I liked the kids’ table. Although sans siblings, we usually visited my aunts and uncles, who were prolific, and had more than one kids’ tables set up, so I had plenty of companions. At about 10 or 12, I, along with the contemporary cousins in attendance, graduated to the adults’ table. What a crashing bore that was! Inane conversation, no cutting up, you had to use good manners, and then the smokers stoked up before dessert. Yuk! (The only salvation then was the serving of persimmon pudding and gooseberry pie.) On top of this, the TV was on and tuned to the plethora of football games before and after the meal. (I don’t recall any time when the Macy’s parade was tuned in.) I’ve never had a love of sports like my elders and cousins did. Nor do I ever recall any of them participating in any sport, not even informally. At least it was possible — when the weather was decent — to go outside and get some fresh air. There was also the oil well# in the back forty, with its barking one lunger, to explore.
(#) The “sulfur fragrance” of those wells is precisely what attracted both Earl Rawley (“The Two Jakes”) and me.
I liked the kids’ table. Although sans siblings, we usually visited my aunts and uncles, who were prolific, and had more than one kids’ tables set up, so I had plenty of companions. At about 10 or 12, I, along with the contemporary cousins in attendance, graduated to the adults’ table. What a crashing bore that was! Inane conversation, no cutting up, you had to use good manners, and then the smokers stoked up before dessert. Yuk! (The only salvation then was the serving of persimmon pudding and gooseberry pie.) On top of this, the TV was on and tuned to the plethora of football games before and after the meal. (I don’t recall any time when the Macy’s parade was tuned in.) I’ve never had a love of sports like my elders and cousins did. Nor do I ever recall any of them participating in any sport, not even informally. At least it was possible — when the weather was decent — to go outside and get some fresh air. There was also the oil well# in the back forty, with its barking one lunger, to explore.
(#) The “sulfur fragrance” of those wells is precisely what attracted both Earl Rawley (“The Two Jakes”) and me.