To the Editor of “Life in The United States”, I’m enclosing the following true-life story.
Some of my childhood memories are about one and two room school houses with potbelly stoves and oily wood floors. Also living on a farm, outdoor plumbing, kerosene lamps, and a little country church.
The highlight of the week was going shopping at the country general store. While Mother shopped for our needs, we children spent our time selecting candy and gum, getting the best buy for our few pennies. Dad would join his friends and neighbors sitting on the “liars” bench in front of the store. Winter time would find them around the potbelly stove, sitting on the kegs of nails and boxes.
One fellow was too busy to join in but was always teasing the others about being lazy. One day I heard him ask, “Who will admit he’s the laziest one of all? Pulling a Two Dollar bill from his pocket, he said, “I’ll give this bill to the one who will step forward and claim it.” All but one jumped up with hands reaching out. The one left sitting opened his overall pocket wider and said in a lazy drawl, “Just poke it in my pocket”. My dad always said it was the easiest Two Dollars he ever made.
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