One of the most motivational jobs I had was being a honey dipper. Now don't think I am talking about bee hives. In towns in America there is a sewer system which disposes of human waste but in rural communities you have lateral lines and a tank attached which captures the waste. I am talking about septic tanks. Now if you have lived in town too long you don't even know what that is so I am going to explain.
A septic tank is where all the sewage from the house goes to include the kitchen sink and toilets. And that is where a HONEY DIPPER got its name. But first here is a sideline story related to sewage.
We did not have dish washers or I should say we did not have mechanical dish washers. Also there were rules about eating and dishwashing. First off we ate three meals a day TOGETHER as a family with the exception of if your dad and mom worked outside the home and in that case you ate 2 means a day TOGETHER. Second, if you ate you were required to clean up or you had the choice of not eating. Notice I did not say choice not to eat and go do what you want. If you did not eat you got to watch everyone eat.
I always loved my mom's approach when someone would say they do not eat certain things. For example, one of my relatives who came to visit told mom they did not eat beans and corn bread. Mom asked if they had ever tried them and of course the answer was no. She would always inform them that was ok but that was all there was to eat until the next meal. The funny thing was at the next meal everyone would be eating whatever she cooked but the one person would get beans and corn bread. As I recall the beans and corn bread were refused only twice because the third time when beans and corn bread were made available the HUNGRY person began to get the message. Now the funny thing was after he ate the beans and cornbread which he enjoyed he was required to do dishes which he had not experienced prior to this occasion. I thoroughly enjoyed this entire event.
Now back to the Honey Dipping. It started when Aunt Gladys (Mrs. Snyder the science and math teacher) had a problem with her sewer. Dad volunteered me to go fix it. Back in those days there were clay pipes connected together and sealed by packing in large amounts or rope made of lead. The problem is that lead rusts over time and roots from trees grew into the pipes clogging them up. So I dug it all up and cleaned it out and then there was the tank which had to be pumped out and the contents disposed. That again is honey dipping. By the end of the day or two as it was you could not smell anything besides POOP. The bad thing was after that day when you live in a small town everyone knows you can figure out a problem and repair it and NO ONE wants that job. So even before I was out of high school I got to clean a lot of sewage tanks and repair broken or stopped up sewer systems. What is even worse is dad made me do it for free for the older ladies and friends. You would have thought I could have charged any amount I wanted since no one really wanted the job.
Well what did I learn in the Osage?
gary@thepioneerman.com
A septic tank is where all the sewage from the house goes to include the kitchen sink and toilets. And that is where a HONEY DIPPER got its name. But first here is a sideline story related to sewage.
We did not have dish washers or I should say we did not have mechanical dish washers. Also there were rules about eating and dishwashing. First off we ate three meals a day TOGETHER as a family with the exception of if your dad and mom worked outside the home and in that case you ate 2 means a day TOGETHER. Second, if you ate you were required to clean up or you had the choice of not eating. Notice I did not say choice not to eat and go do what you want. If you did not eat you got to watch everyone eat.
I always loved my mom's approach when someone would say they do not eat certain things. For example, one of my relatives who came to visit told mom they did not eat beans and corn bread. Mom asked if they had ever tried them and of course the answer was no. She would always inform them that was ok but that was all there was to eat until the next meal. The funny thing was at the next meal everyone would be eating whatever she cooked but the one person would get beans and corn bread. As I recall the beans and corn bread were refused only twice because the third time when beans and corn bread were made available the HUNGRY person began to get the message. Now the funny thing was after he ate the beans and cornbread which he enjoyed he was required to do dishes which he had not experienced prior to this occasion. I thoroughly enjoyed this entire event.
Now back to the Honey Dipping. It started when Aunt Gladys (Mrs. Snyder the science and math teacher) had a problem with her sewer. Dad volunteered me to go fix it. Back in those days there were clay pipes connected together and sealed by packing in large amounts or rope made of lead. The problem is that lead rusts over time and roots from trees grew into the pipes clogging them up. So I dug it all up and cleaned it out and then there was the tank which had to be pumped out and the contents disposed. That again is honey dipping. By the end of the day or two as it was you could not smell anything besides POOP. The bad thing was after that day when you live in a small town everyone knows you can figure out a problem and repair it and NO ONE wants that job. So even before I was out of high school I got to clean a lot of sewage tanks and repair broken or stopped up sewer systems. What is even worse is dad made me do it for free for the older ladies and friends. You would have thought I could have charged any amount I wanted since no one really wanted the job.
Well what did I learn in the Osage?
- I am GOING TO COLLEGE SO I DON'T HAVE TO BE A HONEY DIPPER
- One person's waste is another man's treasure
- Eat what is put in front of you and be thankful for what you do have
gary@thepioneerman.com
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