John Working for My Dad Instead of Me....

I have always loved my children, John and Melissa, more than life itself. I always bought them anything they wanted. One time Melissa and I were arguing; and I asked her if at anytime during her life when she wanted something if I got it for her. She thought for a moment and said, "Well, one time I wanted a 10-speed bike; and you didn't get it for me". That was because she had a regular one; and I did not feel that she needed a 10-speed one. As much as I spoiled them, I was just as strict.

One of the strict ways I had with them was to teach them to work. I tried to instill in them a little bit of the attitude toward work the way my old boss, Barney Eagon, had for me. From doing this, they both know how to work.

John and Melissa were teenagers when I started a second-hand business in Lamar. I told my kids, "I want to make it so hard on you with working that when you work for a mean boss, you will think it is easy compared to the work I made you do".

They had to clean the merchandise. There were certain things they had to get done before I got back from the auctions where I bought most of the merchandise. Sometimes it would be two or three o'clock in the morning when I got home. Sometimes they had to go to school the next day. But if they had not done the job they were supposed to do or just did it half-way, I would make them get out of bed and do it right.

John got fed up and decided he wanted to go live with Grandad, my dad, for the summer. Daddy said, "Send him to me, I'll make him work". I saw John a couple of weeks later. I said, "Well, John, how do you like working in the hot hayfield?" He replied, "Well, Mother, it's hard; but it's not as hard as working for you!"


THE X-RATED GRANDMA Talking about Shit

Lesson From My Parents and Barney...

There are many, certain ways that I was raised that I do not agree. The main one is the small-mindedness that was bred into me. Luckily, I overcame that.

One lesson I took from my childhood and have cultivated was one my mother taught me - always take care of our kids, no matter what - you are not worth what you are made of if you don't - other things will come and go, but your kids will always be there. My father taught me that it is important to be a good worker and pay your bills no matter what.

I have always tried to be a good worker. I always try to do my best at any job I do because I feel my boss has bought my time for a certain length and is paying me for it; so my wants and desires should not come above his or hers. But I can honestly say that, at times in my life, I have not always paid my bills the way I should.

I learned to be a hard worker from Barney Eagon, my boss at the Blue Top Cafe in Lamar, Missouri. He was really strict - such as standing over my shoulder an making sure I did not put one more squirt of milk in the milk shake than was supposed to go or a drop more of chocolate than was required. He taught me that the customer is the King and without the customer there is no cafe and no jobs.

Barney, unknowingly, was preparing me for the hard life I was going to face raising my kids on my own. It was like boot camp working for him; but I am thankful he was like this because when I left the Blue Top Cafe and went to other jobs in other states, I met people who did not know how to work. I can truly say that Barney Eagon is the one person who really did teach me - "how to work."

I am very thankful for the lessons I mentioned from my mother, father, and Barney. I know, that this combination is what helped me to endure and overcome the hard times I encountered while raising my children and to succeed in this effort.

Bradley Apologizing to My Kids

I was dancing as a stripper in Syracuse, New York. My boss, Al Baker, had told me that I could work at this burlesk theater all summer to save on traveling expenses; since my kids would be out of their boarding schools for the summer.

The place all of the dancers stayed was the Hilton Hotel. It was not like the fancy Hilton Hotels. This hotel was an older one - like out of the early 1900's.

I was really happy, telling everyone my kids would be here all summer long. The manager, Bradley, wasted no time telling me that the hotel allowed "no kids". I wasted no time telling Bradley that I did not care what the hotel rules were. My kids would be staying at this hotel with me for the summer.

I left to go to Tennessee and Kentucky to get my children from their boarding schools. When we arrived back at the hotel, Bradley was at the desk. I introduced my kids to him. My son John, only six years old, shook his hand - manners he had learned from military school. Bradley once again told me - "no kids allowed". I once again told him they were staying. We walked to our room.

Bradley finally gave up. I really did not know why. I did know that we were going to stay. He would have had to call the police to get us out.

The kids had been there for about a month. Bradley told me he needed to tell me something. He said he wanted to apologize for telling me that my kids could not stay at the hotel. He told me they could stay there as long as I wanted. He said they were the most well-behaved kids he had ever seen in his life. I said, "I know. Now you are going to apologize to my kids". He said, "Oh! No! I told you. That's enough!" I told him that that was not enough and that he would apologize to them.

I brought my kids down from the room. I told them Bradley had something to tell them. He said, "No, I don't!" We just stood there. I said, "Tell them, Bradley!" Finally, after about fifteen minutes or so he gave in. He apologized to my kids and told them how good they were and that they could stay here as long as they wanted. I guess he finally gave in because he knew we would stand there until he did.

I always appreciated his verbal acknowledgement reagarding my kids behavior. I always respect a person who is big enough to say, "I was wrong".