 | 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
2006-06-01 10:04:00
Old time Fourths
ANSWER: In 2006, folks try to duplicate them, but it really is impossible. My family lived on South Water in Wichita…and when I was a boy...100 degrees was the rule.The difference then… weather came in, rain and hail, lightning and thunder. No radio, no TV or weather alerts, just business as usual. We just thought that was the norm and really didn’t get too excited…as kids we welcomed the heavy rain because when it was through we could wade in the gutters with our bare feet and feel what we thought was very warm water…not true…the 100 degree temperature heated the pavement and then the cool water was warmed so it felt so good.Usually the rain came or it was a dry spell on the Fourth, but either way there was always a lot to do. My father and all the other dads brought five dollars worth of fireworks. Do you know how much we took home for just five dollars? Usually it was a big sack full. Because I was a small boy at the time dad would buy me a super cap gun for me to shoot and make my own noise. I remember one that was a beauty…it was called a pirate’s pistol. It looked just like a real pirate’s gun. The only drawback was that it would only shoot one cap at a time…but oh, you should have heard the noise it made. My gun was so much louder than the other kids. But…you know…I had only shot it a few times when the hammer on the pistol broke…that was it because it was a pot metal and the explosion was too heavy. I went to the drug store and told my story of woe to Mr. Watt and he gave me another pistol. This one held. The day went on with many events at the parks, but most folks stayed home…not my dad, he was a painter and he went to work and took me with him. Like most kids I was bored…so dad…trying to appease my boredom…went out to the truck and found the biggest firecracker he could in the sack. He lit it…it made a gigantic boom…and this was way back when the builders were still using dirt movers who had mule teams. Guess what one was out there…those mules took off with the plow and literally…ran across several blocks until the landscaper could catch them and get them to settle down. My dad apologized and took him to lunch.We still had our sack of fireworks spectacular at the house that night…and many of the older neighbors sat on the porch and watched as my dad lighted all of them. Then it was time to close the day with homemade ice cream…and then the family went to bed on the front porch.A real old fashioned Fourth I will always remember…
