Saturday, March 26, 2011

Chicken Plucker and police cars

I got this from cousin Ken and liked it.

mayberrylite

(Before Blue lights)

Let me tell you, Jesse hated this job. And you would too, I imagine, if you had to do it. Jesse was a chicken plucker.

He stood on a line in a chicken factory and spent his days pulling the feathers off dead chickens so the rest of us wouldn't have to.

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It wasn't much of a job. But at the time, Jesse didn't think he was much of a person. His father was a brute of a man.

His dad was actually thought to be mentally  ill and treated Jesse rough all of his life.

Jesse's older brother wasn't much better.

He was always picking on Jesse and beating him up. Jesse grew up in a very rough home in West Virginia.

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Life was anything but easy. And he thought life didn't hold much hope for him.

That's why he was standing in this chicken line, doing a job that darn few people wanted.

In addition to all the rough treatment at home, it seems that Jesse was always sick. Sometimes it was real physical illness, but way too often it was all in his head. He was a small child, skinny and meek. That sure didn't help the situation any.

When he started to school, he was the object of every bully on the playground.

He was a hypochondriac of the first order.

For Jesse, tomorrow was not always something to be looked forward to.

But, he had dreams. He wanted to be a ventriloquist. He found books on ventriloquism.. He practiced with sock puppets  and saved his hard earned dollars until he could get a real ventriloquist dummy.

EdgarBergenandCharlieMcCarthyStageDoorCanteen1

(Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy)

When he got old enough, he joined the military. And even though many of his hypochondriac symptoms persisted, the military did recognize his talents and put him in the entertainment corp.

That was when his world changed. He gained confidence.

He found that he had a talent for making people laugh, and laugh so hard they often had tears in their eyes. little Jesse had found himself.

You know, the history books are full of people who overcame a handicap to go on and make a success of themselves, but Jesse is one of the few who didn't overcome it. Instead he used his paranoia to make a million dollars, and become one of the best-loved characters of all time in doing it!

That little paranoid hypochondriac, who transferred his nervousness into a successful career, still holds the record for the most Emmy's given in a single category.

don knotts

The wonderful, gifted, talented, and nervous comedian who brought us Barney Fife was Jesse Don Knotts.

NOW YOU KNOW,"THE REST OF THE STORY"

mayberry

I love this kind of story.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Thanks for coming this way!!!

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10 comments:

betty said...

I didn't know this story, Jack! thanks for sharing it with us!! I still can't imagine working plucking feathers all day! wow!!

betty

Jean said...

I'm still up this morning , haven't went to bed yet and it's almost 2:00 AM.lol. I enjoyed reading this story I haven't heard it before. Thanks for sharing with us.

Paula said...

Interesting story. With the memories of hot chicken feathers when Mama made fried chicken on Sunday I wouldn't want to be a chicken plucker.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I love those kind of stories too with a happy ending. Hope all is well with the both of you today ! It's really cold here! Take good care!

shirl72 said...

That is a wonderful story and a good lesson.
Glad he never gave up loved the show. I
didn't know this interesting read.

Shirl

Amelia said...

Hey that's cool! I would have had no idea!

Missy

Lucy said...

I have not heard that before either. How cool that is. I have helped mom pluck chickens but not on a steady basis. I am not ever wanting to be a chicken plucker never have, never will. But, that fried chicken sure tasted good.

Cher' Shots said...

Thanks for sharing this story. Haven't heard it before. Sun's shining!!
'love & hugs from afar'

Dar said...

Great unknown facts of Don Knotts, Barney Fife, as we most know him. I, too, didn't know this. Thanks for sharing with us, Jack.
The sun is shining here too, AND, the eaves are dripping. That white stuff is disappearing slowly. Mom cannot even get out of her driveway, but we with 4-wheel drive, can get in to visit and check up on her. All is fine. She says she is enjoying her solitude while she cleans out drawers full of papers...what a gal.
BlessYourHearts Have a sunny day yourselves.
Dar and Bill

Fred Alton said...

Great story! I like to read or hear stories of those who have overcome great odds - or who turned their weakness into strength. Also loved seeing all the police cars. Reminded me of reading a MAD comic book (remember those?) in which they follow the evolving paint jobs on police cars. The trend was: the police wanted their car to look different that ordinary black cars, so they painted theirs black and white. Then the trend caught on and the people painted their cars black and white. The police decided they wanted theirs yellow and black. Everyone followed. etc. and etc.I can't recall all of it...but it was an interesting and maddingly funny story.