By VERNA BROCK
I was doing some genealogical research into Ed’s mother’s family last week, and it has been so interesting. She was born in 1913, in the hills of West Virginia. Her life was hard; she lived much like her ancestors did 100 years prior. One of 12 children, she was orphaned at age 13. She moved to Akron, Ohio to live with an older sister, where she found a job sewing drive belts for the burgeoning auto industry at Goodyear. She had to lie about her age, but she could support herself.
My maternal grandmother was born in 1900, so she and my mother-in-law were basically contemporaries. Granny Harrison was also one of 12 children, but they led very different lives. My grandmother attended normal school to become a teacher, and was one of six women in her graduating class of nearly 50. She taught until she married my grandfather, because women were not allowed to marry and teach back then!
People don’t seem to realize how far we have come regarding women’s rights. Both of my grandmothers remembered when they could finally vote, thanks to the 19th Amendment’s passage in 1920. Remember, a woman wasn’t even guaranteed the right to open a credit account without a man’s signature until 1974. The world changed enormously during their lives.
Sadly, some people would still limit our daughters and granddaughters freedoms today if they could. I wish we were more mindful of our history and applied those lessons to life today. The old adage, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” is painfully true.
Both my grandmothers marvelled at men walking on the moon, and the recent success of Artemis II would have made them happy. My Grandma Swanson was very proud of my Uncle Edward, an engineer at NASA who worked on the space program, and she would wonder why it has taken more than 50 years to continue the journey!
You are invited to movie night this coming Sunday evening at the Wakulla United Methodist Church. Starting at 6 p.m., there will be a showing of the 2018 film, “I Can Only Imagine,” starring Dennis Quaid. Popcorn and drinks will be provided, but you are encouraged to bring any other snacks you’d like.
This spring weather has been great, except for the complete lack of precipitation. We have had blue skies, warm days, and nice breezes for most of the past two weeks. My lawn and flower gardens are struggling with the seemingly endless dry weather. I never thought I would miss thunderstorms, but I do.
Apparently, combining last year’s, and this year’s, rainfall totals leaves our area with a 20 inch deficit. That’s pretty significant for everyone, but especially for farmers. No rain equals no crops, and that means food prices will rise too. I’m about ready to do my best raindance at this point.
Our little corner of the region is officially under an exceptional drought warning, with little chance of any relief in sight. This is the most extreme designation, meaning we are in danger of a wildfire erupting with the slightest exposure to fire.
The landscape is basically tinder, so it is very important we avoid any kind of burning. Personally, I won’t be barbecuing anything, setting off fireworks, or tempting fate in any way.
Please be careful out there!