 | Faye Graves, a native Wichitan, attended school at Friends and Wichita State, concluding at Midwestern Theological Seminary. He has been active in media for many years with Channel 12, KIRL, KFDI, KOOO AM & FM (Omaha), KFRM & KICT 95, as an owner, manager, producer, director and announcer. He has served as President of the Haysville Board of Education. He has also served on several national boards of the Southern Baptist Convention. Faye currently serves as Executive Pastor and Director of Administration and Education at Immanuel Baptist Church, 1415 S. Topeka, Wichita. You may contact Faye by e-mail fmgraves@amenibc.org, or by phone at (316) 262-1452. |
Nostalgia
2013-03-01 10:23:19
Do you remember?
Q-How about some of your old March memories?
A-The first thing that came into my mind when I considered the answer to your question was on things connected with the wind. We think of March as being the “windy” month. It is said that, “March comes in like a lion but goes out like a lamb.” However, this year, we have already had some high winds in February.
How many of you remember when you went to a drug store and bought a wooden kite? I remember the Watts and Neil drug stores on Harry that carried many various items such as jewelry, small sundries, and they even had a fountain with the most refreshing ice cream and soda products. They also had toys, including wooden kites. We would buy a kite, take it home and then came the task of assembling it. We would take it outside and see who could fly their kite the highest. Then, if our kite didn’t go very high, we would take it inside and place a tail on it, usually make out of old neckties or rags. Then it would take to the sky in the strong March winds.
Nearly every farm had a windmill that was used to pump water. Years ago I remember reading about some tourists driving through Kansas from one of the northeastern states and inquiring about the windmills. They asked, “What are the giant fans in the fields? Are they there to keep the cows cool?” Now, of course, there are wind farms to produce electricity and power that have many windmills standing together.
Do you remember the old cars with the separate front seat windows that you could turn toward you to get more wind? The other thing I remember about the old cars were the running boards usually made of hard rubber and the headlights and tail lights all individually supported, and the small wind catcher that could be elevated from under the dash and raised to catch and blow the wind into your car. At that time, it seemed as though the windiest areas in downtown Wichita were on the corner of Broadway and Douglas and the bridge on West Douglas. Wind would come through with mighty force.
An interesting thing about Kansas is the fact that we have more wind many times than a lot of areas. Cecil Carrier, the former weatherman on Channel 12, whom I worked with for many years, always said, “Be thankful for the wind, it blows the pollution out of this area.” Of course there’s the other old saying, “If you don’t like the weather we’re having, wait 5 minutes and it will change.” There are several states that use that saying, but between you and me…I always say it started in Kansas.
