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by Pettus Read
Over the last several days the talk on television and around the stove at the country stores has been all about what went on at the half-time show at the Super Bowl. I for one did not see the actual going-ons, but have heard enough to know that I am glad I missed that particular event.
I sort of feel sorry for the New England team who won the contest, but lost the copy space in most newspapers to Janet Jackson. After all the carrying-ons by that bunch from MTV, I hope next year the NFL goes back to marching bands and what football is really all about.
Uncle Sid and Aunt Sadie who live just down the road from my place, seem to have the right idea about what life is all about. They've never owned a TV and I have my doubts if Uncle Sid ever saw a real football game. Both of them get their excitement from gospel meetings, county elections, Fourth of July picnics and sitting on the front porch at sunset. I know that may sound sort of dull, but when you think about it that could be the reason both of them have been around for over eighty years and never had a heart problem or any major illness.
In fact, if Aunt Sadie knew what Janet Jackson did before millions of people, she probably would have developed heart problems right then and there. However, I'm sure Aunt Sadie would probably have just shook her head and mumbled something about Janet not having any kind of raising. Aunt Sadie and Uncle Sid both use that term quite often when it comes to people "showing-out" as they put it. I would have to agree.
Uncle Sid and Aunt Sadie have always been two people you would like to pattern your marriage around. They know that marriage is not 50/50 as people try to say it is. A lot of times it is 100/0 and if you listen to Uncle Sid he would say most of the time he is the 0. Aunt Sadie is a strong willed person and Uncle Sid knows that better than anyone. Over the years he has learned to agree with whatever the subject is that Aunt Sadie proposes and make the best of the situation.
I have heard him say many times that he was not a fighter but a survivor. So far he has survived World War II and Aunt Sadie.
Just recently, on one of our warm winter days, they both pulled up their rocking chairs on the front porch to enjoy a little late afternoon sunshine. The winter sun was hitting the porch just right and they both had developed a rhythm with their rockers.
Aunt Sadie turned to Uncle Sid and said, "Sid, do you remember when we first started going together and you used to just casually reach over and take my hand?"
Uncle Sid stopped his rocker and scooted it closer to his wife's chair. He reached over and took her hand in his. They both started rocking again holding hands.
After a little while, Aunt Sadie looked over at her husband and said, 'Sid, do you remember how, after we were first married, you'd nibble on my ear?"
Uncle Sid rocked just a little more not saying anything. Slowly he stopped his rocker and got up and headed into the house. He had the look of a man with a mission.
Aunt Sadie looked puzzled and asked the old man, "Where in the world are you going Sid?"
He never slowed up and as he grabbed the screen door handle to go into the house, he looked back at his bride of many years and winked. Then as he stepped into the house he said in a sort of smiling voice, "I'm going inside to get my teeth."
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