Traditions

Now and again I like to peek back through the mists of yore, To muse about things that now can only be recalled as lore. Things that are as American as apple pie and barbeque, Traditional things of which my grandkids have no clue! I recall the Fuller Brush Man who made his monthly call, With suitcases full of gadgets that could do any job at all. The Watkins Man offered spices and Carter's Little Liver Pills, And Lydia Pinkham's miraculous brews to cure the ladies' ills! Encyclopedia salesmen made their spiel, took the money and fled, Implying sans his tomes your kid would become a dunderhead! You bought more Cloverine Salve than you could ever use, Since your kid was trying to earn a bike, it was hard to refuse! I avidly read every word of a newsy little paper called "Grit." It certainly expanded my country boy horizons quite a bit! Butcher's Funeral Home distributed fans for most every occasion, Especially to churches regardless of their religious affiliation. You could find anything at Kresge's Five and Ten Cent Store. They returned your change in a tube from the second floor. Glitzy malls, computers and off-shore acquisitions, Have almost left us bereft of some great American traditions! Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired (© All Rights Reserved)