SWIMMING IN A SWAMP

We had two families who lived next door to us on that old farm;  the Torok's  and the Todd's.

The Todd's had three sons; my favorite was Arlo.  He was a farm boy as I was and yet for some unknown reason he liked me and I liked him.  We both knew what it was like to wake up early and work hard all day;  but on their property they had a swamp.  This swamp was about ten inches deep and all their cows would go in there and try to cool off.  Of course they did what cows do, they left a mess of manure and often would roll over in there to fight the constant biting of the flies.

There was an apple orchard just before the swamp; some of the apples were on the ground, but we could climb a tree and pick the best ones.  So happily we would eat a couple apples and then go into the swamp and try to swim in that murky water.  Back then there was a polio problem and many young people would be struck with that terrible problem.  We didn't care though, it was just too tempting to stay out of the dirty water.

Arlo and I were always barefoot and the bottoms of our feet would be hard and we were able to walk just about anywhere we want to; even when doing out chores in our separate barns, we would still walk with our bare feet.  Cow paddies that were old did make a good fire; cows would eat a lot of grass and grain and their droppings would harden until we could light a match and start a small fire.  We were went to school we would put on some old shoes and the young people from town could still smell the cow manure on our feet.  We used to laugh together we were alone together, we had gotten used to that smell and to us it smelled normal.

All these memories cause me to wonder how people ever packed up all their belongings and headed out west; rivers to cross, mountains to climb, camp fires where old heavy pots were used to make enough stew to feed everyone.  Cows were also attached to their wagons and so they could have some milk especially for the young ones.  The men were skilled in making whatever needed to be made in order for them to keep moving.  Old wheels would fall off and they would stop and make new ones.  Fish could be caught in some places, or rabbits could be snared for a good meal at night.

Today we have just about everything we need to make our life comfortable;  electricity in the winter to warm our homes, and in the summer there are big air conditioners to keep us cool.  Food is bough at large grocery outlets and our cars keep becoming safer and more fuel efficient.  Medical care is available for most of us; hospitals and doctors often are near where most of us live. 

Around the world today there are still those who endure hardships;  hunger, wars and running water.  Missionaries often do more than try to convert them to Christianity, they often build schools, drill wells for water and bring medication to help those who need it.

There's a lot that is wrong with what is now happening all around the globe, but here in America we have been blessed with a diverse population who have each started with almost nothing, to make a living by hard work, consistent faith, and history of how America became the greatest nation in the world.  For me, it's good to remember how I grew up and made many decisions; some bad ones and other ones, good.  The cycle of life is all around us, a wonderful opportunity to give thanks to God for His grace and goodness.