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March 28, 2018

Songs about Preachers and possums...

By KEN WELBORN

Record Publisher

There are several photographs on page 2 of this issue of The Record about a quarterly music event which is held in the fellowship hall of the Arbor Grove United Methodist Church in Purlear.

Arbor Music, as it is called, is a treat like no other when a random group of very talented musicians come together to put on a show for what is rapidly becoming a packed house.

No rehearsals. No practice. No nothing, But I have bought many a ticket for shows that weren't even in the neighborhood of being as good as Arbor Music was this past Thursday.

As always, different things are more special to different people, and I want to take a few minutes to share a little with you about two persons in particular I enjoyed this past Thursday. One is Herb Key, who I have known and respected for many years. The other is an older gentleman named Fred Watkins, who I had never seen or heard of before.

Herb Key is a well known musician and luthier who is a member of the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame. He has played for many events The Record has hosted, as well as at countless other venues far and wide, including even Carnegie Hall. Through the years of our association during many venues, Herb found out that my mother, Cary, when I was a small child, sang a song to me as a lullaby called "The Preacher and the Bear." I had always thought it was just something she had learned on the farm in Surry County, never thinking it was a record produced by several people beginning as early as 1905. When I mentioned the song to Herb one day, I learned that he knew the song well, and he has been kind enough to sing it several times through the years at events I attended.

This past Thursday was no exception. When Herb took his turn in front, he sang "The Preacher and the Bear" once again, and I was able to relive one of my favorite memories of childhood--and the song I sang to all my children as well. That night's rendition of the song was made even more special because my, brother, T. A. was sitting right behind me, and he knows the song by heart at well.

And then there is Fred Watkins. When I arrived at Arbor Grove on Thursday, one of the first people I saw was Jane Brady. She had kindly found me a seat near the front and pointed out Mr. Watkins. He was seated, had his own oxygen supply with him, and had a harmonica in his hand. Jane then told me about what she called the "possum song" that she hoped he would do. As the evening went on, he played the harmonica along with the guitars, banjos, fiddles and other instruments during the various songs which were performed. Then, well into the program, David Johnson introduced Fred Watkins to a huge ovation. He took his spot and promptly stole the show by singing' "Five Pounds of Possum."

All in all it was a wonderful evening. David Johnson as emcee was perfect; seamlessly mixing the wide variety music with an Easter message, and occassionally just having fun. He spoke of his childhood and how Eugene Canter taught him how to catch a baseball. He went on talking about Gene and his love of hunting and fishing, and ended with a story about there being a newborn baby in the neighborhood who was taken to Gene's house because the family didn't have a scale to weigh the child. David said when they put the baby on the set of fish scales on Gene's back porch, that the infant came in at just over 38 pounds.

When the folks at Arbor Music began to ask Gene about that story, I'm told he would only say, that "..well, it was a big baby."

The Preacher and the Bear

The preacher went out hunting,

it was on a Sunday morn,

He knew it was against his religion,

but he took his gun along.

He shot himself three fine quail,

and one little measly hare,

And on his way returning home,

he met a great big grizzly bear.

The bear walked up in the middle of the road,

he walked up to the preacher you see,

The Preacher got so excited,

that he climbed a persimmon tree.

The bear sat down underneath the tree,

and the preacher climbed out on a limb.

Then he cast his eyes to the Lord in the skies,

and these words he prayed to him.

Now Lord, didn't you deliver Daniel from the lions den,

and Jonah, from the belly of the whale, and then,

Three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace,

Yes, the Good Book does declare.

So, oh Lord, if you can't help me,

for Heaven's sake, don't you help that bear.

Five Pounds of Possum

My Children are hungry, my dog needs a bone.

I ain't got no job now, so I'm just driving home.

An hour after sundown, and much to my delight,

There's 5 pounds of possum in my headlights tonight.

Chorus

There's 5 pounds of possum in my headlights tonight,

If I can just run him over, everything will be all right.

We'll have some possum gravy, oh what a wonderful sight,

There's 5 pounds of possum in my headlights tonight.

Won't have to clean me no chicken, won't have to open no cans,

Just a little it closer, and I'll have it in my hand.

I think the time has come now, to go from dim to bright,

There's 5pounds of possum in my headlights tonight.

Chorus

There's 5 pounds of possum in my headlights tonight,

If I can just run him over, everything will be all right.

We'll have some possum gravy, oh what a wonderful sight,

There's 5 pounds of possum in my headlights tonight.

Won't have to clean me no chicken, won't have to open no cans,

Just a little it closer, and I'll have it in my hand.

I think the time has come now, to go from dim to bright,

There's 5 pounds of possum in my headlights tonight.

Chorus

There's 5 pounds of possum in my headlights tonight,

If I can just run him over, everything will be all right.

We'll have some possum gravy, oh what a wonderful sight,

There's 5 pounds of possum in my headlights tonight.

Are we really foresaken?

By LAURA WELBORN

Palm Sunday is one of my favorite services. I am not sure if I love its pageantry or the fact that it’s the start of Easter with new beginnings.

Then I think of Jesus on the cross asking “…my God, my God why have you forsaken me?”

And then I wonder how we feel forsaken when things don’t go our way. We all get frustrated when things don’t play out the way we expect them to, and people don’t behave like they’re “supposed” to. I tend to get frustrated with myself when things don’t go right, but maybe I am judging myself against the wrong measure of success and not looking into the deeper meaning of what is “supposed to be.” Maybe I haven’t been forsaken, and maybe I am successful in a different way. I was challenged by a friend to look deeper and find my own personal measure of success. When I did look deeper I saw my life in a different way.

So how do we “reprogram” our brain to look beyond what is facing us to see the deeper purpose and celebrate our impact on the world.

One way would be to not imagine the worst when you encounter a little drama. When someone is acting irrationally, don’t join them by rushing to make a negative judgment call. Instead, pause. Take a deep breath…When you feel like things are about to blow, take a long deep breath. Deep breathing releases tension, calms down our fight or flight reactions, and allows us to quiet our anxious nerves so we choose more considerate and constructive responses, no matter the situation.

Sometimes good people behave poorly under stress. When you pause, it gives you space to collect your thoughts and it also allows the other person the space to take a deep breath with you. In most cases, that extra time and space is all we need.

In the busyness of today’s world people tend to be worried, fearful, hurting and distracted about everything. The word compassion means “to suffer with.” When you can put yourself in the other person’s shoes, you give them the space to regroup, without putting any extra pressure on them. We never know what’s really going on in someone’s life. When you interact with others in stressful environments, set an intention to be supportive by leaving the expectations, judgments and demands at the door.

Keeping “the positive” in mind helps you move beyond the negativity around you. At the end of the day, reflect on your small daily wins and all the little things that are going well. Count three small events on your fingers that happened during the day that you’re undoubtedly grateful for.

And pay it forward when you get a chance to. Let your positivity empower you to think kindly of others, speak kindly to others, and do kind things for others. Kindness always makes a difference. Create the outcomes others might be grateful for at the end of their day. Be a bigger part of what’s right in this world.

I challenge you to try this—start small with just three deep breaths and three minutes of meditation a day. Do this for 30 days. After 30 days, if this daily ritual becomes easy, add another two breaths and another two minutes to your ritual. When you begin a day mindfully, you lay the foundation for your day being calm and centered -focused on your strengths giving way for you to positively impact your world.

“Do or Do not, there is no try”

By HEATHER DEAN

Record Reporter

So were the words of Jedi Master Yoda when a young Luke Skywalker was in Jedi boot camp.

You see, Luke was from a rural farming community, a small town boy, living in a lonely galaxy far, far, away and had no reason to ever think danger would strike there. Until one fateful day, the bad guys attacked and he found his friends and family massacred in what should have been his safe zone.

But what could he do? He was just a kid. The Empire had military grade weapons, political backing, and he was “just a dumb teenager” on a farm. He was angry and frustrated, feeling powerless when Master Yoda uttered the words that would be his turning point: “Do or Do not, there is no try.”

Long story short, he found a mentor in Obi Wan Kinobi and a trainer of the force in Yoda. He joined The Resistance, becoming one of the most widely known and powerful forces to be reckoned with in the galaxy.

He was a Jedi.

A Rebel with a cause.

And he had a twin sister who didn’t back down in the face of adversity, even though she too was only a teenager.

A Padawan, or Jedi apprentice, is a trainee who receives one-on-one instruction. When a Padawans training is completed, they must pass certain trials. (Padawan means “learner” in Sanskrit)

"As a parent, haven’t we all said that we want to raise good humans, kind and compassionate, yet independent and be able to critically think for themselves? That we don’t want our child to conform to a societal norm, to think out of the box? To teach them to be brave enough to stand up in the face of adversity when they see something wrong? (i.e. bullying)

So now the kids we have raised are doing just that, adults on social media are losing their minds. “Adults” are attacking the youth, threatening, bullying, shaming, spouting nonsense like “These stupid dumb teenagers eating Tide pods are trying to tell adults what to do when they can't even vote yet? What idiots.”

(Brace yourselves. A lot of them are seniors, and the voting registration of kids 18-21 just went through the roof.)

Perhaps the problem is the “adults” that are ignorant, lacking compassion and empathy.

Sadly, most of these same “adults” are part of Generation X, my generation, parents of the generation rising up. Need I remind you, what we did back in school? I sat and watched classmates sniff glue, markers, computer duster, whippets, helium… Not to mention our generation thought mullets were cool. But you're going to call these kids stupid? Please.

Unlike the war against the Empire that spanned for generations, leading the Rebel Princess to say “A lot of good people died to get this information” our young Padawans have faced their trials, and said “Enough is Enough!” And so begins The Resistance in our day. Teenagers are leading the charge for change, standing in solidarity across the nation.

When you strip away the entire partisan knee jerking on both sides, the simple fact is that kids are dying at school, and they’d rather not. They are asking for help from adults. That’s it.

May the Force be with you young Jedi, always.

Snake in the Grass

By EARL COX

Special to The Record

Danger comes in many forms and it’s what we fail to see or detect that can harm us the most. I’m not talking about terrorism but rather about silver-tongued deception.

Some are attempting to capitalize on the division that exists in America today between blacks, whites, and others. Hatred and violence are fomented by evil design to stir up political unrest. If enough seeds of discord are scattered and take root, minority voters become easy prey for the liberal, leftist agenda. We must take note of those who are sowing such seeds and carefully warn others not to be deceived.

Louis Farrakhan, known as the leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI), is one such figure. Formed in 1930 for the purpose of targeting African Americans in what was a majority Caucasian society, the NOI is hard at work today under Farrakhan’s leadership stirring up hatred against whites and Jews. Clothed in a form of religion, the organization has great appeal to its target audience.

Farrakhan emerged in 1977 as a masterful orator. He became widely recognized for his outspoken vitriol against white society and his extremist views are unchanged today. Often he refers to whites as the devil and blacks as the chosen race of Allah refuting that the Jews are God’s chosen people. While his fiery speeches draw many followers, his messages are not meant to unify but rather divide.

Farrakhan’s hatred is not limited to whites. He also rails against Jews and against Israel. Recently he delivered a speech at his annual Saviors’ Day 2018 Address which was peppered with anti-Semitic statements. He blames the Jews for whatever comes out of Hollywood and claims Israel is an imperialist country wreaking havoc on the Palestinians. Of course he has no facts to support his slanderous claims yet his message hits a home run with his audiences. Referring to the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians as a master–slave type of relationship, he masterfully takes command of his audience enticing them to buy into his false narrative. By making this correlation, his audience responds in sympathetic and predictable fashion.

Louis Farrakhan is a snake in the grass and he has friends and associates in high places. He’s been seen with members of Congress and reportedly with the deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Furthermore, he is no stranger to former President Barak Obama or the Congressional Black Caucus. Practiced in the art of persuasive double-speak and confusion, Farrakhan is a dangerous man not in and of himself but because he has influence.

Fox news reported on “links with seven members of the Congressional Black Caucus” and Tamika Mallory, co-president of the Women’s March. The seven members were named, and several have since condemned Farrakhan’s vile racist and bigoted views but some of the same members who denounced Farrakhan’s bigotry also praised him as a person. Any elected official who would associate with a man who calls Jews “satanic” and publicly praises Hitler as a “very great man” should be forced to resign from office.

While everyone should denounce such incendiary acrimony coming from Farrakhan and the NOI, there are others like him living in Israel’s neighborhood. They can be just as outrageously deceitful, turning truth into a lie and a lie into a truth, and show a face that speaks of a separatist attitude challenging everyone they consider enemies.

Dolley and the Easter Egg Roll

By CARL WHITE

Life in the Carolinas

Did you know that Dolley Payne was born May 20, 1768 in North Carolina? Her father was John Payne from and her Quaker mother was Mary Coles Payne. John became a Quaker after he married Mary. It was a tough life for them as plantation farmers in Virginia or North Carolina. When Dolley was 15 she, her seven siblings and parents moved to Philadelphia. John went into the starch making business which also fell on hard times.

At the age of 22 Dolley married John Todd, a promising young Quaker lawyer. It was only three years before Dolley became a young widow and buried both her husband and one of their three children due to a yellow-fever epidemic.

Within 11 months, Dolley would say "I do" to James Madison, a well-established Virginia congressman who was 17 years her senior and was also a Founding Father of the United States. Over time James would make his way up the political ladder. It was in 1801 that President Thomas Jefferson asked him to serve as Secretary of State. Upon acceptance the Madison family moved to Washington and this would be the start of Dolley Madison’s rise to becoming a popular figure in our nations history. Her husband became President James Madison on March 4, 1809 and served till March 4, 1817.

We often talk about the state of birth for our U.S. Presidents, however we don’t talk a lot about the state of birth for our First Ladies. While it is not an elected office, they are expected to serve and Dolley Madison certainly did that.

On resent visit to The Inn of the Patriots Bed and Breakfast in Grover, N.C. I visited with the owners Marti and Stormy Mongiello, both are U.S. Veterans and Marti has served as a Presidential Chef and director at Camp David. So, they do know more then just a few things about White House and Camp David History.

From the opening of the Inn and the US Presidential Culinary Museum the Mongiello’s have hosted an Easter Monday Egg Roll to coincides with the official White House Egg Roll. Hundreds of children show up at 11am in the little town of Grover, N.C. for the fun filled official egg roll event at which each child nine and under receive one official White House Egg representing the White House and the President at the time of Easter Egg Roll. The 2018 Eggs are signed by President Trump and the First Lady.

Marti shared a bit of the historic legend. As the story goes John Payne Todd also known as Payne Todd, was Dolly’s son from her first marriage and was adopted by James Madison when Payne was two years old. While he did not have to worry about a good meal at home, Payne did not have a simple or easy life, reportedly he was troubled as an alcoholic most of his life and he never seemed to make traction for doing much good with any aspect of his life.

However, He did share a story with his mother about a game where children were rolling colored eggs in the sand with a stick at the pyramids of Giza. He suggested to his mother that they share the custom on or near the grounds of the U.S. Capital. Soon after, that’s exactly what happened.

While the origins of the Easter Egg Roll are still debated we know that over the years the tradition would evolve and move to the White House Lawn during the Rutherford B. Hayes administration and take on different aspects. However, the basic attributes remained the same. Having fun while rolling decorated eggs, some simple and some more complex. Just like all of us.

As we celebrate the Holy Day of Easter and have fun with some of our secular traditions may we always remember where we come from and the contributions of the dirt we played in as kids.

You can email Carl at [email protected]

Carl White is the executive producer and host of the award winning syndicated TV show Carl White’s Life In the Carolinas. The weekly show is now in its seventh year of syndication and can be seen in the Charlotte viewing market on WJZY Fox 46 Saturdays at noon. For more on the show visit www.lifeinthecarolinas.com

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