The thoughts and ideas expressed below are exclusively those of Jack Straley and www.justplaintalkwithjack.com  We may agree, and that’s fine, or we may disagree, that’s okay too.  My sole purpose is to encourage others to think, study, and become involved. Exercise your freedom and above all, when presented the opportunity, please vote.

No matter how dark the night may seem we can find our way with the light of a single candle.  We need to become the candle in these dark times.  In order to make our candle brighter we need to take a short break from politics once in a while and reflect on better times.  I share the candle below with my memory of a lighter time.

There was a time you could really get your money’s worth when purchasing an item.  I can remember when a brand new ½ ton Chevrolet Pick-Up could be purchased for $1,700.00.  The sign of the big green dinosaur (Sinclair) and the red star (Texaco) sold gasoline for $0.22 per gallon, or less.  Comic books were a dime and that was a lot.

When travelling you could pull up to a major brand gas station and fill up with gas.  While the gas was pumping men would be hovering around the car like bees.  One would raise the hood, check the oil, radiator, and belts.  Another man would be on his knees checking the air in all the tires while his workmate was washing all the windows.  A vacuum cleaner would be attached to a pole next to the gas pump so your floors could be cleaned.  This was all done for a $4.00 tank of gas.

If you were lucky, and you had money, there would be a soft drink vending machine standing next to a candy cabinet.  The assortment of delicacies was pretty standard: Tom’s peanut Patty, Tom’s Roasted Peanuts, Bit O Honey bars, Baby Ruth, and Butterfinger.  The drinks were a nickel and most of the candy was the same.  What a treat, they also had clean bathrooms, old but clean.

Old farmers, bless their hearts, worked long, hard, and hot.  The tractors had no air conditioning, radios, or padded seats.  The trucks they drove had no air conditioning either and the seats were usually torn and dirty.  The one thing you could count on with the farmers though was, taking a break for a hot cup of coffee.

When we were home and Daddy was plowing, Mother would fix a thermos of coffee and a fresh hot biscuit and my sisters and I would run these to the field for him to enjoy.  Occasionally we would have to refill the gallon glass jug, covered with burlap to keep it cool, with fresh water.  Other farmers travelling past our house on the highway would see my dad, the farmer, working around the place or just sitting on the front porch enjoying a slow breeze, would very likely whip into our driveway, park and get out.  There was always a pot of coffee staying hot, no matter what time of day.  The visitor would walk up and together he and dad would go inside to have a cup.  In the words of the farmer they would proceed to “jaw about the weather or the crops.”

When we went to town Mother and the girls would do their necessary shopping.  Daddy and I would tend to our business at the Seed and Feed store then set out looking for someone to have coffee with.  We might stop at the pool hall where a game of dominoes was always going on and visit for a while, but we always ended up at the Café.  There was always a couple of tables of dust and dirt covered farmers sitting around jawing.  Their hats were a point of pride, the dirtiest meant he was the hardest working.  They ordered their coffee, always served in a heavy porcelain cup sitting on a saucer.  Cream was already on the table in little bitty pitchers. And you always got a glass of water, without asking.  You got free refills as long as you sat there, which might be hours.  All this coffee and excellent service would cost a dime.

If you were feeling flush with cash and you were in town, you might get a treat with your coffee.  You could get a slice of pie, almost any kind, to go with the pie.  Like I said, you had to be feeling like money was no problem.  That pie, also served on a small heavy porcelain plate would cost $0.15.  You were living the good life for $0.25.

Coffee time was a special time.  Everyone got caught up on the news while gossiping, some of it was true, and some was just farmers bragging.  Sometimes the Café might have cool air blowing in, other times not.  That ten cent cup of coffee was a bargain.  Friends met friends and everyone was at peace.  The weather might be discussed but they accepted the fact they couldn’t do anything about it.  They accepted the hard times of farming and loved every minute of it.  That coffee break was a real coffee break and it made life just a little easier.