Things we learn from our Grandparents and how they affect us

[Sourdough]

I am a story teller.  As was my Grandfather, and his father.  I grew up listening to my Grandfather telling stories about his childhood, youth, years as a young man Bootlegging and Moon Shining.  But the ones I liked the most was the stories of his Father, who was a Doctor for the South, during the War Of Northern Aggression.  And the stories about his Brother Lon, who was a Telegrapher in Wyoming.  Lon left Tennessee in the late 1800s and moved to Wyoming.  Lon was killed during the early 1900s.  Lon had written letters of his exploits of Wolf Hunting, and Elk Hunting.  Tales of Outlaws, Roundups, Wild Horses, and Cattle being ran through town to get to the stock yards.

The stories my Grandfather told moved me back in time to the places where it happened.  Then on Saturdays we would go to the Kemp Town (Kempville) General Store.  There we sat around the Old Pot Bellied Stove during the winter burning the soles of our boots, and listened to the old men tell stories of their youth.  These stories were so full of adventure, and they also told of survival, and how to do things when you did not have the right things to do with.  Things I remembered. 

I think listening to those stories and adventures, shaped my character as I grew up.  Made me the spontaneous person I am.  Always ready to go any where any time any place at the drop of a hat.  I listened to all the stories my Grandfather would tell, many over and over again.

Heard other stories after his death that was not so nice about the old man.  Stories about a wild man I did not know.  Always wondered about a scar he had that went from the center of his chest, under his left breast, around to the center of his back.  Was told while very young by my Mother and Grandmother to never ask him about that scar.  Found out later about that.  Seems he was liquored up one night and out riding his Tennessee Walker.  He took a shortcut across a new Tobacco Field.  He thought the sound his horses feet was making as they tore up the young Tobacco plants was funny.  So he turned and made a second pass through the field.  the owner came out and caught him.  Drug him off the horse, beat him senseless.  Dragged him out to the road, then took out his knife and cut him to where he thought my Grandfather would die.  Left him lying on the side of the road.  A wondering man (A midget) found him, got him up into his wagon.  Drove him to a place to camp, then got out needle and thread, and sewed my Grandfather up.  Shorty saved my Grandfather's life, and became his best friend, staying in the area.  I knew Shorty as a young man, never knew his last name, never heard any one who did.  Thought it was cool when I turned 10 and was taller than an adult.  Shorty knocked me down to size quick.

When I left home I went into the Air Force.  Was stationed in California, with a bunch of guys that had just returned from SE Asia.  They were a wild group, who wanted to live life to the fullest right then.  They had seen war and death, they knew life could end at any moment.  I got caught up in their way of living, going here and going there for no more reason then just wanting to do that.  Drinking, chasing women, and riding motorcycles.   

Guess that is why some people say my life has always been lived in the fast lane.  I grew up with the ethics of my Grandfather, and the men I saw on TV, John Wayne, Sky King, Josh Randall, and those instilled in me by those old men around the Old Pot Bellied Stove.  And men who were either related to my family, or we spent a lot of time with.  Men like Shorty, Cap Huffines, Dusty Hackett, Jim Johnson, men you would not know, but I listened to a lot when growing up.  Dusty and Jim had been in WWII, I listened and absorbed everything they had to say.  And later in my life, when the time came I acted accordingly.  Doing what I felt was the right thing.

Even thou I am now in the evening years, I am not ready to give up yet.  My problem now is that I am so involved with politics I don't have the free time I would like to have to go and do the things I want on the spur of the moment.  Beginning to think I need to make a life style change.



Now that I have said that, here is a story from Early Wyoming as told in a letter from Uncle Lon.
Lon and two other men had gone out Wolf Hunting.  That night as they were camped and sleeping a nasty storm came up.  Before they knew what was happening their horses had gotten spooked, broken loose and ran off.  The men knew the horses would head back to the barn in town, that is where the feed was.  But they had a long walk back.  The next day as they crossed the grassy plain they started encountering cattle.  Then they spotted an old Range Bull.  Range Bulls had the reputation of being the nastiest creatures on the plain.  Range bulls had been known to kill many a cowboy who had been left afoot.  Well this old Bull true to form, lifted his head and started trotting their way. 

First the men laid down in the grass thinking the Bull might stop when he could not see them any longer.  Nope did not work, he was still coming.  So the men leaned over with their arms hanging down like front legs.  Then they started a hopping trot towards the Bull.  They were hoping to make themselves look like either Wolves or Grizzlies.  It worked, the old Bull stopped and raised his head.  After watching the Bull turned and made a hasty retreat.  The bull did not stop till it was out of sight.  My Grandfather related that story many times.

[powderman]

Thanks for the stories, I enjoyed them. You  write em, I'll read em. POWDERMAN. 

[oldandslow]

I always enjoy the tales you tell.

[magooch]

I can't think of a single thing that either of my grandfathers taught me.  One died very early and the other one didn't seem to know much.  I have been a grandfather for quite awhile now and I have attempted to teach at least a few things to my grandsons.  I have taught my youngest (9 yrs old) to pull my finger.

[Conan The Librarian]

I thank God for my grandfather! I learned almost everything that is important from him: Concretely, I learned to love fishing and artwork, but more importantly I learned that one can have a great great lifestyle on a very modest income.  So much of my life now is patterned after what I learned from him. I wish I could tell him how much he did for me, and how much I love him for it. My first order of business in the hereafter is to hunt him down and do just that.

[GH1]

The most important things I learned from my Grandparents were to waste nothing and to work whenever I could because, " ...the work might not be there tomorrow."
GH1

[LONGTOM]

 Just a couple of things I learned from my Grandfather.
First a little info on him.
He was born in 1891 in a little settlement called ARTRIP in Russell County VA. on about 3000 acres between the Sandy and Clinch rivers.
The family farm is still there and is still owned by an ARTRIP (who lives in the original house) although it is down to about 300 acres now.
The rest was given off to family over the years.
We owned the school & the post office which was located on our farm, both are still standing!
He only had 3 months of schooling.
He taught himself to read & write.
He holds a Patent in the US Patient Office for the first successful Potato Planter.
 He taught Sunday school in church. 
He was the oldest of 5 ? kids.
His mom was full Cherokee.
His Father's side of the family are documented back to the Nordic's down through Scotland & Ireland.
We are related to George Washington (by marriage).
When he was a boy of 9 years he left home and rode the rails looking for work through out the west about 1900 or so.
He spent 2 winters with the Indians cutting wood for a place to stay.
Many stories about them and their cole black eyes.
He came back to Russell county in the early 1900's as a teenager and moved to Richwood WV along the Cherry river and took a job working in cloths pin factory in Finwick WV making wooden boxes to put the pin in.
He was paid by box and he learned that it was faster to keep the nails in between his teeth rather then in his pouch and thus by his late teens almost all of his front teeth were worn down and he had a set of false teeth made.
His father had a general store in Richwood but went bust several times extending credit to the locals.
My Grandfather bought out his dad and opened the first Cash & Carry store.
It was called W.F. ARTRIP GENERAL MERTILE.
He hired his father to run it for him with orders not to give credit.
If the customers were down on their luck, fix up a bag of groceries and give it to them as a gift and ask that they return and do business with him when they were back on their feet.
This worked quite well and the store did good from then on.
There was a very large saw mill near by and the men would ride the saw train into town on the weekends to have a good time.
Granddad found a place that had left over heavy cloth from something and he bought the remnants.
He hired women from the town to make made to measure suits for the lumber men when they came to town.
On Sunday evening the men would cut the arms off the coats and cut the pants off at the knees before they boarded the flat cars to head back to the mountain to work.
The suits were both tough and warm.
They would give him another order for a new suit to be ready for them when they came to town next weekend.
About this time around 1915 he meet and married my Grandma who was from Ohio, just across the river from WV.
She was a Dean, Yes we are related to the Ball players Dizzy and Waylon Dean.
Their father was a famous architect who designed many famous buildings through out Ohio & WV.
In the mid 20's they sold everything and moved to Winchester, in Frederick county VA where he became a successful farmer and very respected man of the county.
He raised 6 kids during the great depression and all of them became successful business people.
Now you know our life's history, even though you didn't ask. 

Back to the OP.
"Things we learn from our Grandparents and how they affect us"

What I have learned from my Grandfather came at an early age.
As a boy of about 7 or 8 while walking the fields of his farm to check on his cattle Granddad would always try and teach me about life & business.
At the time I am sure I would have rather been anywhere else instead of listening to him.
I never knew how much he was telling me I would remember and that virtually all of what he said was true, because he had already lived it !!!
I was a pretty cocky kid at that age and he told me once "someday someone is going to knock you so far down in your boots that you are going to need a step ladder to see where you are going".
I thought, sure Granddad, sure.
Just a couple of years latter I learned the hard way.
I was 11 and the boy was 19, senior varsity, left back one year.
Long story short, I stood up to him and proved my point but paid the price.
Two weeks in the hospital from where he had beat me up.
I learned from it and got him back many years latter and he never knew who got him. 
The best thing he ever taught me was about business.
It is my motto and I live by it constantly.
I have posted it here a few times in the past.
"A MAN'S WORD IS HIS BOND, IF HE WON'T HONOR HIS WORD THEN HE IS NOTHING"
Another one he taught me is "Treat every customer with the same respect and give them your full attention just like they are the only person in the world that matters at that time.
Even if you have other things to do, take the time to make friends out of them.
Be honest and fair in your dealings with them and they won't look anywhere else the next time they want to buy something".
Another one was "DON'T EVER BACK OUT ON A DEAL, DICKER ALL YOU WANT BEFORE HAND BUT ONCE THE DEAL IS STRUCK I DON'T CARE IF IT TAKES HIDE< HAIR AND ALL< DON'T EVER BACK OUT"!
To this day I have never backed out of a deal and have always kept my word!!!

The funny thing is, not only do I remember what he taught me, I have seen first hand through my business and my life that he was speeking the truth!
 
Sorry for the long read and thank you for letting me tell about my family. 


LONGTOM

[AtlLaw]

"A MAN'S WORD IS HIS BOND, IF HE WON'T HONOR HIS WORD THEN HE IS NOTHING"

Personal integrity.  Your GranDaddy was right.  Without it a man is nothing.  Certainly not a man!
 
I wish more people had learned that...  Well, maybe not.      If everybody had then I wouldn't have a job!   

[Spirithawk]

I was raised by my grandmother. as I mentioned in another thread, she was the spitting image of Granny in the original Beverly Hillbillies. Old South and proud of it with many colorful sayings. The one that has stuck with me most is, " Where there's a will there's a way! "

[Old Fart]

All but one of my grandparents died before they could pass on much knowledge.
All ot hem over 90 when the made the journey.
But I did pick up one of my german grandpa's saying from my dad.
 
"Get the heck out of the way!" 

[scootrd]

Young man I said "MEASURE TWICE  -  CUT ONCE".   

[LONGTOM]

I thought of a few more from Granddad.
 

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts!"
 
"If you place yourself high upon a pedestal and think you will go far, it won't take people very long to come to know you for what you really are"
 
"It's not bad not to know, what's bad is when you don't know that you don't know!"
 
"If there is a better way, find it."

 
PROSPERITY
"Prosperity is, spending money we haven't earned to buy things we don't need to impress people we don't like."
 
How true!!!
 
 
LONGTOM

[Conan The Librarian]

My grandfather taught me a lot about fishing. One day he gave me my first fishing rod and reel, a dreadful old Wonder Rod that require a vermheavy weight form casting. I soon outgrew this, but at the time I felt as if I had been handed and entrusted with the most powerful of sorcerer's wands.


Then there were things he never said. I just saw his paintings and was in awe of the skill and the beauty.