let your yea be yea ...

Last weekend at church a scripture was quoted that immediately took me back to a story my dad told us while growing up.   During the depression dad did some traveling about the country looking for work as many young men his age did.  He travelled a lot back and forth between greater Wilkes-Berry, PA area and the Detroit, MI area.  He had a cousin and or a fried who would paint houses while he would wash them.  

I think it was on one of these trips that they were taken in by an Amish farmer for the night.  Both were ask if they were would like to eat dinner.  The other fellow said 'no, I'm not really that hungry" while dad said "sure I would love to".  So dad took a seat at the table with the family and started eating.  After a short time the other fellow said, "well, maybe I am a little hungry".  The Amish farmer replied "Thou shalt not lie.  You said your were not hungry so you don't eat". 

Dad having spent time in an orphanage he learned when someone asked you if you wanted to eat, you eat.  The other guy was raised to believe it is the "polite thing to do" to be ask three times before accepting the offer.   The next morning he ate breakfast when asked the first time.

Stories, antedotes and other rememberence

After my father died this year I read Tim Russert's book Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons.  It is a compilation of letters he received after writing his first book about his father from people telling small stories about things they learned from their fathers.

Since dad past earlier this year many everyday things remind of different stories he would tell us or different situations that happen while growing up.   Would like start writing them down before they are lost forever and I figured this blog would be a great place to compile them as they come to mind.  

Would like to invite anyone reading this blog that new my father to contribute the stories they remember as well.  Anyone who knew my dad new he had a lot of good lessons he learn from the school of hard knocks.  He had at least a master degree in that subject.  They are much more valuable than what can learned from a formal education.