When I was a little girl, folks didn’t carry checkbooks in Conway County, AR – because there was simply no need. Businesses had “counter checks” – checks with no individual account numbers printed on them – available by the register at every business. Customers just took a counter check, filled it out as we do any check, signed their name and paid their bill. It was a far simpler time – when trust was something valued and respected. Things were different than they are today…
In first grade, I rode the school bus from Hattieville, AR to Wonderview, AR – around 8 – 10 miles one way. With all the stops, it took a while to get to and from school. On the way home in the afternoons, the bus had to turn off the highway to drop off some kids down a dirt road that ran beside Beeson’s Grocery – my Great-Uncle O.V.’s little country store…….that his dad (my great-granddad) bought around the turn of the 20th century and ran until his death.
Any of we kids that wanted to were allowed to get off the bus and wait at the store until the bus got back. (Let me restate – much simpler, more trusting times.) If we were lucky, we had some change in our pockets and we could buy something at the store – a Coca-Cola, a candy bar, or my favorite – a frozen orange sherbet push-up. If we were without any cash, we could just run around and play outside until we had to climb back onto the bus. It was a MUCH better day when we had some pocket change! 🙂
One day, Miss Betty (my first grade teacher) taught all of us about writing checks. To this day, I’m really not certain WHY we were taught that in the first grade, but I remember how much fun it was to write them on those blank practice checks she had. We felt like big stuff!
Application of new knowledge is always important – and I was ready to put mine into place that afternoon when we clambered off the bus. I walked into my Uncle O.V’s store and picked up a bag of nacho cheese Doritos, a Coca-Cola, some peanuts, a box of candy cigarettes, a Snickers bar, and best of all – an orange sherbet push-up. I piled all of my treasures on the counter in front of O.V. He watched me quietly and calmly as I picked up a counter check, filled it out as I had been taught, signed my first name “LISA” in large block letters, and looked to him for the total. Grinning very slightly, he rang everything up and gave me the amount. I finished the check carefully and handed it to him – and he handed me my bag of goodies.
I left the store SO excited to tell Mother what I had learned that day. We could have ANYTHING WE WANTED – ANYWHERE – as long as they had counter checks available! It was like winning the lottery!!! I thought I had discovered the Promised Land! I smiled all the way home and got off the bus with the plastic push-up stick still in my mouth – happily carrying my bag of precious loot.
When Mother heard my story, she did not have the great enthusiasm and joy I had eagerly anticipated. She explained to me that in order to WRITE checks – you first had to put MONEY in the bank. What a crushing disappointment! She then further dashed my hopes by telling me that we had to take all of those precious items in my sack back to O.V. and pay him for the push-up I had enjoyed on my bus ride home.
When we got back to the store, O.V. was chuckling and insisted that I keep all of my dishonestly purchased items. He tacked that check up on the wall behind the register and kept it there proudly for a long, long time. I loved it – and I loved him. I have never forgotten how kind he was that day – how kind he always was to me – and what a wonderful man he was. I loved him dearly – and I miss him very much. An ex-Marine, he was generous, tough, soft-hearted, quiet, kind, hardworking, and just an overall great man.
Thank you, O.V.
