"Tell us a farm story, Daddy!"
That was the almost nightly request that we kids had of our father when we were growing up in rural East Tennessee. Sometimes Daddy obliged, and we enjoyed a session of storytelling from his childhood. As I grew up, I amassed experiences for my own arsenal of tales, which I, in turn, told to my children.
And so it goes, from one generation to the next. That's how traditions and family values are preserved. They get handed down from one generation after another. Sometimes serious, sometimes hilarious, each of the stories in this volume carries with it valuable lessons about growing up, maturing, and living life. They teach important values such as a solid work ethic, the importance of education, the benefits of healthful play in the outdoors, and faith in God. The stories are categorized under play, school, work, people, animals, and values, and they demonstrate the benefits of growing up in a rural setting, where work was the norm, education was a privilege, and faith was a necessity. They emphasize family as the central focus of life and community. And they underscore the importance of a sense of humor to life.