Cousins, Conversation and “Concepts”

Yesterday we six Slifer women of either sister/first-cousin relationship gathered for the day to converse and catch up.

There were two themes we came back to at points as we shared and reminisced on memories of past generations:

1. We all seemed to agree that as we get older, there are new or different questions we wish we could still ask of the older generations that we did not ask as much when we were younger and had opportunity.

2. That each of our fathers (Rodney, Bill and James) had a way of teaching useful “concepts” about “how to” repairs, gardens or other things that weren’t always specific but taught us the “idea” of something. Conceptual teaching is very powerful, beyond a limited, specific 1-2-3 approach. Some of these things involved non-conventional repairs or unique problem-solving approaches to a unique problem.

I heard more specifically how Grandpap Slifer was a very kind, gentle soul and quiet man who routinely took grandchildren upon his shoulders out into his orchards and picked them bouquets of flowers to take home.

I was asked if my father, Rodney (the oldest), spoke much to me of his young life growing up. In the moment, I could not recall much in specifics although he did speak significantly to me about WWII which I’ve found interesting, as having been a young daughter at that time.

I do recall my dad telling stories of doing “mischief” (things like painting cows another color at night or something) and I don’t know if these were joking tall tales or not. Of course there was the proverbial “walking to school” through deep snow that many families bear the rural old life gist of!

I actually think my father did speak of his growing up at times, but I can’t recall specifics too well. He liked watching the Waltons and I had the “conceptual” understanding that represented somehow his early life. Growing up, I had the conceptual understanding that he had grown up on a “farm.”

And whenever I visited Boonsboro as a young child, I viewed all the rural properties as a type of “farm”–whether technically they were or were not.

My father was resourceful in many ways, and I watched him garden, can foods and stretch resources through making soups. I do recall him breading and frying chicken. My father did all the cooking in our home, and I learned basic cooking from him.

The ability for an older generation to teach a number of things from hands-on skills to family values is essential for the health of future generations. Passing along family stories is part of this valuable quality that helps build and preserve one’s family identity.

I also learned yesterday that in an old census, our great grandfather Joshua Slifer stated that the German language was spoken in the home. That is interesting, and we will never know to what degree that 2nd language was utilized. (Joshua did not directly immigrate from Germany).