As Bob Dylan sang, 'The Times They Are A'Changin' '
The platter of fried chicken came down the table. It is the family reunion and there are several large uncles, cousins and aunts dipping into the carcasses of Rhode Island Reds and other contributors resulting in greasy fingers. Worry crept up my spine and the back of my neck like a tarantula looking for a spot of attach my immune system.
Finally, the platter got to me and I reached for my favorite pieces, either legs or breast. Not this time Audley, the only pieces left are wings and necks and one back piece. I knew I should have set on the other end of the table. Yuk and double yuk. That was then this is now.
One of the most popular pieces of chicken consumed in America today is the wing. Who would have thought it -- a wing. It was always the last piece eaten in my salad days slightly ahead of the neck and feet. Wings have risen to new heights in my lifetime.
I am a BTV survivor. My formative years were spent on a farm north of Calvertville in Highland Township. We didn't even have electricity in my callow youth and certainly no TV. After WW II electricity came stepping down the road one pole at a time. How glorious it was to take a shower.
Our first television set was a Muntz black/white set with a very small screen. Dad used to say, "We have a 12 inch screen and three kids with 15 inch heads." We could only get WTTV Bloomington and WFBM in Indy but not well. That was then this is now.
We have a 55 inch wide screen, high density, flat screen that pulls in about 100 cable channels. Most of the channels have no interest to BW and me. We might as well be back with the 12-inch Muntz. I don't think so Elzy.
Farming has changed in my lifetime. Most of the farmers in our community farmed with horses and a few small tractors. Small farms were the rule in my life. That was then, this is now. The mantra in farming today is "Get big or get out." Now tractors cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Today one man could farm my dad's place in about three hours per year. A friend who farms in Missouri said recently, "If you can afford 'it', farming is no longer hard work." "It" meant equipment and the extant technology.
I spent the majority of my waking moments wearing bib overalls in my youth. What rare pictures I have of my elementary days reveals guys wearing bibs and girls wearing dresses. How quaint. Denim was used to make work clothes. That was then, this is now. Denim has found its way down the road of fashion to the runways, formal wear, church clothing, dating wear and all other occasions. I see denim being worn in every setting of my life. Gradually over time girls hung their dresses in the closet and began to wear jeans, slacks and even shorts. Gloriosky. If a person uses the word slacks to designate pants that women wear you know the talker is at least 60 years old. No one uses that term any more.
As Bob Dylan sang, "The Times They Are A'Changin'"
Larry grew up north of Calvertville on a farm and graduated from Worthington High School and Indiana State University. He can be reached at Goosecrick@aol.com or (317) 839-7656. He has published six books.
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