Today is the first installment of excerpts from Ralph Gregory's Book posted above. You will notice that Ralph's style is to tell it like it is...or was...with no embellishments. Just a true from the heart description of life growing up in Missouri 100 years ago. Take the time to travel back with him to an America that none of us have experienced...only heard about. What struck me as I read his book is that it makes no difference whether you live in New England, Arizona, Minnesota, Europe, Australia...there is a strain of truth that we can all identify with and probably wish we could have experienced.

The blog is now read by nice folks all over the world thanks to the global internet. I remain truly thankful and humbled by your loyalty and continued interest over the last year. My challenge to you is if at all possible, seek out someone in your area who has the perspective of years on this earth with learned wisdom from life experiences both good and bad. Take the time to talk with them about their life...we can learn so much from them. It will be conversations that you will never forget.

I hope you enjoy the next few days with me.
Dan


"Peaceful State"
As I think back, people in Washington and around entered this century (20th century...Dan's addition) in a prosperous and peaceful state. Of course a little boy has little general knowledge of social and economic conditions, but as, I believe, an unusually curious boy in town and country I saw nothing I would call suffering poverty. I saw no homeless of local origin. Families took in and cared for their own, old, sick, handicapped or whatever. There were "bums" and "tramps" and we always helped them. But as a boy I saw no sign of hardship and danger among people I was growing up with before World War I.

Some people were poor by our standards now, but they felt secure, were working hard and enjoying life. Washington and the county wre in thier "Golden Age". The civil war was long past, the industrial revolution was in full swing and the Spanish-American War and the war in the Philippines did not scare practical life...............

Our family went to farms of relatives along the Missouri and Bourbeuse rivers and stayed for days. Going in a wagon, we would not be expected to return the same day. Anyway, we came intending to stay a while. We were always well fed and bedded. We did the same for their families when they came to town or my grandfather's farm."

As I read Mr. Gregory's accounts...I noticed a continuing theme throughout his book...The strength of the family unit and how everyone cared for their neighbors and friends as if they were family.

Tomorrow we will visit Ralph's grandparents as he goes to bed by candlelight.