|
Archives |
|
Kokomo Kootsie
8/27/2002
Nibbles- Bits & Pieces
BLIND FAITH
When I was ten years old we lived on La Fountain Street for a while, and I have so many memories of that time. A whole book full!
My Auntie was still young and single then, and was very popular with both guys and dolls. She had six very, very dear girl friends, while most of us are lucky to have one, all our life.
Cordie Rivers was one; she was divorced, and had three small children; one son, and two daughters, one a mere baby.
Cordie and the children lived with her parents. She was ill, and often unable to go with the rest of the girls when they went somewhere.
She had T.B.! She was put to bed for long periods of time; that seemed to be about all the medical profession knew to do for it. There was none of today's medications, miracle cures.
Cordie had become too ill and weak to visit us anymore, so I only heard what was going on in her life from Auntie who visited her on a regular basis.
In the twenties and thirties, there were a lot of traveling ministers, men of God, and otherwise, traveling over the country, from small town to small town; there would be a big tent set up on some vacant lot, usually at the edge of town. Folding chairs, and wooden benches were supplied to sit on.
The men of God were usually, flamboyant, loud of voice, and moved about the pulpit as though a swarm of bees were attacking them, as Abraham Lincoln is to have said of the kind of preaching he liked best.
One day, a faith healer came to Kokomo, set up a tent, and people flocked to hear him. Cordie had been bedfast for quite some time. She insisted on getting up, going to this the tent meeting to see the faith healer!
So her mother, and Auntie, got her ready, and took her to the meeting one night. She could barely walk or stand, had to have support on either side of her!
This 'Healer' blessed her and then told her to go home and throw all her medicine away, she would be healed!
Cordie believed him. She went home, and with her mother and Auntie pleading with her to not do what that quack said, Cordie proceeded to pour all her bottles of medicine down the sink drain!
And for a short while, she did feel and do better. She stayed out of bed and she did go out with Auntie and the other girls.
But the day came, she had to give it up; she had to stay in bed, she was so weak.
From there on, she steadily grew worse, weaker and weaker.
One night she sent a call for Auntie to come over. When Auntie got there, she knew Cordie was dying. She couldn't raise her head from the pillow, nor raise her hands.
Auntie, and her mother, sat beside her bed, and her mother held her hands.
After a while, Cordie opened her eyes, and seemed to want to sit up; but she didn't say so, what she said was, "Momma, let go of my hand, Jesus is calling me and I can't go! Let loose of my hands! Let me go!"
Her mother, put Cordie's hands down on her chest, and Cordie raised herself up in the bed, stretched out her arms, and hands upward, and gazed wide-eyed toward the ceiling and said, "I'm coming Jesus, I'm coming."
Then she fell slowly back and died!
A testimony of Faith in the Lord.
LINK
| EPM 2002 - 2005 |
Kokomo Kootsie
8/27/2002
Nibbles- Bits & Pieces
TIN EARS
To not hear well will certainly change your whole personality, your very way of life, from what it should be and you want it to be, and finally alienate you from the human race. Everyone is not up to being a Helen Keller or Mary Matlin.
It takes a thick skin to push past a disability, that causes those who do not understand to laugh at your blunders or mistakes, or look amused when you didn't hear correctly or have someone say, "I just told you;" or worse, "Don't you understand any thing?" as though your brain power is limited.
You are excluded from many social functions; few address you directly in group conversations. No one likes to repeat, just for you!
If you are, or have been, an outgoing person, who likes people, parties, guest, crowds, in your home- - all the whole bit; and know how, have the ability and facilities to entertain all you'd like, to have fellowship and social life- - it really does change you, to no longer be able to use or exercise these gifts.
When others associate your hearing ability, or lack thereof, to a limited brain power, it us just too, too much!
Then too, no one seems to have a clue as to how to talk to one who has a hearing problem. If they are asked to speak up, they raise their voice for a couple of words, more or less; then back to the whisper, as it seems to the one who has impaired hearing. Or they repeat the same word, using the same tone of voice, over and over, when they should perhaps rephrase, keep volume up, and their enunciation clear!
Others lean over, and speak each word, one at a time, as though giving out spelling words; or almost shout!
Folks who'd never dream of laughing at someone on crutches, or in a wheel chair, think nothing of being amused at one who hears incorrectly, and makes a silly answer.
There is an old Indian saying, "Do not sit in judgment of me until you have walked a mile in my moccasins."
LINK
| EPM 2002 - 2005 |
|
|
|
