Down on the Farm with Dad: Growing up in the 50s on a the farm

I was fortunate to grow up most of my youth on the farm in Central Illinois. My parents were very regular, high school grads that worked for a living and tried to guide me along. We had a wonderful close knit family in farming as well as a tight farming community around us in our small home town. Merchants knew you and your parents as did the police, the teachers, the church leaders and about anyone you ran into for 25 miles or so. I always felt safe and lucky in that life. I know I learned a lot of lessons, practical and life long. In this collection of short stories I share my memories as best as I can recall. Not just the settings but the interaction and atmospherics of the family farm struggles, defeats and daily routine that seemed to always take a turn for the worst. At least the worst from 5 year old mind. Oh we had successes but they far and few between for quite some time. A banner crop of corn didn't reflect down on my world to greatly, but my first banana split i would never forget. Most importantly the farm family core character was instilled in me every day. And for that i am extremely thankful. We had neighbors, cousins, friends that would drop everything and run to help no matter what was needed. Simply putting in a corner fence post, baling hay to store in the barn, digging canals to drain a flooded crop or collect a harvest before frost when your machine was down. We always helped each other, we always just knew when someone was hurting and along the way I learned so much about life, machines, animals and most of all people. I also learned right from wrong, thinking was needed versus lazy, ethics, integrity, morals and what is was to work for something you knew was right. Today after so many years have passed why write this book now? Why write and share these stories today? First to share my memories will all my homies, Cousins, Family, Farm Buddies and Classmates. Second to show folks today what we had for parenting and guiding lights that may not be so easy to find as examples today. The last years in my career was disappointing to see the young blood come up with such lack of understanding, basic skills in listening, learning and helping others. Thinking they have all the answers already. I know we all had that phase too. But this lack of guidance seems to be on steroids for some today. Maybe this little collection of stories can help some folks, parents and kids. But if i only touch the hidden memories of some of my Farm Friends from 'back in the day' I am ok with that. And with a blast from the past the famous Mr. Dunn: "If it ain't Red keep it in the shed"! Enjoy!

• | Author: Dennis Murphey
• | Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• | Publication Date: Jul 26, 2018
• | Number of Pages: 104 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Paperback
• | ISBN-10: 172357211X
• | ISBN-13: 9781723572111