Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2013 - 12

our
readers
know

Most Important Childhood Lesson?
messages of kindness, humility and thinking beyond today
have meant a great deal to our readers.
Wanda Cromer
What to do when I found a black snake in the
hen house while gathering eggs - learned
from Grandma Lossie Craig Cromer. And
what do you do? Get a broom and let the
snake wrap around the handle. Then take the
snake outside and let it go, as black snakes
take care of your vermin problem........that’s
what Grandma Lossie did/said.

sarah taylor
“Your good name is all you will ever truly
own.” From Grandma Zena. I’ve repeated it
many times to my children.
We also received a number of pieces
of advice from fathers, in connection
to Father’s Day remembrances:

Jennifer stewart
“1. Never check luggage – pack well, and all
you need is a carry-on.

byron robinson
I was a bit of a “Momma’s/Daddy’s boy”
when I was a child so I spent a lot of time with
them when they ran errands or did something work- related. Before my father became
a manager at his company, he delivered propane to many people in our home town. I
learned from him to be kind to everyone
because regardless of a person’s economic or
social standing, he/she deserves respect and
kindness. In addition to unconditional love, I
also learned from my mother that our hearts
(and minds) must remain open if we are to
make an impact in this world. They both
taught me to spread joy around because
someone will always be struggling with life
and sometimes a smile or nice gesture will be
the only bright spot in their day. Spread love.

Jean light kinyon
“Don’t lie to Mama!” Bet you can guess who
imparted it – with one of those this-hurts-memore-than-you talks and a healthy (?!) dose
of spanking!
12 | BlueRidgeCountry.com

“2. The squeaky wheel doesn’t always get the
grease. Sometimes it just gets replaced.”

esther imperati toller
He took us to a place called Fowler’s Pond,
very deep at the time, to teach us how to
swim. He would toss us in without warning,
jump in after us, and his words were...” Swim
or drown”...and that I took with me through
every phase of my life.

Wanda myrick Jones
After having a broken heart....he told me that
I may not believe him at the time....but, that
I would fall in love again. And, I did.

vicki thornton
“It’s not a good day unless you’ve learned
something new.”

Charles herbek
I asked my father why he hadn’t given money
to a man on the steps of the National
Cathedral. I didn’t realize that after we passed

the man by, my father unbeknownst to me
had taken the man back into the cafeteria
there and bought him a meal.

kerri glover
“If you stir the [muck], it will stink.”

Jeanne e. deck-Weaver
“You are never too old to be ‘daddy’s girl.’ Be
humble and kind to the people you meet.”
As I got older it was “lighten up.” Since he
passed I have really tried to live that way.

douglas m. smith
“Always think 10 years down the road!”

bill lillard
“Two things that cannot be destroyed. 1.
Matter. 2. The truth.”

katie hill mcCorkle
“Everything in moderation.”

Jeff sams
“Be a gracious receiver. If someone thinks
enough of you to give you something – no
matter what it is – be kind enough to show
gratitude in exchange.”

sandy kiser
“You have 15 minutues left to be single, you
don’t have to get married.” Baahaahaa. Yes,
he said this and yes I wish I would have
listened.

Jeff hammond
When I was 17 in 1980 I talked my mother
into co-signing a loan to purchase a 1970
Dodge Challenger RT/SE with a 440 6bbl.
Dad didn’t like the idea and let it be known.
After building it and racing it for years I
decided to sell it in 1988. Dad told me not to
do so – that it was paid for and would be
extremely valuable someday. Sold it for 5K
and also got another car in return. Should
have listened to dad, as today the car would
probably be worth over 100k.

http://BlueRidgeCountry.com

Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2013