I have this canoe. When I was a young man, it was bright red. It was seldom ever taken to the river. Now that I am older, the canoe has faded quite a bit. There is also a couple of leaks that need fixing, but I’m not going to take the time to repair them. The paddle was made of wormy chestnut off of an old barn in the Smoky Mountains. I have ridden in this most wonderful mode of transportation for a very long time. I know in advance lots of times who is going to ride with me. Sometimes more than one shows up. But sometimes, I just go and enjoy where the old canoe takes me and welcome whoever shows up. It seems that the older I get, the more often the old canoe gets taken out. You see, the old, wore out, reddish canoe takes me down the rivers of my memory, and I love the trips, mostly. This old canoe is docked in my imagination and forever tied to my memory bank. But to me, the canoe is real, for the places and events it takes me to are real. Most places I want to go, but there have been a few places in my memory that I don’t want to go. The river runs deep and wide, for there are 70-plus years of storage. I love my canoe rides. There is so much to remember, so many places to visit, so many good things to savor once again…
In the mountains of western North Carolina is where I grew up. It was a way of life like no other. The traditions, way of living life, and mountaineer humor and spirit are worth talking and writing about. There is nothing really spectacular about what I have to say. It’s mostly about memories, both good and not so good, of growing up in a time that is slipping away. I’ve included some not-so-poetic poetry, some humor, and some sadness, along with observations about life.
I am a Christian. I am not now or ever have been a really good Christian. But I am devoted to God, Jesus, and the absolute authority of God’s Word. I have stated many times that without any thought of Heaven, I am so happy that I have tried to live my life under the influence of Christian Discipleship. I do not think I could have survived without a deep faith in God. Period.
This journey is simply a long canoe ride down an old man’s river of memories. I have no room here for all of the wonderful events that have happened to me, nor will I tell all of the tragedies that have taken place. The good times have left me positive and upbeat and extremely happy to be alive and well. The tragedies have left me raw and exposed and extremely emotional. I hope these thoughts bring some smiles and tears to you. I really hope you will relate to some and that you will hop in the old canoe and go for a river ride with me.