Over the years I had been privileged to recognize and
remember wise counsel or as I prefer to recall it, countless expressions of
wisdom from family and friends; the following is a compilation of personal
memories of three unforgettable individuals who have had great influence on
my way of thinking, believing and interpreting moments of everyday life.
William Calvin Scott, Uncle Bill was the only sibling of our
daddy and he was an inspiration to the individuals in his inner circle;
outwardly, he was filled with knowledge, wisdom, and humor, and was never
reserved about expressing his opinion whether it was an important situations
or just trivial facts. He drove the transport for our family owned propane
gas business, and over the years, hauled thousands of gallons of a hazardous
material known as liquefied petroleum product; a substance that is not only
flammable but can also cause an explosion.
One might think that he considered his job as hazardous but
if you quizzed him about what the most dangerous material to haul, he always
declared that it was unprocessed beef, in those days it was referred to as
swinging meat, carcasses hung on a hook inside a refrigerated hauling
container, and because it could not be completely secured, if the heavy load
ever shifted, disaster likely occurred. Uncle Bill said that danger was a
matter of perspective; when he shared his knowledge, we listened.
My maternal granddaddy Luther Scott never received any goods on credit; he
paid in full for supplies for his country store when he placed his weekly
orders because he did not want to be indebted to anyone or as he expressed
it receive a “dun.” He did have a checking account and savings accounts and
although he did not completely trust banks because he lived through the
depression, he knew the value of keeping your funds safe.
He declared that if you do not have the money to make a
purchase then work harder, save your money and be patient; in time you will
accomplish your goal. I know he would imagine that using a credit card was
unthinkable. Besides owning a country store, he also farmed in Terrell
County, and was well respected for speaking few words and meaning what he
said; his word was his bond.
HOPE has been the subject of several thought provoking
sermons presented recently by Reverend David Perry at Black Springs Baptist
Church; hope is his acronym for "having our peace endure." "Our peace will
endure for as long as we have hope", he pronounced and I know what Pastor
David tells us is factual. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make
His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift His
countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26.
Gaining understanding from a knowledgeable individual is an
amazing blessing; whether they gained their expertise from experience, study
or divine guidance, there is so much to be learned from those who know.