Pluggers by Rick McKee for August 17, 2019

No cellphone now, social media is where you’ll find him.

My father never called us by name. He whistled. It was louder and carried father. We knew who he was calling by the number of “Bobwhite” whistles. One for the eldest, two for the middle child, and three for the youngest.

Most of my friends didn’t get called, they just knew when they had to be home. And no one wore a watch but still made it home within a minute or two before (always before) they were due.

We had to be called because we played outside !

“Junior” -he remembers being called, but he’s forgotten his name,

In old timey days people let their dogs roam the neighborhood all day. But that’s not safe, they could get hit by a car or… Oh, Junior is her son! I get it! But that doesn’t mean he’s not a dog.

simpler times, and a simpler life…in a world where evil and greed didn’t dominate. i miss those days….

I hate to sound like an old codger, but it sure WAS a different world where folks weren’t constantly staring

at their phones…it wasn’t perfect—far from it. But I think , given the choice, it would be preferable.

but , of course, there is no choice. It’s now or not at all

My parents never had to call me. If dad’s car was in the driveway, it was dinnertime. If it was too dark to see your feet, it was bedtime.

My folks used a whistle. And like the use of full names, a second blow on the whistle meant you were in trouble.

When I was in high school, my neighbors down the street had 6 sons who could have been anywhere in the neighborhood at any given time. They’d installed a ship’s bell in the back yard, & when the bell rang, you’d see a small crowd of boys stampeding down the street. It was hilarious.

When Mom got tired of calling for us, Dad would come out & whistle for us to get home…NOW! We kids “materialized” on that back porch!

Not a problem for us, but it’s a shame about the phone thing-children will never learn their whole names.

Back then we werent 29 miles from home. only down the street.

Simpsonville is located way south of Greenville, S.C.

My parents rule was show up on time or don’t eat. I discovered it was a long time between lunch and breakfast.

And then there was the single mom that had eleven children all named Zach. She told the social worker that this way when she wanted them for something like dinner all she had to do is Yell “Zach, Dinner!” and they all would come.

The social worker asked what she would do if she just wanted one of them; she said, “Simple, I just call their last name”…