Times were MUCH different then than they are now. Regardless of grade, all students were in one room together. The teacher had charge of little bitty kindergarteners all the way up to big burly high schoolers. Somehow they had to manage all of them well. One of Granddaddy's rules was no tobacco at school. Chewing tobacco was the rage for the older boys and they devised a plan to be able to get their "fix" and keep Mr. Ross from knowing. In all of their wise planning they some how decided that the only place he wouldn't get suspicious of was the outhouse. So they hid a pouch of tobacco in the designated place and every time one of them went to the outhouse they got themselves some tobacco. Unfortunately, there was an angle they didn't consider.
When all of the other fellows found out that their buddy had accidentally dropped the pouch down into the hole they were furious. They were so mad, in fact, that at recess these guys decided that they were going to punish their buddy by lowering him by his feet into that hot mess (literally) and make him retrieve the pouch. All was going well...until they dropped him! Granddaddy was a believer in the punishment had to fit the crime. His punishment that day was for those fellows to clean their buddy up from the nasty poop they dropped him into.
One night I was visiting at Austin's Restaurant with Mr. and Mrs. Carnell Breeden. For some reason this story came to mind, and I began telling it to Mr. Carnell. As I was at the climax of the story Mr. Carnell was literally crying he was laughing so hard. I finally stopped. I knew it was a funny story but I just didn't think my storytelling skills were to the level of hilarity he was experiencing. I said, "Mr. Carnell, this is a funny story, but it is not THAT funny." To which he responded, "It is if you were holding his feet."
We all have stories that are archives of the past. They can all contain treasures, little nuggets of truth that can touch us and impact others. The people around us have their stories as well. It would bless us to have them share their treasures with us. But here is the key...LISTEN. Really take time to listen to what they are saying and how they are saying it. I would give a lot to be able to sit with relatives that have gone ahead of us and hear their stories a few more times. If you have a relative that tells the same stories a thousand times in a row, ask him or her to tell it one more time. And really pay attention. A storyteller couldn't be honored more than to be asked to tell a favorite story again. And I promise you that no matter how many times you have heard them there will come a day when you can't hear them anymore that you will wish you could. Remember they are priceless treasures to be held onto and valued.
And remember that there are story tellers all around you. Look for them. You will love an elderly person more that you could ever ever imagine by asking them to share their stories with you. If you want to participate in giving and receiving a blessing, find someone who feels no one cares about their stories anymore and ask them to tell them to you. What was the funniest thing that ever happened to them? What is their favorite memory of raising children or from their marriage? What was the nicest thing anyone ever did for them? (Just a few of the many leading questions to get them started.) They will pull out their bag of most valuable ones to share with you and they will be blessed...but so will you.
What are your stories? What are the events that have shaped and molded your life. What are the funny ones that make you laugh just to think about them. Or the ones that make your face blush with embarrassment as they come to mind? Or the ones that make you cry in only a moment? These are your treasures. I would love to sit with you, sharing a cup of coffee, while listening to your stories. We would laugh and cry. So just do it today...find somebody and start asking and start sharing. Its going to be great!
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