Perhaps not all towns have a “right” and “wrong” side of the tracks. However, the little Iowa farming town where I lived from age 10 to 18 most definitely did. There are several sets of railroad tracks in town. I recently visited my Mom and discovered that they’re all extremely active. My bedroom, in our house, was less than half a block from one of the most active railroad tracks – the furthermost east (wrong) tracks. The graphic was photographed beside those tracks.

The original main street, for instance, was about two blocks from our house. Many years ago, as the town grew West, main street was moved to the other side of town – to the “right” side of the tracks.

When I was in high school, our football field was still east of our home. The year after I left home, the whole athletic field was moved to the western edge of town – clearly on the “right” side of the tracks.

Then there were the kids of our neighborhood. They lived in run down houses, were usually the ones who got in trouble in school and with the local gendarmes! They were mostly snotty nosed and tough. Even though I lived in their neighborhood, they struck fear inside me.

While visiting my Mom, I inquired about some of these kids. She gladly reported that most of them had exhibited true grit and grown up to be good adults. Awright!

It seemed that most of the popular, successful kids lived on the right side of the tracks. They, for the most part, lived in huge, beautiful homes on the brick surfaced main drag. I’m sure they turned out fine, too. They certainly had some palpable advantages IMMHO! (g)

All the buildings used in the yearly county fair activities remained on our end of town. Guess there were just too many buildings to move. Perhaps no one on the other side of town wanted the smell in their neighborhood! (g)

When I saw that single stalk of corn, it brought back all these memories. There it stood, bold and beautiful within a few inches of fast, loaded trains that passed close several times a day. It kinda represented the spirit of the “wrong side of the tracks”. We who lived there had a harder time, had more to overcome, had to work harder to succeed. Maybe it’s like the song Johnny Cash made so famous, “A Boy Named Sue”.

What’s your experience? Do you have anything to add to my little story? Please share with me and I’ll be very happy. (g)

SOME SELECTED RESPONSES TO “GO ON GREEN”

– “Pat and I have a running discussion about one of my driving habits. I don’t immediately take off when the light turns green. It’s true that when I don’t begin moving as soon as the light turns green, I occasionally get a horn from behind.”

I smiled as I started reading this before I even got ANY FURTHER than this beginning to the article. Let me say right away that I would “side with you”…[and I’m the MINORITY in this household, too]!

I have seen TOO MANY wrecks that were brought on by what I feel are “unnecessary casualties” because of “idiots running red lights”…AND have had TOO MANY “close calls” myself. … and I find myself erring on the side of being ‘overly cautious’ [IF that is what it is considered when you ‘pause’ long enough after the light turns green to be ‘as safe as possible’!].

As a matter of fact, there have even been times [one in particular that I am thinking of] when I was “cautious” and then started up and someone came FLYING THROUGH the light and, honest to goodness, I told B____ [who was with me at the time] that God had to have reached down with His hand and held our vehicle still, with its wheels spinning, long enough for that other vehicle to “fly by us” [instead of “through us”] cuz there is NO WAY otherwise an accident could have been prevented!!! [Thank the Lord for His hand, cuz I have no doubt in my mind we’d have both been killed if we had been broadsided at the speed THAT IDIOT had going for him].

– I was driving my uncle’s car, following him in his trailer. He went through the amber light, and since I could not see beyond I went thru a red light. I stopped him and let him know what had taken place and from then on he only went thru green lights. That time I was lucky. (Or had the angel with me)

– Wow! That’s rather interesting and, sadly, so true. The ‘police’ or any ‘official’ doing that is not uncommon here in Texas, though I have seen cops pull over cops for doing such things if lights are not blaring. But, still, it’s rather frightening. I nearly had an incident like that a few months ago…it was with a large Dodge Truck, though, I was luckily changing my cd when the light changed so I took a few more seconds to start than normally. Had I not, the large pickup would have struck be dead on the side. I was the only one in the car, but it was still scary.

As for the rest of the article, awesome as always and an extremely good piece. I don’t know what else to say, just keep it up.

– Being a law enforcement official, it bothers me greatly to see officers speed without lights and siren running. Many believe they are above the law. Much like us peons when it comes to God’s law!