Simpler Times

THE LITTLE SHOE BOX

By Charles D. Williams, M.D., FACR, FAAP (“Pedro”) When Pedro was a little boy, he kept a shoe box under his bed filled with special stuff which included Daddy’s old pocketknife, a slingshot, a popsicle stick, a fishing lure, an Indian arrowhead, a whole dollar bill, and a lot of other important thangs. These important thangs were given to him by important people which included Grandma, Millard, Dillard and Willard (Grandma’s 3 boys). When Pedro pulled out the dollar bill that Grandma gave him, he remembered Grandma’s voice. Grandma said that on the dollar bill was a picture of George Washington who was our first President. She said that he needed a hair cut, but he was clean and was a good man. She told Pedro that any kid could grow up to be President, and 1993 proved her right. She pointed out that when someone in Congress stood up to speak, nuthin was said, nobody listened, and then they all disagreed. She then said that they acted like they were leadin' a parade when they were being chased out of town. Grandma loved Pedro, and she told Pedro that the main thang was to keep the main thang the main thang. What she meant was to know what you wanted and stay focused. When Pedro held that dollar bill, he remembered Grandma’s face, the special smile, the twinkle in her eyes, the graying in her hair, and how she made him feel important. She had said that her seein’ was going bad and her hearin’ was also bad but she felt like we should always look on the bright side of thangs and that she was thankful that she didn’t smell bad. Sometimes Pedro would reach in that shoe box and brang out Daddy’s pocketknife-the knife that sharpened Pedro’s pencils so he could do his numbers in school. This was the same pocketknife which carved the slingshot which Pedro used to shoot china berries at girls littler than him. As Dad carved that slingshot by the fireplace, Pedro talked to him about a boy in school who had his own dictuwary. Dad said that it seemed to him that boy didn’t know nuthin except book learnin’ and there ought to be a law against people who would let a boy grow up ignorant like that. I think what he meant was that wisdom is not wisdom when it comes from books alone. Time don’t permit tellin’ about the popsicle stick saved on a special trip with Willard into Moultrie, about the fishing lure fixed by Dillard, the special marble (a prize steel shooter) won in a marble shoot out, the Indian arrowhead found on a Sunday school field trip in the backwoods outside Moultrie. Speaking of Moultrie, it was larger than New York but there wudn’t nearly so many people and there wudn’t all those tall buildings. Yes, when these objects were brought out of the box and touched, memories could be recalled and those gifts and memories became more valuable with time. When Pedro would think about these objects, memories could be evoked that were a special treasure more valuable than goods. Pedro would think about Grandma, Dillard and Willard and the joy they gave, how they laughed, the advice they shared, and the hard times they overcame, even though they are no longer with us. We all have our own shoe boxes filled with stuff which are only valuable to us. These might include our own Daddy’s pocketknife, our kid’s first report card, a ticket to a movie, a newspaper clipping, a nicnac, and on and on. They elicit memories, which are a special treasure growing in value with each passing year and keeping always a part of our own past and our own special moments with us.

Reprinted with author permission from Simpler Times.

Dr. Williams’ sequel book, More Simpler Times, can be purchased from the Capital Medical Society. All proceeds from the book are donated to the Capital Medical Society Foundation’s We Care Network program. The total sales from his books have raised over $40,000 for the CMS Foundation’s We Care Network.