Have You Ever Been Lonely? Really lonely? As I have lived most of my life as a single man, I've had plenty of chances to feel lonely. Usually I've had friends or family around and I'm not a negative complainer (my analysis).
In 1975 I made a solo trip around the world and it was a wonderful experience overall, but a couple of times I found myself wondering--"Why am I here" or "This is an awful situation" I arrived in Istanbul, Turkey mid winter, icy cold, and snow swirling. I stayed in a cheap hotel (of course) with very little heat. I could not identify with the natives and the language barrier was formidable. "This is an awful situation". Later that year I landed in Seoul, Korea. All over Asia--Thailand, Phillipines, Burma, Hong Kong, Japan, and Rep. of China--I got lots of smiles and interest, but not Korea. Maybe it is because the G Is were there in great numbers a decade before. Anyway the only very friendly people were shills trying to run some con on a tourist. "What am I doing here?"
These times were candidates for most lonesome, but another time and place was the obvious winner. My lonesomest time was New Years Eve in 1956. The Place--Paris, France. Uncle Sam had called me to active duty in the Air Force earlier in the year after my graduation from Vet School. I was shipped to my duty station in Chateauroux, France. I made friends, and was enjoying this new place--just having a ball. Then Christmas came. The first one that must spend away from home. It was tough, I had friends but I needed family. A few days later here came the New Year. I resolved to go to Paris and live it up. Just me--I'd make the Frenchmen like me. I settled on the left bank and started circulating, trying to find an interesting venue. I still don't know how the French celebrate the new year, I only know when the countdown came I was in a dismal tavern, knew nobody, and no one cared. I just went back to my hotel defeated and head bowed. A very low point for sure. From then on things looked up. I thoroughly enjoyed my three years in France and my year in Paris.
Now I've let you into a private place in my life (defeat isn't easy to admit)so now let me hear a few comments about your low point/lonely time.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
K.U./M.U. Basketball...and Football
Having seen K.U. trounce the "terrible" basketball M.U. Tigers today, memories surface on past basketball games! I remember sitting with Phil and Pat Foust, in their kitchen, listening to a K-State/K.U. game. It went down to the "wire!" Can't remember who won, but I was exhausted at the end of the game! We were playing some kind of cards. Can't remember if the cards were "kind" or not! Knowing Phil and Pat, I know they must have been "kind!"
I remember Hubert Cox listening to the K.U. football games in the "hardware store" at Adams Mercantile Company. Passing by the radio, I would hear the roar of the crowd, letting me know that someone had done something! And, who was the guy that worked in the hardware store, who was a former truck driver... a relative of Virgil Hill! And, what was Virgil's "nickname?" Oh, I remember. It was "Squirrelly!" He sold cars, didn't he? I just remember that this "former truck driver/owner" was a fine singer! He would sing along with the radio when the business was slow! (This guy and Jess Foster owned trucking companies.)
Talked long enough. A K.U. win will do that for me! And you know what, I would love to see the Cedar Vale Broncos play a game! Just to put on the "purple and gold" again would be next best thing to putting it on "the colors" and shooting some hoops!! That would be special!!!!!
I remember Hubert Cox listening to the K.U. football games in the "hardware store" at Adams Mercantile Company. Passing by the radio, I would hear the roar of the crowd, letting me know that someone had done something! And, who was the guy that worked in the hardware store, who was a former truck driver... a relative of Virgil Hill! And, what was Virgil's "nickname?" Oh, I remember. It was "Squirrelly!" He sold cars, didn't he? I just remember that this "former truck driver/owner" was a fine singer! He would sing along with the radio when the business was slow! (This guy and Jess Foster owned trucking companies.)
Talked long enough. A K.U. win will do that for me! And you know what, I would love to see the Cedar Vale Broncos play a game! Just to put on the "purple and gold" again would be next best thing to putting it on "the colors" and shooting some hoops!! That would be special!!!!!
Friday, February 27, 2009
How Highway 166 Changed the Life of One Family
When I want to know something about gardening or local people I always go to my aunt, neighbor, and friend, Norma Wesbrook Knowles. I asked her to tell me a memory about the Wesbrook family and this is the result.
Clarence and Edna Wesbrook lived 12 miles west of Cedar Vale. Their family included Cecil (my Dad), Mildred, and Norma. They were rather shut off from the world. To get out they had to open 3 gates, then drive north to Hooser, on north and west to Dexter or east to Cedar Vale. Edna would sometimes drive the model T up to Hooser to take the train in to Cedar Vale to visit Mrs. Frank Hubbard. She would take the train back later the same day. Clarence, in his younger days, played on a baseball team from Hooser. They had uniforms and played often.
Closest neighbors were the Metcalfs, Wesbrooks had to cross Metcalf land to get to the Hooser road. Carl Metcalf was Cecil's best friend.
When a family lost a loved one, neighbors came to their aid. Clarence set up all night with Mr. Metcalf before his service. Edna was called to get a neighbor lady, that had died in childbirth, ready for burial. There were 3 little boys in the family. The grandparents took the 2 youngest and the father kept the older boy.
Cecil was the oldest of the Wesbrook children. He and his sister Mildred went to country school, Glendale, where his teacher was Nellie McGill Mills ( he thought very highly of her all his life). After 8th grade he went to high school is Dexter where he graduated. He roomed with a Mrs. Marsland during the week, going home only on weekends.
The building of Federal Highway 166 changed this family's lives. Some of the Wesbrook land was purchased for this project. Clarence and Edna were happy about the highway even though it divided their land. It made life easier. They took the money (about $1000) and built a new home. This amazed me, but Norma said $1000 went a long way back then.
This was during the depression, the highway gave work to local men. My dad drove a dump truck for a while. A family from back east lived in a tent in the walnut grove north of the Wesbrook house. The father and oldest son worked on the highway. The oldest boy eventually married a neighbor girl (Gary Metcalf's aunt). Lots of horses with slips were used to move the dirt. The highway people watered the horses out of the Wesbrook pond.
After the highway was completed local men were given the work of mowing, they were still in the depression, so this was much appreciated. Clarence mowed 3 or 4 miles.
Mildred Wesbrook stayed out of school while the road was being built, then drove into Cedar Vale where she graduated. Norma wasn't in school yet, but later rode with neighbors to school in Cedar Vale. She said the car was just packed with kids.
There wasn't a lot of traffic at first, Norma learned to roller skate on the highway. Relatives would come for a visit on the bus, the bus would drop them off at the house and pick them up when they were ready to return. Norma would wave at the driver and he'd honk.
As a result of the depression there were tramps on the highway. Grandma would feed them, if Cecil's Police Dog Bill would let them come to the house. There were also Gypsies in covered wagons, they would trade willow stools for milk and potatoes.
Norma has an invitation to the dedication of the completion of the highway to take place in Arkansas City April 16, 1935. Dedicatory address by Governor Landon.
Clarence and Edna Wesbrook lived 12 miles west of Cedar Vale. Their family included Cecil (my Dad), Mildred, and Norma. They were rather shut off from the world. To get out they had to open 3 gates, then drive north to Hooser, on north and west to Dexter or east to Cedar Vale. Edna would sometimes drive the model T up to Hooser to take the train in to Cedar Vale to visit Mrs. Frank Hubbard. She would take the train back later the same day. Clarence, in his younger days, played on a baseball team from Hooser. They had uniforms and played often.
Closest neighbors were the Metcalfs, Wesbrooks had to cross Metcalf land to get to the Hooser road. Carl Metcalf was Cecil's best friend.
When a family lost a loved one, neighbors came to their aid. Clarence set up all night with Mr. Metcalf before his service. Edna was called to get a neighbor lady, that had died in childbirth, ready for burial. There were 3 little boys in the family. The grandparents took the 2 youngest and the father kept the older boy.
Cecil was the oldest of the Wesbrook children. He and his sister Mildred went to country school, Glendale, where his teacher was Nellie McGill Mills ( he thought very highly of her all his life). After 8th grade he went to high school is Dexter where he graduated. He roomed with a Mrs. Marsland during the week, going home only on weekends.
The building of Federal Highway 166 changed this family's lives. Some of the Wesbrook land was purchased for this project. Clarence and Edna were happy about the highway even though it divided their land. It made life easier. They took the money (about $1000) and built a new home. This amazed me, but Norma said $1000 went a long way back then.
This was during the depression, the highway gave work to local men. My dad drove a dump truck for a while. A family from back east lived in a tent in the walnut grove north of the Wesbrook house. The father and oldest son worked on the highway. The oldest boy eventually married a neighbor girl (Gary Metcalf's aunt). Lots of horses with slips were used to move the dirt. The highway people watered the horses out of the Wesbrook pond.
After the highway was completed local men were given the work of mowing, they were still in the depression, so this was much appreciated. Clarence mowed 3 or 4 miles.
Mildred Wesbrook stayed out of school while the road was being built, then drove into Cedar Vale where she graduated. Norma wasn't in school yet, but later rode with neighbors to school in Cedar Vale. She said the car was just packed with kids.
There wasn't a lot of traffic at first, Norma learned to roller skate on the highway. Relatives would come for a visit on the bus, the bus would drop them off at the house and pick them up when they were ready to return. Norma would wave at the driver and he'd honk.
As a result of the depression there were tramps on the highway. Grandma would feed them, if Cecil's Police Dog Bill would let them come to the house. There were also Gypsies in covered wagons, they would trade willow stools for milk and potatoes.
Norma has an invitation to the dedication of the completion of the highway to take place in Arkansas City April 16, 1935. Dedicatory address by Governor Landon.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The good old days ...
The great depression and the dust bowl days were for some of us more than just stories of the past. Those terrible times helped mold and give us shape. More than a few of us were around during World War II. Personally, I remember Pearl Harbor and the discussion around the school merry-go-round concerning what our collective and individual fathers were going to do to 'The Japs'. Also, the national blackouts (when simulated air raids would be practiced) across the country and even at our homes as part of a quite serious time.
Uncles Dale Foust and Neil Smith served our country and this fact made me so proud. Writing letters to them was my way of being patriotic and brought home the ugly war which seriously gave us threat. (One reason that I enlisted into the Air Force during the Korean War may have been to somewhat emulate my brave uncles.) Just before my dad was to be inducted into the service new rules for the maximum age of service participation gave him exemption. During this time he worked at Wichita Boeing for awhile as a guard. In my room hung a photo of Boeing's B-29 Bomber and I was proud of him as he prepared for work where he would tote his gun and holster.
Paper and metal were saved for drives to recycle into war materials. President Roosevelt gave speeches on radio to keep the nation aware of their responsibilities and the scope of our difficulties both prior to and during the war. The depression wasn't really disposed of until after the war started. Many of us were living in conditions that today would correctly be called abject poverty. It is doubtful that any of us considered ourselves to be really poor.
Rationing of our nation's resources was one way that each of us contributed to the war effort. Gasoline, tires, shoes and clothing along with grocery items were among those things that were scarce and part of the system that required "stamps". Other more mundane items for younger folks like bubble gum and balloons were simply not available.
Grade school memories include the country's sadness upon the death of President Roosevelt. Later came the detonation of the atomic bomb on Japan as ordered by President Truman. Earlier, the defeat of Germany gave us jubilation and soon after the two nuclear explosions ... Japan conceded! All of the nation mightily celebrated the end of a most dangerous war and (in reality) the catastrophic economic times.
Uncles Dale Foust and Neil Smith served our country and this fact made me so proud. Writing letters to them was my way of being patriotic and brought home the ugly war which seriously gave us threat. (One reason that I enlisted into the Air Force during the Korean War may have been to somewhat emulate my brave uncles.) Just before my dad was to be inducted into the service new rules for the maximum age of service participation gave him exemption. During this time he worked at Wichita Boeing for awhile as a guard. In my room hung a photo of Boeing's B-29 Bomber and I was proud of him as he prepared for work where he would tote his gun and holster.
Paper and metal were saved for drives to recycle into war materials. President Roosevelt gave speeches on radio to keep the nation aware of their responsibilities and the scope of our difficulties both prior to and during the war. The depression wasn't really disposed of until after the war started. Many of us were living in conditions that today would correctly be called abject poverty. It is doubtful that any of us considered ourselves to be really poor.
Rationing of our nation's resources was one way that each of us contributed to the war effort. Gasoline, tires, shoes and clothing along with grocery items were among those things that were scarce and part of the system that required "stamps". Other more mundane items for younger folks like bubble gum and balloons were simply not available.
Grade school memories include the country's sadness upon the death of President Roosevelt. Later came the detonation of the atomic bomb on Japan as ordered by President Truman. Earlier, the defeat of Germany gave us jubilation and soon after the two nuclear explosions ... Japan conceded! All of the nation mightily celebrated the end of a most dangerous war and (in reality) the catastrophic economic times.
The sacrifices of the men and women during the 30s and 40s allowed us to become the greatest nation on earth. Let there be no mistake ... the good old days are really those that have followed their tremendous efforts. May we not be the ones that have carelessly discarded that which was so painfully given!
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