Archives for January 2020

PROBLEM

Just some thoughts:

PROBLEM WITH THE I’LL’S AND SELF

Once upon a time a man had a problem.

OK, the barn is awesome, but the FENCE!!!! *swoon*

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“The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself. ‘What can I do do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest. I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones.Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself. Self, you’ve done well. You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life.”

Luke 12:14–19 The Message

Image result for picture of a barn being torn down so bigger ones can be built

My barn— I’ll gather–I’ll tear down—I’ll gather—I’ll say to myself—Self… “You got it made.”

Interesting how many references to self. If one reads further one might note how the man was referenced and how a change of plans came his way.

=========================================January 28, 2020

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

“I’D LIKE TO LIVE LIKE THAT”

Just some thoughts

“I’D LIKE TO LIVE LIKE THAT”

You ever had a time in your life when things were hard but years later you look back and the thought comes to you, “I’d almost like to live like that again.”

Image result for road sign that says connersville indiana

“THANK YOU CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA”

I rolled into Connersville in 1961 with what was left of my

last army pay

I had a letter with me from a buddy living there

He said you stop and see me if you’re ever up this way

Need I say he was surprised to find me at his door

With what I guess you’d call a silly grin

He said where are you headed and I said I’m headed here

His Mama said don’t just stand there you’ll catch cold

just come on in

They gave me room and board I paid a very modest fee

Then I went looking for a place to play

If you’ve ever had a hat and didn’t wear one

then you’ll know

The way a country singer made a living in those days

The menu printed on the window of the bar and grill

Image result for picture of the menu of the window of a restaurant a bar and grill

The man said we’re too small to have a band

I said well I’ll just pick and sing and pass my hat awhile

He said go right ahead but you just do the best you can

Well, after seven hours of Cheatin’ Heart and

Wildwood Flower

I had me seven dollars and eighty cents

I gave it to a waitress who was gonna have a baby

She said she needed just that much to help her pay her rent

Later on I formed a band and really hit the big time

Ten bucks a night for working at the time

We worked through winter gardens and some other choice nightspots

Looking back I had to say those were the good ole times

Summer came and me and old Mitch Mitchell

fished White River

And caught those big ole juicy channel cats

Sometimes when I’m ridin’ on the jet plane

going somewhere

I get to thinking that I’ like to live a life like that

Image result for picture of guys fishing on a river bank

So thank you Connersville and thanks to you old Indiana

You took me in when I knew slimmer days

I won’t forget you and I hope that you will not forget me

d you folks stop and see me if you’re ever down this way

(Tom T.Hall)

I have a good friend and hopefully we will be together, his wife and mine this week-end at our house. I can remember the days when he and I used to pool our money before our pay days to see if you had enough money for the four of us to go out, as our wives wanted to have “pie and coffee.” There were times when it was coffee only.

But you know…”Sometimes…I get to thinkin’…….

You, you got any of those days where….well you know..

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January 27, 2020

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

JUST A WORD

Just some thoughts:

JUST A WORD

Image result for picture of someone suffering disappointment

A word of encouragement during a failure is

worth more than an hour of praise after a success.

(Unknown)

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January 26, 2020

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

“I’M EXCITED”

Just some thoughts:

‘I’M EXCITED”

A little after 6 A.M. this morning I pulled from my drive slipped in an John Prine cd (to be followed by Webb Pierce and Carl Smith) headed to my coffee place to start the day.

Image result for picture of bruegger's bagel shop

“Hi, Peanut.” Peanut is the young lady who works the cash register at my coffee place on Saturday mornings. A Vietnam refugee escaped to America during that crisis, has an unbelievable story of toughness and courage. A singer of American praise and goodness. Often I hear her say, “Only in America.”

Peanut hands me my coffee and with a smile (always), ask, “How you do today?” “Doin’ good Peanut, doin’ good.”

I sat down with my coffee and start to clear away the cobwebs from my mind. The shop is mostly empty at this time when two others walk in. A man I would judge to be in his late 40s’ and a young man who looks college age. They get their order and sit down at a table to my left. I’m not paying them any particular attention when I hear the older fella say to the young man a great line. He calls the young man by name and says, “I’m so excited for you.” “I’m so excited for you.” I could not make out much of the rest of the conversation but I could tell by their body language and tone of voices what they were sharing was good.

As I sat there for a while longer I got to thinking about that line, “I’m so excited for you.” What a great thought to say to another. And especially an older person saying to a younger person. Another person offering encouragement and excitement to another. When’s the last time you heard that? When was the last time we were excited for another? Better still when is the last time we did that for another?

As I pulled from the parking lot my cell phone rang. It was our twenty-one year old college granddaughter. “Hey, Pop Pop, what are you doing?” Then she gave me a great line, “Hey you wanna meet me for lunch today?” “Yes,” was my reply.

Now that brought excitement to me. You know when the younger generation will take their time to spend a bit with the older generation, personally that gets, well it makes me happy, yea, it gets me excited.

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January 25, 2020

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

FATE AND WHAT “IF”

Just some thoughts:

FATE AND WHAT “IF”

FATE: The development of events beyond a person’s control as determined by a supernatural power.

Fate often plays a role in the lives of everyone. True, some more than others. There are a lot of “if only’s” in fate.

If only he had been late.

During my high school and college days I followed auto racing closely. Especially sprint and midget racing. I often traveled the Midwest to numerous tracks becoming acquainted with various drivers.

I grew up in southwestern Indiana and in Terre Haute, Indiana there was a half mile dirt race track. Became famously referred to in racing circles as “The Action Track.” Over the years there is no telling how many races I saw there. Sometimes on race day we might even get there early enough to help some of the drivers unload their car.

Image result for picture of the action track in terre haute indiana

In the late 1950s’ and into the 1960s’ all the well known names in Indy type racing raced there. Foyt, Unser, Bobby and Al, Andretti, Branson, Marshman, Jones, Hurtubise. You name it they were there. Sadly I saw too many accidents there and even worse where some lives were lost.

I still remember a day in August of 1962. Still to this day I think of one particular driver and the word fate. Jackson Hagemeyer was an aspiring race driver who had come to Terre Haute on that day without a ride. A race ride. Prior to the race I had been in the pits and over heard a conversation that involved him and a car owner. Hagemeyer had arrived at the track but with no promise of a ride for that day.

(Jim Hurtubise)

Jim Hurtubise one of the top drivers of the time was scheduled to drive a particular car on this day but by warm up time he had not arrived at the track. He was late. Hagemeyer in talking with the owner of the car, Barnett Brothers Special, was told to get in the car and do the warm up laps and if Hurtubise did not show by the time of qualifications, for that day the ride, the car would be Hagemeyer’s for the race. This could be a major boost for this young aspiring driver.

(Jackson Hagemeyer)

Fate. Hurtubsie shows up just in time to jump in the car and qualify. In turn Hagemeyer secured a ride in a car of questionable quality. Having seen the car earlier in the pits even I knew this was not something one would one to get in and try and qualify. Near the end of qualifying Hagemeyer in attempting to qualify hooked a rut ( the track was rough that day) flipped his car in first turn near where I was now sitting. Sadly, twenty-seven year old Hagemeyer lost his life that afternoon attempting to qualify.

Hurtibsie, in the car that earlier in the day Hagemeyer had driven in practice hoping that it would be his ride for the day, well Hurtibsie in the Barnett Brothers Special, won the race that day in the thirty lap feature.

Late that afternoon as I was walking to my car I passed the wrecked sprint car. It had been pulled some distance from the pits and now sat in a barn like building.

Now days when I return to that area I often drive by the fairgrounds and that race track. I look over and still remember that sad afternoon in 1962. What “if” Hurtibsie had not shown up that day. What “if” he had been more than late. What “IF.”

What if’s are all over life…aren’t they.

You got any?

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January 24, 2020

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

DON’T

Just some thoughts:

DON’T

Don’t let the old man in, I wanna leave this alone

Can’t leave it up to him, he’s knocking on my door

And I knew all my life, that someday it would end

Get up and go outside, don’t let the old man in

Image result for picture of an old man bent over sitting on a bench

Many moons I have lived

My body’s weathered and worn

Ask yourself how old you would be

If you didn’t know the day you were born

Image result for picture of a big moon in the sky

Try to love your wife

And stay close to your friends

Toast each sundown with wine

Don’t let the old man in

Image result for picture of an old man and old woman sitting on a bench

Many moons I have lived

My body’s weathered and worn

Ask yourself how old….

(Toby Keith)

Image result for picture of an old person and a young person sitting on a porch

Often pictures and song can say what otherwise we can’t or don’t want to say.

=========================================jJanuary 23, 2020

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

AN ARCHAEOLOGIST

Just some thoughts:

AN ARCHAEOLOGIST

I remember reading something Fred Rogers is credited with saying:

“I must be an emotional archaeologist because I keep looking for the roots of things, particularly the roots of behavior and why I feel the way I do about certain things.”

Image result for picture of roots of a tree

Me too Fred, me too.

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January 23, 2020

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

THE BLUE GOOSE AND THE WHITE SWAN

Just some thoughts:

THE BLUE GOOSE AND THE WHITE SWAN

“Every now and then I just need to talk to someone

who remembers what it was like.”

Earlier today I got a call from an old friend. A lady who lives back in my home state of Indiana. I guess she has known me from about the time I arrived on the scene, as she is ninety plus.

We talked about a number of things, from family to faith. I grew up just a few miles north of where she grew up as a child. How it came about in the conversation I’m not sure but I mentioned two places and ask her if she remembered. The two places, The Blue Goose and The White Swan. Immediately I got a yes and a laugh from her.

Image result for any pictures of shelburn indiana

(Old gas station–Shelburn, Indiana)

The Blue Goose was a hang-out, restaurant, with a big bright juke box and a room (with a curtain in the doorway) where this lady grew up and folks could dance. Now we are talking late 1940s’ into the early 1950s’.

Image result for picture of a big bright jukebox from the 1940s'

Image result for picture of a street in farmersburg indiana

(Once was bank Farmersburg,IN)

I had my first tobacco experience one night out behind the Blue Goose. I wasn’t much older than our youngest grandchild. The Goose was located within walking distance of the high school gym. One night at half time of a basketball game I was with a group than ran on a bit faster track than me. Anyway a nickel cigar was purchased and I had my first puffs. Got sicker than a dog. Vomited and got dizzy, wobblier than ole Otis trying to make his way into the Mayberry jail cell.

Now the White Swan was just up the road in another small community from where the Blue Goose was. But both had much in common. Atop of the building where the White Swan was was a big sign in the form of a Swan. As I said both had much in common and thinking back I pretty sure not everything that transpired there met with the approval of the older folks (parents) of the communities. Those from my time and generation we experienced girls, music and cars at both locations, and in about that order.

But it was the first thing my friend said to me and the last just before we hung up that has stayed with me:

“I just needed someone to talk to who remembers what it was like.”

But you know I think probably ever generation has had similar feelings of wishing they could talk to someone who remembered. I remember one ole timer who used to sit behind the coal stove at Gunn’s grocery store where I grew up saying to me, “Hey son you ever heard of Joe “D” or the Glenn Miller band?” At the time I had not.

But to my friend of nearly seventy-eight years, I get it. So often now days I find myself feeling that way, just “wantin’ to talk to someone who remembered.”

P.S.I would bet that in the lives of most of us there has been a Blue Goose or a White Swan.

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January 22, 2020

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

GET A REAL JOB

Just some thoughts:

“GET A REAL JOB”

To all you sports analyst, guys like Steve Smith and others. GET A REAL JOB.

Image result for picture of sportscaster steve smith

Image result for picture of sport analyst paul finebaum

Really….what you do does it have any real merit? Pick-apart, dissect….quote five thousand statistics/ your livin’ off of something that folks should remember…it is a game, not life saving surgery. It does not merit hours and hours of discussion….. everyday, everyday….

What they and others like them do daily does not amount to a flip. Do something worthwhile, go read to an elementary school class….make some contribution worthwhile./ get a real job/……..go rake the leaves in one’s yard….be more productive. Go pop some corn….something other than sit on that stool and go on and on…about nothing of real value.

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January 20, 2020

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

SMART / WISE ?

Just some thoughts:

SMART/WISE

Who is the smartest person you have even known?

Who is the wisest person you have ever known?

My bet, they are not the same person.

Might be good for one to ask ourselves, why is that?

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January 19,2020

Keep on,

Larry Adamson