My first Paying job

 Cars and animals:

I'm cool!

 

Some thoughts for today:

It is amazing to look back over your life and see the things that are ‘no more.’  Schools in the south many places closed for two weeks a cotton picking time.  Kids would go into the fields to harvest the family cotton crop. Some would hire out to pick cotton to earn some side money.

Automobile tires are no longer re-capped and sold cheaper than new tires. Car tires are no longer ‘recapped’, those jobs are gone.

Shoe shining was a big thing up until the 70-80s methinks. Every barbershop had a shoe shine stand. My friend Jim Page was the shoe shine boy at a barber shop in Valdese, NC. Jim could pop that rag.

Before I met Jim, I made my own shoe shine ‘box’ and was a roaming shoeshine boy. Shoe shine 5 cents.

Popping (snapping for noise) was a learned skill. You probably never heard ‘The Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy!’ But that was an inspiration to boys after my time 1946-48. Shoe Shining was so popular in 1948 Red Foley cut the first million selling country song, “Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy”

 

Song by Red Foley

Have you ever passed the corner of Forth and Grand?
Where a little ball o' rhythm has a shoe-shine stand
People gather 'round and they clap their hands
He's a great big bundle o' joy
He pops the boogie woogie rag
The Chattanoogie shoe-shine boy

He charges you a nickel just to shine one shoe
He makes the oldest kind o' leather look like new
You feel as though you wanna dance when he gets through
He's a great big bundle o' joy
He pops the boogie woogie rag
The Chattanoogie shoe-shine boy

It's a wonder that the rag don't tear
The way he makes it pop
You ought to see him fan the air
With his hoppity-hippity-hippity-hoppity-hoppity-hippity-hop

He opens up for business when the clock strikes nine
He likes to get up early when they're feelin' fine
Everybody gets a little rise 'n shine
With the great big bundle o' joy
He pops the boogie woogie rag
The Chattanoogie shoe-shine boy

It's a wonder that the rag don't tear
The way he makes it pop
Just listen to him fan the air
Here he goes!

He opens up for business when the clock strikes nine
He likes to get up early when they're feelin' fine
Everybody gets a little rise 'n shine
With the great big bundle o' joy
He pops the boogie woogie rag
The Chattanoogie shoe-shine boy

 

Now we should be feeling better, don’t we?

Did you have a paying job as a kid, or just the chores around the house?

 

Nite Shipslog

PS: Steve, a nephew just had a hip replacement. Prayers for his recovery.  His Sister, Vickie goes in for a hysterectomy soon prayers for her also. Our sweet Grand Dughter will also soon have her surgery, please remember her. A grandson Benjamin is driving  HOME across country as I type.  He could also use a prayer.