Remember the good old days when you could have all the folks in the front seat of your pickup and the back end loaded as well? Also, there were no extended cabs, no seat belts and a lot of times, no air conditioning. Not because there was no air conditioner but because it either did not work or there were so many folks in the front seat it did not make sense to turn it on, plus the windows were open to maximize air flow. And remember those little triangle windows which you could turn in toward you so that even the bugs got sent right at you? And most of all, remember driving on all those dirt roads and for sure you never wanted to be behind someone! The dust was huge, and it was so bad you could not even see the vehicle in front of you. Those were the days my friend, I thought would never end, forever and a day (Simon and Garfunkel).
But now after a few memories let me tell you about Uncle Don Lane who recently passed. Susie Snyder (now Taylor) and my cousin Niki were riding in the back of one of those old trucks with a cloud of dust behind. I am not sure but if someone told me that Uncle Don slept with a chew of tobacco in his mouth, I would have believed them. I don't think I ever saw him without a huge knot in his jaw from Red Man Chewing Tobacco. He always had one of those pouches in his hip pocket in case he needed to freshen up (if you know what I mean). I guess the one positive thing you could say is that Uncle Don did not smoke, and I did not have to smell all that smoke. But the one thing Susie pointed out was her and Niki were sticking their heads out on the driver's side and Uncle Don let one of those liquid arsenals go out the driver's window and it splattered all over Susie and Niki's faces and clothes. They were yelling and screaming at Uncle Don for that one.
Now another Uncle Don tobacco story was when Larry (my brother) who passed on December 29, 2021 and I, plus Billy Snyder (Aunt Gladys Snyder's son) were hunting rabbits at Grandma Annie and Popie Jess's place near Oologah, Oklahoma. When you are rabbit hunting you always look for places where rabbits hide. There was a large pile of brush which is a favorite for rabbits and we started trying to jump a rabbit. I should tell you that Jumping a rabbit means trying to scare them out of their hiding place. Well, as it turns out there was a bumble bee hive in there, so when we were rattling the brush a swarm came out and went straight for Larry. One got him behind the ear and he started swelling up fast. Uncle Don saw the commotion and came running. When he got there he removed that ball of tobacco from his jaw and slammed it on the swollen area just behind Larry's ear. It was Gross! It dripped down his neck but it did work and the swelling stopped and went down pretty fast.
So ,what do you learn in the Osage?
- a slimy ball of tobacco mixed with your saliva can save, or at least in this case, a life.
- old remedies may or may not work but it sure makes for a good story
- when someone says spit in your eye, think of Susie and Niki
