Lessons in an Old House

I am drawn to old buildings like this one I ran across on a back road in Central Texas a few years ago.  Those were some tight living quarters, but for the era in which this was built, it was common.  I took the image from the road and resisted the urge to walk out to it since I didn't have permission.  If I recall, there was a barbed wire fence in the way, I just took the shot over the fence.

To me, a building such as this that has withstood so many years of the elements is a reflection of the folks that built it.  They were tough.  There was no running water, no electricity, no indoor plumbing.  I'm sure they had a garden for vegetables and a milk cow in a pen out back.  Much of their table fare was likely supplied by hunting for a rabbit, or some other wild game.  Trips to town were few and a major endeavor.

We surely take a lot of things for granted these days as we live in our palaces and have our meals delivered.  I suspect there are lots of folks who couldn't handle it.

There are still tough people -- even in this country of luxury.  They aren't the kind of "tough" portrayed in the movies which depicts "toughness" as violence; they are the kind of "tough" that endures hardship and challenge and that overcomes the obstacles that continually seem to be placed in their path.  They survive in spite of the odds which seem to be stacked against them.

I'm not talking of the "silver spoon" folks who have a network of financial and other help, I'm talking about those who are born in circumstances that put them at a disadvantage, yet are able to rise above that life to one of productivity and success.  Some see success as the poor kid who ended up as a star athlete, or entertainer; what I'm referring to is the one who worked to provide for his family while getting a high school education and then went on to college and a job where they learned skills that allowed them to rise within the organization, or perhaps to step out and start their own business.  In a way, they are the pioneers of today.  They pave the way as an example of overcoming the odds.

In today's world it seems to be "the thing" to take advantage of ignorance.  I see ignorance as an opportunity to educate.  Maybe I'm a bit altruistic, but I believe the responsibility that comes with the blessings I have received is to pass on the things I have learned to those in need.

My post drifted a bit. 

Perspective

Between Pampa and Perryton in the Texas Panhandle is a long stretch of native grassland. It is part of the area that burned in the big fire last year. The summer rains though, helped the grass to recover nicely.

I enjoy the drive across that stretch because I like to watch for the antelope. I count them. I guess it's impulsive behavior, but I always count to see how many there are that I can spot from the highway as I pass by at 70 mph. Today I counted 24 of them.

Almost any time of year I will see them. They are usually scattered in groups of 4 or 5 up to 15 or 20. I think the most I ever remember counting for the whole stretch was a little over 50 of them.

That stretch of grassland makes it easier to imagine what it must have been like before this country was settled. The buffalo trails of history have been replaced by the cattle trails of today, but otherwise, I suspect it looks the way the earliest settlers saw the Plains.

The Panhandle was one of the last bastions of the Plains Indians. The last Indian battle in the Panhandle was fought in 1876. That was only 131 years ago. This is a young country.

I think that recent taming of the land is evident in the people of the Panhandle. It is why they are friendlier and more ready to lend a helping hand than people in many parts of the country. It is because of the generational memory of the survival behavior of the pioneers that settled here. It is the memory of 10 miles to the nearest neighbor; helping each other with the round-up, or the harvest; the loneliness of the women, mid-wiving because the doctor was two days away, and the rare trips to town for supplies.

The wide-open country produces good people. It seems that it is where folks are pressed together in cities that most of our country's problems occur. I think God made us to need a little space. Sure, we need each other and we seek each other's company, but we also need to be able to get away by ourselves where we can commune with our Maker. I suspect the Pioneers found it a lot easier to depend on Him when there wasn't anyone else around to depend on.

I imagine that most people are a little like me and need some "alone" time every once in a while. Maybe that's why I enjoy that lonely stretch of highway. It helps me to keep things in perspective.