Friday, December 30, 2016

The odd ones

Every year without fail from about 4 yrs old until 10 a man named Dogan, just one name would come and stay with us for a day up to a week.  I asked dad if Dogan was a bum.  Dad said, "No son, Dogan is what is called a wayfaring man. He will give you mama something when he leaves.




 Your mom and I were wayfarers once.  Wayfaring people are folks that work their way across country or around the world.  Wayfarers were generated in our life time by the Great Depression.  Your mama and I had to look for work when everything went sour, out peanut farm turned to red dust and we heard of government work in Florida.  We packed everything we had, took your older brothers and headed south. We would spend the night with farmers when we could. Mostly slept in the barn. I cut firewood and we gave them fifty cents. The overnight usually included eggs and hoover gravy for breakfast. O‘course mama would not leave without washing dishes."
 (MAma would have loved these conveniences)

I was probably in the second grade at the time because we lived in Burlington, NC. I learned that Dogan sold pins and needles and some thread to finance his life.  People still used a lot of pins and needles in the 1940's. I remember thinking Pins and needles don't take much room in his suit case, which is pretty smart.  


I remember hearing the song "My Heart Goes Where the Wild Goose Goes," by Franky Lane, during those few years we were in Burlington.   I still believe Dogan and Frankie added the wanderlust to my blood.

This must be a yearly thing with me, I mentioned Frankie lane once in 2014 and 2015. Either that or I am slap happy! (The latter is most likely)

Nite Shipslog



8 comments:

TARYTERRE said...

Just listened to Frankie Lane the other night. Loved him back in the day. Interesting story you told about the Wayfaring people.

betty said...

I learned something new about your parents, Jack, tonight that they were Wayfaring people way back then. So very interesting! How neat they were able to help Dogan along the way years later.

betty

Lisa said...

"Is Dogan a bum?"....this made me laugh!
Interesting story. I have never heard of "wayfaring".

I just asked Nick if he knew of this and he started playing the wayfar commercial on his computer! Hahaha. Hes being silly.

If I lived back in them days I would have let them stay and made sure they had a bath and big breakfast!
Wow have times changed!

Learned something new.
Lisa

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

We still have people like that in the world. The migrant workers for one, and others that travel where the work takes them. Lots of people do seasonal work. I used to think circus people had the life! I never traveled much at all and only have lived in a few places but for some it is a way of life. Happy New Years Eve to the two of you !

Mevely317 said...

Very interesting stuff about wayfairing-ers! (*smile*)
... and selling pins/needles and thread? Now that's ingenuity!

Sort of makes me wonder when the slow slide to Welfare began....

Happy New Year!!!

Dar said...

Wonderful folks you had, like yourselves. I'd heard of wayfarers. I remember my Grandma, Mom's mama, doing some of the same. She'd travel to mid state to take care of others children even tho she had plenty of her own at home. Times were tough so they did what they could to feed the family. A wonderful story of love and faith way back then.
I loved the pictures of the campers/tiny houses....and to think today's generation ' think ' they were the first to think of it. Back then it was for necessity, today for pleasure.
love and Happy New Year to you two youngsters from up north.....it's a calm day with bits of snow falling...kinda scenic out there

shirl72 said...

Everybody knew our Dad and Mother..He was a success as a minister. I hear it everyday how they loved our Mother and Dad. I am so thankful we had wonderful parents.

Paula said...

I had never heard of Wayfarers. Interesting story and shows just how spoiled we are today.