Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Purposefulness (Purpose in Life) (05/25/06)
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TITLE: The Power of Quiet Purpose | Previous Challenge Entry
By Tim George
05/31/06 -
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The odd thing was; we weren’t really that different from “those” people. After all we weren’t exactly rich folks ourselves. Our little white board church parsonage was nice but would never make the pages of Southern Living. In the summer it was just as hot as the shot gun houses we had just passed. We had an attic fan but it only served to cook us evenly on all sides. Any excuse to stay outside was a good excuse. We also ate pretty much like those folks we had whizzed by. Beef was a rare treat and meat of any kind was only an occasional addition to our home grown meals.
And my Daddy; that’s what we call fathers in the south. My Daddy was no mean spirited bigot. Considering he was born in the Mississippi Delta in 1923 and we lived in Louisiana in the 60’s that was no small thing. The “N” word was never allowed in our house and my daddy was one of the few local pastors that associated with “those” people who were different from the rest of us. He was a good man that never saw color when it came to a person’s needs.
Sometimes, however, his ideas about caring for all people seemed out of touch with the realities of the world I lived in. I couldn’t understand why he was willing to be looked down on by his peers because of his view point. What kind of purpose in life was that? Why not just go with the flow?
Trips to the doctor offered me a chance to peak through the window at “those” people in their separate waiting room. Try as I might I didn’t see anything to be feared. Segregation was a given in our world even though I dare say many of my generation often secretly wondered at the rightness of it all. I observed my grandfather as his resentment exploded towards the Civil Rights movement of the 60’s. How could such a quiet and measured man be so enraged by “those” other people?
My grandmother was just as mystifying. She taught me the Scriptures and no doubt loved God. Still, she could say the word “Yankee” as though it was the worse curse word known to man. Carpet Baggers and Scallywags were demons sent by the Yankee devils to destroy our fine and advanced culture. As a young boy I was prone to agree. After all, I knew black folks and they didn’t seem all that different than me. They ate collards and fat back just like we did. They ran around barefoot in the summer just like we did. And when Vietnam came along they went off and died just like we did. But Yankees? I didn’t know any and assumed that the whole misunderstanding must be their fault. Years later when Ole Miss whipped soon to be National Champion Notre Dame, I cheered. Never mind that I was an LSU fan and a mortal enemy to Ole Miss. On that day our southern brothers had fought off the Yankee hordes.
Why do I tell you all of this? Because, as a man I have come to understand the quiet power that resided in a man of purpose like my father. He never marched or stirred up an insurrection but his quiet insistence that I treat all people with equal respect as creations of God slowly changed me over the years.
Today I eat; worship, play, and shop with “those” people not that far from where I grew up. Over time many of us simply changed for the better. My circle of friends is filled with African Americans, Vietnamese, and yes even Yankees. My father’s example had much to do with that. Did we make a lot of mistakes back then? You bet. I’m sure there will be more on all sides. But, we can still make it our purpose in life to make whatever little difference we can with our own words and lives. Just like my daddy!
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Your reference to your family's Dodge Dart set the time period well, and you painted a picture of your community the reader will not soon forget.
In paragraph 5 you used the word "peak" which would be a mountaintop when you meant "peek", to sneak a look at something. One or two punctuation typos, but otherwise a fascinating piece. What a nicely written tribute to a man who was an unsung hero for the lessons he taught. Thank you for sharing this with us!