GIVE ME THE LOW ROAD!

Today, our lives are extremely complex, and then some. We are bombarded with materialism.. a new mattress, a new car, status, prestige, and more. But you know what? My Honda has 212,236 miles on it and suits me fine!










I grew up in a blue collar family. That my friends is a blessing. "Making do" was our family motto. Dad built houses, mother handled the family finances. I recall when my folks burned their mortgage in 1959 and redeemed a life insurance policy in 1961. What did they do with the money? They bought a 1956 two toned blue Chevrolet Bel Air from Fullam Motor and had Ray Blake pave our blacktop driveway! Practical people.










Dad was the epitome of pragmatism: every year he painted one side of our clapboarded home. He was smart as our house never needed painting.. not to mention aluminum siding that made its entre' in 1958... never happened!










Every aspect of my growing up was enterprise. I thrived with the thought of making a buck. In 1955 I built a soapbox and put it on our lawn "For Sale" $5.00. Went to Fenway Park to a game with Shammy and upon my return dad handed me a new crisp Lincoln! SOLD!










I had further training from Uncle Albert with his NOR'BROOK Motors across from Joe Hardy's garaage NB.. Enterprise surrounded my life from Skip Ledoux's North Common Market to the Sunoco Station on South Main Street, North Brookfield. Big Business just hadn't found the Brookfields back then.

1933 Chevrolet

2008 Honda

Many good people eked out a living. Some tried and most failed. Few hit the jackpot. Yet in my entrepreneurial ways I seemed to have what it took... from being a janitor in the Worcester County Trust bank when Uncle Luke became disabled to the likes of mentor Frank Cooke.








People were good to me. They gave me a chance...from the Brookfield Orchards to Mid-town Saint Louis. It sure was a quantum leap in 1962 and as I say I made it in style.








But isn't life about making it? Fall down and "get up." Military training from doing push-ups to running the mile before breakfast was my blessing in disguise.








Life is good, and I have learned, one must work at it at any age.


 When I was rejected by the University of Wisconsin Frank Cooke succinctly said to me "If you quit now, Bobby, don't ever come back !" The same day I applied to Saint Louis U. and eventually was accepted. What if I had quit back then? Maybe I would be shining shoes? LOL.

 1956

Billiken  St. Louis Mascot

Me

1956 Chevrolet Bel-Air

Blogging is a wonderful tonic for me and has been for almost 10 years. How am I doing? LOL.