SMOKE CAUSES ME BAD RECOLLECTION

LOUISVILLE BLAZE EVOKES BAD MEMORIES FOR ME !

THE LIBERTY TIRE RECYCLING FIRE IN LOUISVILLE, KY REMINDED ME OF A PAINFUL INCIDENT IN MY PAST.

I WAS A PARTICIPANT IN A FIRE NEAR MCKINNEY, KY OVER 60 YEARS AGO.  “MY COUSIN AND I CARRIED TRASH TO A SMOLDERING FIRE BEHIND OUR GRANDPARENTS’ HOUSE. WE PLACED AN OLD TIRE ON THE TRASH FIRE AND WITHIN SECONDS THICK BLACK SMOKE BILLOWED HEAVENWARD. MY COUSIN AND I PLACED OUR SHIRTS OVER OUR HEADS AND PRETENDED TO BE FIREFIGHTERS. WE WOULD RUN THROUGH THE SMOKE WITH SHOUTS OF EXCITEMENT.”

ENTER MY COUSIN’S FATHER WHO NEARLY PULLED MY 12 YEAR OLD ARM OUT OF SOCKET. HE YELLED AT ME, “THAT SMOKE IS THICK ENOUGH TO MAKE A WELL MAN SICK MUCH LESS ONE WITH THE ASTHMA!” HE CONTINUED TO GLARE AND YELL AT ME AND NEVER ONCE SAID ANYTHING TO HIS ASTHMATIC, AND EQUALLY GUILTY, SON.

SOMETIMES THE EVENTS OF OVER HALF A CENTURY AGO COME BACK WITH PAINFUL SPEED. THE LIBERTY TIRE FIRE SCRAPED THE SCAB OFF OF ONE OF MY WORST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES.

GLENN <><

JUST WEST OF YESTERDAY