This begins the tenth year of “Across the Fence.” I had no idea when I wrote that first column that I’d still be writing it ten years later. At the time, when asked if I’d like to write a weekly column, I had no idea what that would involve. I guess ignorance is the springboard to new adventures, and for the last nine years it’s been a great adventure. Your positive comments about my stories keep me going when deadlines loom and the well seems empty.
The anniversary of Across the Fence always comes during Thanksgiving week. I think that’s very appropriate because it gives me a chance to thank the publishers and editors who provide space for my column in their papers, and all of you who take time to read them.
I want to thank all the papers that run “Across the Fence.” Two of you have been there since the beginning. Others have joined along the way. I’d like to welcome the readers of the Lamberton News in Lamberton, Minnesota who recently joined us in visiting across the fence. I appreciate everyone who visits with me each week.
For all of you who remember what “case weather” is, my wish for you is that your poles are always straight, strong, and never roll. It’s become a yearly tradition in this Thanksgiving column to remind you of what my father always told us. “Make sure you check the poles so you don’t fall down and kill yourself.” If you’ve raised tobacco, or helped hang or take down tobacco, you’ll understand that statement.
I’ve written about a lot of different farm experiences and so many of you grew up on farms and in rural areas, and had the same types of experiences. Now we live in a time when many people have never set foot on a farm, let alone grew up on one. The younger generations know little or nothing about the world we grew up in. They live in a technology-filled age where the world is at their fingertips.
I received an e-mail from Lowell, a friend of mine in Madison, who was lamenting his frustration with Facebook and this techno world we, the older generation, have been thrust into. He wrote that I might need a little reminding of what my parents could recall if they were still alive.
He said, “This just re-enforces my new perspective on myself. If I compare myself with my grandchildren, regarding modern technology, I feel very inadequate. Therefore now, and in the future, I will only compare my ability in this area with my grandparents. That becomes less frustrating because I have come beyond the kerosene lantern, the wooden box on the wall that served as a telephone (with the little shelf to bump your head on), and the small AM radio on the shelf above the wood-box in the kitchen. Oh, and the pail that contained the butter, milk, cream, etc. that was put down in the well, just above water level, to keep cool until we needed them. Those trips, especially in the winter, to the neighborhood well to get drinking water... don’t forget the kettle of hot water to melt and prime the pump. And, some of that canned meat would taste so good for lunch today, along with canned vegetables and fruit. There are still pleasant memories; even walking to the out-house in the Minnesota winter. It felt so good to come back into the warm house. While out there you might as well bring in an armful of wood for the stove. And that Brownie box camera by Kodak, did a pretty good job of bringing back memories of a lot of family and friends.”
I think Lowell has a good point there. If we compare our knowledge of modern technology with our children and grandkids, we often feel left out in the cold. But if we compare what we know to our parent’s generation, we’ve come a long way from the life we knew when we started. I also think most of us look back with some nostalgia and pride that we were able to survive with a whole lot less than what we have now. We’ve gone from kerosene lanterns to electricity and wall phones to cell phones. We once lived without TVs, computers, and a phone with us at all times. Living as we once did would be unthinkable to most people today.
I think the older I get the more I appreciate this area I was born and raised in, and the way we lived. Lowell reminded us of a whole list of memories from those days to get us started down the road for our tenth year of visiting together.
A big Thanksgiving THANK YOU for reading “Across the Fence.” Some of you even admit to looking forward to it each week. A friend once told me he enjoyed the column because it was like that box of chocolates… you never know what you’re going to get. Many have told me they enjoy the positive stories, when so much of the news today is negative. I’ll keep trying to stir up good memories for you, provide a mix of chocolates, and at the same time make you think about this wonderful world we’re all part of.
I look forward to meeting you here each week “Across the Fence.” Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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