MAMA BOUGHT ME A FARMALL SUPER A TRACTORWritten by Irvin L. Rozier
Ephesians 6:2 "HONOUR THY FATHER AND MOTHER; which is first commandmentwith promise;"After Mama died in 2001, my sister, Joanne, and I had to sort through her personal affects and papers. Mama didn't like to throw away anything, so we found canceled checks she had written in sixties. My sister and I laughed at some of checks; five dollars for a tank of gas, seven dollars for my high school graduation cap and gown, and three dollar check for "farm labor". These small items brought back precious memories of our Mama and made us realize deep love she had for her children. One of canceled checks she had written was for $700. It was payment for that red 1952 Farmall Super A tractor she had bought me. I had always loved tractors(Mama said my first word was tractor) but had never had one of my own. My Daddy died in 1966. He was 40 and I was 14 and only son (I have four sisters). We lived on a 15 acre pecan orchard and as only boy, I felt responsible to upkeep it. That little Farmall meant much to me, and I also used it to plant and tend a large garden. Those fresh vegetables sure were good when mama cooked them. I also used my tractor to plant neighbors' gardens, so I made a little spending money that way. After school, I would come home, crank up that Super A, and ride it til dark. I loved doing this, and it helped me keep my mind clear.
| | Freedom on Juneteenth - What have we forgotten... Written by Daviyd Peterson
Every year for 140 years we have continued to celebrate that fateful Juneteenth day in Galveston, Texas when 2 year old news arrived that emancipation proclamation had been signed freeing all slaves. Black slavery was abolished on this Juneteenth day in Texas and an emancipation proclamation summary was delivered throughout Texas either officially or unofficially. But have we remembered to celebrate everything? This Juneteenth celebration a final blow to American slavery has moved beyond borders of Galveston, beyond borders of great State of Texas, beyond borders of U.S. to encircle several countries and faiths and peoples. We need to ask ourselves - have we remembered to celebrate everything? Juneteenth in Galveston Texas is sometimes celebrated for a day or a week and even a whole month. Being freed from slavery can have that kind of memorable effect to where you want generation after generation to almost feel embrace of emancipation. To remember Juneteenth not only as a time to barbeque and drink - but as a historic marker of freedom for a downtrodden people. Juneteenth celebrations and Texas emancipation should be synonymous in our minds - to be taught to our children as history so that it will never be repeated. Remember to celebrate everything.
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