Further down I was ranting about our assorted American traditions. The swell stuff that makes us great. All countries have these. Anyway, I went on about the Southern tradition of vast family re-unions. So big regional merchandising arose. Southern folks is all about family…seriously all of us all colors orientations and hat sizes. That and Black Barber Shop culture.

This where folks gets their heads cut…well the hair part anyway. Here I learned about the Brooklyn Dodgers the Army…all WW2 vets and work. In fact, I started work at 12. My uncle had a contracting company and my dad volunteered me to go out with the crews. One never forgets laying hot tar on roofs in 90f temps. I learned working for a living was a bleeping serious deal.

Black Barber Shops…right. These places are a kind of community center. Where folks tell their truths. I recall their reaction to Sputnik…I’m that old. That and later sending them little doggies out there. This to perish in the scary monotonous void…bad idea. They weren’t thrilled. Black folks have a caring for animals…it’s just in the heart. Comes from our rural Southern culture.

Here’s a story.

Before the Great Depression my family had a farm this down in Mississippi. One day dad’s driving our truck and sees a guy beating a horse. It just couldn’t haul the load. Dad pulls over tells the guy to cut it out…gets all kinds of shit back. So…my dad my kind brilliant dad beat the living crap out of the jerk. Then pulls him to his feet pays for the horse hitches her to the truck and takes her back to the farm. Where she lived for many years. That was my dad. You don’t be cruel to anyone in front of him is the deal. 

Where was I? …Right, the Brooklyn Dodgers. Dad took us to see them play at Ebbits Field. That and drove us and whoever else was playing on our stoop to the Coney Island amusement park…when the Steeple Chase was still there. 

He used to do that for us and the kids on da block. If you were handy you came with us…period. He’d have done it on a hot afternoon evening just like this. He’d shovel the lot of us kids into the old Buick and off we went. He loved the Cyclone! Coney’s roller coaster. He filled us up on hot dog fries’ gallons of Root beer then we’d watch the fireworks from the Boardwalk. 

It was folks like my dad my parents my aunts’ uncles’ cousins and assorted little pals back then that made America Great. Being kind being good being wise does the deal. That makes America Great. Stay tuned.