Here is a little story that I'd like to share of my late brother Phil. It involves a time long, long ago, in his younger days. I wish you could have known him. He was a good guy.
Phil & I were about five years apart in age. We were somewhat alike in disposition & temperament. The major difference was that my brother Phil enjoyed the outdoors and auto-mechanics more that I did. Indeed, if the truth be known, Phil had a secret, inner ambition and desire in life to be a “Game Warden.” Whereas my own personal ambition was to someday be a “Bartender,” Phil was consistent with his hope to one day become a Game Warden.
Now, here’s the deal — neither one of us attained out ultimate goal in life. For one thing, we both married very young and in my case, I joined the military, and by the time I got out of the Service, had begun building a family. Phil pretty much did the same thing. He applied for a got a job over at the Dupont Plant in Camden, SC and – if anyone knows of such jobs back in those days — if you were ever fortunate to land a job at Dupont, it was usually a job for life & you certainly didn’t give it up on a clandestine whim of becoming a Game Warden.
Jump ahead several years. Phil is now married and has 3 children. His wife, Polly, is wonderful devoted mom and is busy raising the children while Phil works at Dupont. Their oldest child has begun school already. All is going along well.
One day Phil announces that he has purchased a large, old, two-story farm house @20 mi outside of Camden over near Bishopville, SC. He did. Unfortunately he forgot to tell Polly (which would have been kinda “nice”). But, as it happened, they moved the family out to this two-story wooden farmhouse and began to set up family life.
It was winter-time when Phil moved his wife and family into the house. The house had four fireplaces, two downstairs and two upstairs. It did not have any type of heating or air-conditioning system other than that. The house did have “electricity” with an electric oven in the kitchen.
Phil would dutifully get up each morning and head off to work at DuPont. While Polly would try to make due with tough conditions of trying to raise & feed three kids in the house. She often complained how cold it was in the house, and even said that she had to keep the children huddled up in one room – usually the kitchen with oven door open – so as to stay warm.
Neither was the house very “air-tight.” Again she told of the sound of wind whistling through around the windows and through cracks in the boards. She was also fearful of an occasional bird or bat or bug that could find its way inside.
You can probably already see a problem coming:
****************
One day Phil came home after work to find the house abandoned. There was a note from Polly on the kitchen table. It read: “When I came downstairs this morning, there were two Owls sitting on the drapery in living room that chased me from room to room! I shot at one with your 22-Rifle but missed and put a bullet hole in the wall. I packed a suitcase with the kid’s clothes. If you ever want to see your children again, we are over at your mother’s house.”
Phil eventually “dispatched” the owls but true to her word, Polly and the children never sat foot in the house again.
Phil finally had to sell the place near Bishopville for substantially less (about $20,000 dollars) than he had paid for it. And thus ended his dream of “living in the country and becoming a Game Warden.” He never mentioned the idea again.
*****************
I have never given up my dream of someday becoming a Bartender and telling stories like this.
True Story
Phil & I were about five years apart in age. We were somewhat alike in disposition & temperament. The major difference was that my brother Phil enjoyed the outdoors and auto-mechanics more that I did. Indeed, if the truth be known, Phil had a secret, inner ambition and desire in life to be a “Game Warden.” Whereas my own personal ambition was to someday be a “Bartender,” Phil was consistent with his hope to one day become a Game Warden.
Now, here’s the deal — neither one of us attained out ultimate goal in life. For one thing, we both married very young and in my case, I joined the military, and by the time I got out of the Service, had begun building a family. Phil pretty much did the same thing. He applied for a got a job over at the Dupont Plant in Camden, SC and – if anyone knows of such jobs back in those days — if you were ever fortunate to land a job at Dupont, it was usually a job for life & you certainly didn’t give it up on a clandestine whim of becoming a Game Warden.
Jump ahead several years. Phil is now married and has 3 children. His wife, Polly, is wonderful devoted mom and is busy raising the children while Phil works at Dupont. Their oldest child has begun school already. All is going along well.
One day Phil announces that he has purchased a large, old, two-story farm house @20 mi outside of Camden over near Bishopville, SC. He did. Unfortunately he forgot to tell Polly (which would have been kinda “nice”). But, as it happened, they moved the family out to this two-story wooden farmhouse and began to set up family life.
It was winter-time when Phil moved his wife and family into the house. The house had four fireplaces, two downstairs and two upstairs. It did not have any type of heating or air-conditioning system other than that. The house did have “electricity” with an electric oven in the kitchen.
Phil would dutifully get up each morning and head off to work at DuPont. While Polly would try to make due with tough conditions of trying to raise & feed three kids in the house. She often complained how cold it was in the house, and even said that she had to keep the children huddled up in one room – usually the kitchen with oven door open – so as to stay warm.
Neither was the house very “air-tight.” Again she told of the sound of wind whistling through around the windows and through cracks in the boards. She was also fearful of an occasional bird or bat or bug that could find its way inside.
You can probably already see a problem coming:
****************
One day Phil came home after work to find the house abandoned. There was a note from Polly on the kitchen table. It read: “When I came downstairs this morning, there were two Owls sitting on the drapery in living room that chased me from room to room! I shot at one with your 22-Rifle but missed and put a bullet hole in the wall. I packed a suitcase with the kid’s clothes. If you ever want to see your children again, we are over at your mother’s house.”
Phil eventually “dispatched” the owls but true to her word, Polly and the children never sat foot in the house again.
Phil finally had to sell the place near Bishopville for substantially less (about $20,000 dollars) than he had paid for it. And thus ended his dream of “living in the country and becoming a Game Warden.” He never mentioned the idea again.
*****************
I have never given up my dream of someday becoming a Bartender and telling stories like this.
True Story
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