Memories from when I was 5 years old

Howdy, boys... As you may or may not know, I turned 66 years old on the 28th of December, 2012. Boy, that seems old, doesn't it? Some of my first memories were when I was about Ethan's age (5) and at that time I thought anyone in their 60s was very, very old... and I guess they were? My dear Mama's Daddy died when he was just a few years older than your Mommy (36) and my Daddy's Daddy died when he was only 59 so I guess 66 really is pretty old and sadly with some of my physical ailments (including prostate cancer) I'm beginning to feel kind of old.

Anyway, I thought I'd tell you about some of the memories I have from back then. When I was Ethan's age, my family lived in Nashville, Tennessee. As you can see I don't live very far from Nashville right now (Sewanee). Nashville was a wonderful place to grow up and I literally thank the Lord frequently for allowing me to grow up during the 1950s in the south.

When we first moved to Nashville from Forrest City, Arkansas, my brother Chris was Caleb's age (2) and my other brother Steve and my little sister Mimzie hadn't even been born yet. We lived in this house (below, 208 Paddock Lane) but it looked a little different then because it has been added on to over the years. At the time the house was just a little rectangle (it only cost $10,000). It had a living room, a dining room, a Pullman kitchen, one bathroom and 3 bedrooms off a central hall. We didn't have central heat or air conditioning in the summer (There was an attic fan in the ceiling of the central hallway that drew the cool night air in through our open bedroom windows and into the attic so we had a night time breeze. The attic fan was very loud and sounded like an airplane taking off. During the day it was just very hot but we never complained... I guess we didn't know any better). During the winter you had to be very careful because the metal grate on the floor furnace in the hall got hot enough to burn you if you stepped on it bare footed.
 

Everyone in our neighborhood had a very big yard so we had lots of room to play. Cowboys and Indians was one of our favorite things to play. My friend Lee Kraft, who I still stay in touch with, used to wear his toy gun and holster all the time just in case we decided to play cowboys and Indians so he'd be ready and not have to go home to get his "stuff." Nancy Hamman and her three little sisters lived next door (to the right). Nancy was my first girl friend. She had brown hair parted on the side and I thought she was really pretty. It was very different during the 50s because we pretty much could go anywhere we wanted by ourselves as long as we were home by supper time. When I was just a little older (8 or 9), we used to ride our bikes miles from home but we were always home by supper. No one worried about something bad happening because it never did. It was a sweet time to grow up.

I went to Parmer School first through the fifth grade. It was just three houses down the block so I walked to school. Here are my class pictures from the first, second and third grade.

I'm seated, third from the right (click on picture to enlarge)

 I'm standing, third from right (click on picture to enlarge)

 I'm standing, first on the right (click on picture to enlarge)

My friend Duane Allman who lived on the street behind ours became a famous guitar player (in the first grade picture he is sitting to my right). In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Duane at #2 in their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. Sadly he was killed in a motorcycle accident when he was just 24 but his younger brother Gregg continued with their Allman Brother's Band and enjoyed great success over the years. Here's Duane playing in a concert just before he died:

Click on this image to hear Duane playing his guitar

 

Well, that's all for now, boys.

Click on this image to view the video

I love you boys... Ethan, Caleb, Isaac (and Oliver)

This blog is my way of permanently memorializing my thoughts and experiences so you can get to know who I was during my life. I also hope you'll be able to feel the love I have for each of you in my postings. I think you'll enjoy this blog more and more as you get older.

Besides my four grandsons one of the things that I frequently thank the Lord for is the blessing of having grown up during the 1950s in the south (Nashville, Tennessee and Macon, Georgia). The following 11 minute video is a brief look back at that sweet time. I lament the fact that you boys won't get to experience that wonderful era since "our world has gotten stupid." I hope you enjoy this video which is a snap shot of our music, our "dancing," our TV shows, our cars and much more (here's something that was different... I was paid 50 cents/hour at my first job sacking groceries in 1958):

PS. I hope your family had fun at Chuck-E-Cheese with the $60 in Christmas money I sent your Mom and Dad.

PSS. I originally built this blog for Ethan but since then Caleb and Isaac and Oliver have arrived. Even though the name of this blog is 4Ethan, it is meant for all of you from this point on. Check back often because I'm going to be more faithful in posting from now on.


I hope the Dails had a Merry Christmas and that 2013 will bring your family many blessings.

I love my little boys (+ Oliver)... and pray for you every day,
Granddaddy

This is me after a hard day's work of laying concrete blocks in the house I built (here is the link to the blog I did while I was building: http://tinyurl.com/4MyBoys). The name of our three acres is Brigid's Wood. It is named for Alexis' cousin Brigid Gorman who died in transit from Ireland to the United States in 1848. Brigid was 12 years old and was buried at sea.

Happy New Year 2012, Caleb and Ethan

Happy New Year, Boys! I've decided to start posting to your blog again (as you get older you might enjoy learning about what your Granddaddy was all about). This first story may be a little too grown up but Mommy will be able to tell it in such a way that you'll be able to understand the principal and apply it to your growth in 2012.

Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar

No one can make you serve customers well… that's because great service is a choice. Harvey MacKay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.

He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.

He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'

Taken aback, Harvey read the card.. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'

Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'

And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.

He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'

'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.

'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.

How about us?  Smile, and the whole world smiles with you... The ball is in our hands! A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up... let us do good to all people.

Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar

Have a WONDERFUL 2012, unless you already have other plans. SORROW looks back, WORRY looks around, and FAITH looks UP... "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain." And while in the storm, give it to God and let him handle it.

Love,
Granddaddy

There are ONLY two things I love more than puppies!...

Ethan and Caleb Dail!


Click on image to view video

I took dance lessons in 1959 to learn this dance

(Click on the image to view the video)

Ethan, this is the kind of car my Mama and Daddy had when they were children

(Click on this image to see the video)

Ethan, here are two of my favorite songs