50-Years and a Number 8 Skillet” Last night was really fun. You see, last night we attended what is now in the United States a very rare event. Our Uncle Ray and Aunt Mary were celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary. The Community Center in Decherd, TN was the location for this special event. I must say in a society that has made it so easy to just walk away when things are tough, it is refreshing to look at pictures of a couple that stood by their vows. Ray is now 78-years old and to be honest he really is doing well. I have always enjoyed sitting down with folks who are much older than I am. Why? Because when you speak to them and then shut up and listen – you will be amazed at what you learn. Now, Uncle Ray is never slack on his story-telling and last night he had that “story-telling machine” cranked up and running like a well-oiled machine. I remarked after the event was over that Ray is like Forrest Gump. One look at him and you size him up as a back-woods hillbilly who is really not that smart. That is the first mistake. You see, Ray has never been a flashy dresser and he has kept his life free from the love of money. My Mom always said that Ray hated school. Back in their days, people literally had to walk to school. My Mom and Dad never went beyond the 9th Grade because they were needed on the farm. So; being the inquisitive type, I asked my Mom when Ray dropped out of school. She said that he never went beyond the 5th Grade. Later in the night, I had a chance to pull Ray aside and talk to him in person. Ray told me that he had worked as a Diesel Mechanic for 15-years, he had worked on Aircraft during Vietnam, he had served on the Police Force for 8-years, and that even to this day people bring him lawnmowers and cars to work on. A gentleman who had spent 30-years in the Marines dropped by to ask Ray if he remembered the time when they took a Ford Diesel Engine and put it in an old Chevrolet then wired it where they could control it with a push button on the dashboard. Well, just as I thought things could not get more interesting – they did. It turns out Ray has many other talents. He can play the banjo, the guitar, and the harmonica. After Ray finished a song, he returned to the table and was called to help his wife cut their 50th Wedding Anniversary Cake. Ray and I went back to our table. As we were eating, Ray asked if I had finished High School. I told him that I had gotten my Bachelor’s Degree. Then Ray hit me with the bomb-shell. It seems that he had found time in the 1960s to return to school and had graduated Austin Peay University. Later, he told about how it was when he and Mary first married. It seems that Ray enjoyed drinking and had gotten too much one night. When he returned home, he found a woman who was hot under the collar. Ray kept saying, “She hit me with a Number 8 Skillet.” Well; knowing how Ray liked telling stories, we were not exactly sure if that one was true. We finished our cake and Ray was asked to come up front to help open gifts. Lo and Behold, the first box opened contained a Gold-plated skillet with the number 50 on it. Marked on the bottom was “Unc’s Head Here”! Then we knew that story was true. Fifty years is a long time to be with a person but it is refreshing to know that some people still cherish marriage these days even if it hurts at times!
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 02:34:58 +0000
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