FSHOD - Fearlessly Seeking Honest Open Disclosure

The Christmas Train

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At this time of year my mind goes back to the days of my youth in the 1950's and 60's...to the ole 'family house'in Ironton, Ohio, where my grandma and grandpa lived. The Christmas holidays were always great there...lots of family gathered, people we knew dropping buy to visit and drop off sweets and goodies, and tables and buffets that were literally groaning under the weight of multiple varieties of cakes and pies and, of course, the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. We often had snow. I know that today, it sounds like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting, but it was 'for real' and the best Christmases I've ever had.

One of my favorite things about these gatherings was just sitting around and listening to all the stories being told by family and guests alike. Lord, how we laughed and sometimes even cried when it involved someone that was no longer with us...but mostly we laughed and laughed. It was how I learned about my family and who they were and where they came from. Oh how I wish I had had a tape recorder, or even thought to write their tales down.

I was looking thru another blog http://k9pincushion.blogspot.com/, wherein the owner displays art of all kinds, when I first saw this picture. I saved it immediately, just because I thought it was cool. Now, as we get closer to Christmas, it brings back to mind a great story, one I first heard at one of those beloved family Christmases.

For 30 years. my great-grandfather Terry Garfield Wesley worked for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. For many of those years he was the engineer on the 'George Washington', affectionately known as simply 'The George'. The George Washington, put into service in April 1930, was (along with the B&O's Capitol Limited) the first all air-conditioned long distance train. The George was C&O's premier passenger train, traveling overnight between Washington and Cincinnati (with connections between Charlottesville and Newport News, Va., and Ashland and Louisville, Kentucky).

Engineer T. G. Wesley reads orders to Conductor W. B. Worthington and Fireman W. F. Fads, part of the ritual attending the daily 'birth' of the George Washington. from April 1952 'Trackers Magazine', courtesy COHS

A goodly portion of the George's route was through the states of Virginia and West Virginia. If you've ever been to West Virginia, you will quickly note that in many locales the homes, highways and railroad tracks are placed quite close together, being tightly hemmed in by the hills on every side. Thus, Engineer Wesley soon came to know the faces of the families whose habitations were situated so near the tracks. And as can be the case in such 'passing relationships', a certain unspoken bond of friendship is formed. And especially so in the case of the children he passed everyday, as a ritual of horn-tooting and energetic hand-waving was required during every trip.

But while Engineer Wesley smiled and waved back, he was saddened and often horrified at the deep poverty he saw. Again, if you've ever been to West Virginia and gotten away from the cities, you will have seen evidence of this poverty...even in recent times, but especially so back then. But the poverty of the children really "plucked at his heartstrings". Especially so at Christmas-time, for he knew that there would be 'hardly any Santa Claus at all' for these poor children whose faces lit up so brightly whenever the train rolled thru. I saw him openly weep at the thought of the plight of those poor folk.

So Grandpa Wesley, with the help of some fellow church members and C&O employees, put together a big bag of goodies and on Christmas Eve, 'The George' was transformed into Santa's sleigh, stopping at all the places along the way where the smiling children were always waving. Each child would get a gift, and mom or dad, too...althought it might only be a wooden pistol, a hand-sewn dolly, or a jar of apple butter with a nice bit of ribbon around the lid. But Grandpa Wesley said the gifts he handed out paled in comparison to the gifts he received...the thrill of excitement and the smiles of the children, the unspoken message of the handshake given by the dad's, or the tender look in the tear-filled eyes of the mothers in appreciation for the kindess and thoughtfulness of the C&O people in bringing Christmas to them, for making the kids feel 'special', if only for a moment.

And year after year, this act of love was repeated, until it became something of a legend. I have a newspaper clipping reporting on his retirement, wherein this tale is told and there are quotes from people who said that in many cases, this gift was the only gift these folks received. And they spoke of their undying love and admiration of my great-grandfather for the love he showed them.

Everytime I read this clipping, I get teary-eyed. This good man was by no means rich, a humble man, a church-going man...oh, a 32nd degree Blue Lodge Mason, Jas. ;) But he was in a position to form a relationship and broadcast his feelings of mercy and love for his fellow-man, and his heart and training made him take action...and not just at Christmas. I pray I could only be a 10th as good a man as he.

I maintain that the more I study and learn about all the things we discuss here at FSHOD, that just about everything boils down to the fact the we each have an impact on this world, this kharma or consciousness or whatever that drives this crazy nutty world. Do something unexpectedly nice for another person....be it a gift, a word, a simple handshake or a smile. It doesn't have to take a lot of money or a lot of time, and it can be done whilst doing your everyday activities and chores. It can be a family member, it can be that homeless person you just passed on the street, or even that person at work you hate.

The gift of love takes many forms, but the simplest is oft times the greatest and returned back to you an hundred-fold. Many folk will read that and say BAH! Well, as corny as it sounds, this is the truth...fully disclosed, honest and proven true countless times throughout our lives.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and a Merry Yuletide!