Ever’body’s had a raisin’ a some kind er other; a mother ‘n father er someone that’s tol’ ‘em right from wrong ‘n showed ‘em ‘bout gettin’ ‘long in the world. My father, he died when I was young, but he gave me ‘n my brothers as good a raisin’ as a body could ask for. All the time I was a kid I never once heard him cuss. He never drank er smoked; never ‘llowed liquor in the house. He wouldn’t even drink coffee. We had a farm in Oklahoma, a good farm with a house ‘n barn ‘n a sizeable piece a land. We had it purty good, always had food on the table; never did without. None of us was ever left wantin’. Then my father died, ‘n I left school to give a hand with the work. I never got past the eighth grade. Never had the opportunity on account a the work that needed doin’ to keep the place runnin’.

We kept the farm goin’ till all of us was growed.  I’ve got four brothers, but none of ‘em’s on the road.  They live a fam’ly life; couldn’t take livin’ outdoors all year roun’ like this. My oldest brother works in an office. Wears a white shirt ‘n tie ever’day. He won’t have nothin’ to do with me. Haven’t spoke to him in ten years. The only one I keep in touch with is my younger brother.  He’s still in Oklahoma, in the same town near where we grew up. It’s been four years since I seen him last. I left an old car I’d been drivin’ ‘roun’ for awhile, left it there at his place.  It might still be there.  He said he’d look after it. He always followed me ‘roun’ when we was kids.

If I had my way, I’d like to go back to farmin’. Farmin’s the life I’d like to live. Cain’t get started no more, though, ‘less you got a bankroll big ‘nough to choke a horse. Land, good land, costs plenty. When our farm was sold, it went for next to nothin’. Land was cheap in them days.  But farmin’s a good life. I learned a good many things growin’ up on the farm. I learned ‘bout growin’ crops ‘n that kinda thing, but I also learned ‘bout people. One thing my father taught me was to be honest with people. Treat ‘em like you’d like to have them treat you, ‘n give ‘em a hand if they need it. If someone needs help, I’ll give it. I hate to see anyone do without. I never stole from nobody, ‘n never asked for handouts. I’ll find some kinda work to get by on. Plenty a times I been broke ‘n had to work hungry at a job till I got paid. One time I went hungry for seven days ‘n didn’t ask for no handout. I didn’t even know ‘bout food stamps er missions then.  Jus’ didn’t eat till I found work. Only one time did I get food stamps. I don’t go in for that welfare er food stamps. Hell, if I cain’t make it on my own, I don’t wanna make it at all.

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