This story reminds me of a parental proverb I heard a few years ago, “Be careful not to deprive your children of deprivation.” Not everyone grows as a result of deprivation but I wonder if true character can ever be developed apart from it. Thanks for sharing this story. I read this recently in the preface to my family genealogy:
"To know nothing of our ancestry, or whence we came, to have no reverence for the precious memories of the past, nor interest in those who are to succeed us in the battle of life, is to ignore the elements and influences that have made us what we are, and to repudiate the natural instincts and affections of the human heart, — to suppress the aspirations and hopes of a soul that is to come on through the endless ages of eternity.
" What more precious testimonials of your love of kindred and home can you leave than that which provides for the transmission of the history, of your ancestors, yourself and family to future genera-tions. This is a trust that Providence has confided to your care ; and who, so dead to sympathy and affection, to kindred and to country, that would not preserve the records of his ancestors, the place of his birth, the home of his childhood, and the sacred spot where repose the loved and lost ones of Earth?" - Hon. Marshal
P. Wilder's address at the annual meeting of the Society in 1884.
But perhaps we are products of our decisions. Your grandfather, remarkably, made life enhancing decisions. Now we are watching you... no pressure! Great story Keith!
I recently reread (reskimmed TBH) Orwell's "The Road To Wigan Pier"
I had forgotten just how grindingly poor the lower end of the UK's working class was. And, I suspect, it was similar in other places in the 1930s. Congratulations to your grandfather for raising himself from those circumstances.
Thanks, Keith. This is a favorite of mine from you. Powerful reminders throughout…choices, responsibility, perseverance and the destructive nature of self-pity. “My great-grandmother, she of the neglectful husband and needy children, was not a woman lacking her own kind of gritty virtue and wisdom. My grandfather was extremely intelligent, and he bitterly resented having to quit school before receiving a complete education. But instead of pampering him in his misfortune, his mother told him his bitterness was wasted. She said that if he really wanted to learn, there would be a library in almost any community where he chose to live. She told him he had no excuse to be uneducated, notwithstanding his childhood difficulties. If he really wanted to learn, she said, he should get himself a library card. She understood, there in that remote backwater of rural Mississippi, that formal credentials were one thing, but an actual education was something else entirely.”
Keith- I don't think I've ever read such an insightful article that relates to wingtip shoes somehow. Your writing is a great reminder that all is interwoven. Hope you're well this week. Cheers, -Thalia
That is a beautiful story. I don't know your grandfather, but I know I love your grandfather.
This story reminds me of a parental proverb I heard a few years ago, “Be careful not to deprive your children of deprivation.” Not everyone grows as a result of deprivation but I wonder if true character can ever be developed apart from it. Thanks for sharing this story. I read this recently in the preface to my family genealogy:
"To know nothing of our ancestry, or whence we came, to have no reverence for the precious memories of the past, nor interest in those who are to succeed us in the battle of life, is to ignore the elements and influences that have made us what we are, and to repudiate the natural instincts and affections of the human heart, — to suppress the aspirations and hopes of a soul that is to come on through the endless ages of eternity.
" What more precious testimonials of your love of kindred and home can you leave than that which provides for the transmission of the history, of your ancestors, yourself and family to future genera-tions. This is a trust that Providence has confided to your care ; and who, so dead to sympathy and affection, to kindred and to country, that would not preserve the records of his ancestors, the place of his birth, the home of his childhood, and the sacred spot where repose the loved and lost ones of Earth?" - Hon. Marshal
P. Wilder's address at the annual meeting of the Society in 1884.
But perhaps we are products of our decisions. Your grandfather, remarkably, made life enhancing decisions. Now we are watching you... no pressure! Great story Keith!
What a great story and memories!
I am also the descendant of people who persevered in circumstances that I can barely comprehend. It really is a lot to think about.
Also regarding his first major purchase I am reminded of this famous TED talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_the_magic_washing_machine
I recently reread (reskimmed TBH) Orwell's "The Road To Wigan Pier"
I had forgotten just how grindingly poor the lower end of the UK's working class was. And, I suspect, it was similar in other places in the 1930s. Congratulations to your grandfather for raising himself from those circumstances.
Thanks, Keith. This is a favorite of mine from you. Powerful reminders throughout…choices, responsibility, perseverance and the destructive nature of self-pity. “My great-grandmother, she of the neglectful husband and needy children, was not a woman lacking her own kind of gritty virtue and wisdom. My grandfather was extremely intelligent, and he bitterly resented having to quit school before receiving a complete education. But instead of pampering him in his misfortune, his mother told him his bitterness was wasted. She said that if he really wanted to learn, there would be a library in almost any community where he chose to live. She told him he had no excuse to be uneducated, notwithstanding his childhood difficulties. If he really wanted to learn, she said, he should get himself a library card. She understood, there in that remote backwater of rural Mississippi, that formal credentials were one thing, but an actual education was something else entirely.”
Keith- I don't think I've ever read such an insightful article that relates to wingtip shoes somehow. Your writing is a great reminder that all is interwoven. Hope you're well this week. Cheers, -Thalia