Barefoot Memories of A Hillbilly - Century-Plus-Plus Rocking Chair (Free Access)

At some point we have all sought solace rocking in Pa's (Pap’s dad) old rocker setting on the front porch. Hand hewn and pegged together by Pa's brother Willie (Pap’s paternal great uncle Willie,) there's a slight hitch in the right rocker that results in a small hesitation and bump each trip backward and forwards. This rocker served Pa well as it sat in front of the old fireplace “down home.” At some point thru the years, the “Old home place” caught fire from a chimney fire, many of their items dissolved into ash by the fire, but the rocker was saved. Pap said his Pa had had it as far back as he could remember, which would date the chair prior to 1914.

No one will ever know how many world problems this chair has heard or troubled times it had kept pace with. Or how many heartaches had it comforted, or how many crying babies it soothed into a restful sleep. Pap said his Pa would sit in the rocker in the quiet of the evening, a big hunk of cheese in one hand (cut from the big wheel in cold storage,) a medical book clasp in the other hand, rocking and reading, studying on the latest procedures or medicines to come on the scene. During the great Flu epidemic of the 1918-1919s, Pap said his Pa would set out to tend the sick and dying, only to be gone a week or more at a time, then to return home to fall asleep in the rocker, only to be woken a short time later by someone yelling from the front yard…’someone dying with the flu, he was needed’...and off he'd go. Entire families decimated by the flu, sometimes one or two surviving. All needing comfort and care. A terrible time of grief and mourning.

This chair had so much sorrow brought to its comforting seat of rest, but equally, it found fun and laughter from growing kids. Often as children, Brother and I would pull it near the porch edge, as one would climb in, the other pull it back as far as possible and gave a rapid push forward...a parachutist is born. As we leaped from our makeshift plane, a yell of Geronimo and out we'd sail. It transformed to planes, trains and automobiles. This chair has hugged little children learning to sing, and kept a rhythmic sway for a father sitting with pocket knife and whittling stick watching the running and laughter of his kids while trying to memorize the joy of their play. The chair an ever present friend to a grounded teenager, helping him rock his days of punishment away. A rocker that had been blessed by the warmth of a fireplace, warmed and blessed by the afternoon sun as it kept reign over the porch, and chilled by an autumn nip. It’s rhythm acting as the metronome for a makeshift family choir. It's rocked to Cowboy Jack, Knoxville Girl, I'll Fly Away, and Precious Memories.

Rocked till eventually the rockers were flattened, the hitch and bump more noticeable. Other Brother asked Pap for the rocker and Pap agreed. Brother who grew to be most handy and talented with woodworking admitted it to his furniture hospital where it was resurrected, infused with loving care and given another 100 years of life. Another century to come... of laughter, sorrow, comfort and song.

I wear shoes now, but sometimes I have barefoot memories.