spite of your face. What do you gain? So, you've got to realize, you know, get your priorities in order. Which is more important?  

And then, we went back out and we were on that crosscut saw until dark. Then, I had all of my regular chores to do after that. And the next morning, I was there half-hour before the bus came. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss the bus because that saw was still waiting. But, this is the way they got their point across. They didn't argue. They didn't do a lot of talking, but you knew they knew.  

One other chore I had was pulling baskets of grass for the hogs -- honey grass in the field. But you wanted to get by. So, you'd go out and you'd pull grass and fluff it up in the basket so it would look like it was full and you'd look and [Grandfather] was nowhere in sight. But one of the corners you went around, he was there. He pushed that grass down in the basket and it'd go way down. Well, you didn't get to go back to fill it. You went and dumped that in the pen, then you went and got a full basket. So, it was a lot simpler to fill it the first time, then you wouldn't have to make two trips. And I mean this is the way they got their point across.  

You were supposed to get in buckets of water at night. If it was 11 o'clock at night, frost on the ground or whatever, when the water went [down] in the buckets, you went and got more water. Even if it was 11 o'clock at night, they got you out of bed, but you still went and got that water because you should have got it [earlier] that evening. You knew you were supposed to do it.  

And it's better to get all these darn things done while you can still see and get around than going out in the middle of the night to do these things. So, you learned to do what you were told. . . .

I think maybe sometimes [African Americans] -- some of us -- have lost that desire to be informed of certain activities that we made progress in. See we've done a lot of things that have not been recorded -- a lot of inventions. And I think we need to know that and that gives you a pride in your race. "Look, there's a man just like you, same color, same features and everything, and look what he's done; he's made progress in life. Instead of being a nobody, he becomes somebody. And it just makes you feel better. I don't know whether everybody feels that way or not. Can't talk for other people. But I know a lot of us do. And that's probably why they got that display down at the library, to let people know that there are people that contributed something. And through their contribution, they should be respected. And that's the way I see it. . . . 

I like the country. I never liked the city because I always was afraid in the city. It's quiet and you get to know people. There's a little bit of closeness although it's not as close as it used to be, but I just feel a little freer in the country. . . .  

When we came along, discipline was handled in the home. A child wasn't sent to school for the teacher to discipline. This was done in the home and I think there's been a fallacy in upbringing and the way children are taught in the home now. There's so many things-They're allowed to do so many things. They have too much freedom. Number one, starting with the TV. And when it's just one-parent family, they don't know what the children are looking at. They don't know what they're seeing. And, they have to work. So, I think it's the home. It's in the home. It's the home situation. It's out of the cradle, out of the crib. It's: Now, I'll wait until you're three or four, but you can't wait that long anymore. You can't wait. Didn't wait with us. . . . 

 I don't know what I would have done without having the opportunity to teach and to work with people. I'm a people person, and I just like being with people and I like working with people. You know, regardless of what I'm doing. Nothing's too small, too low for me to do as long as I'm with people and helping people. Not without people! [laughter] And couldn't done without the Lord and my work as a teacher and helper.