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Comment by Paymaster on May 19, 2011 at 7:00pm

Ladies...I am once again feeling the need to share.  The following is an e-mail I sent to my son.  I just wanted to know that he should be proud.

Son…I read today that the Navy has chosen a name for the new Lewis and Clark ship, The Cesar Chavez.  I read that there is much controversy over the choice of names. 

When I was a young girl I often rode with my father during the summer’s when he drove truck for L & M produce.  He frequently delivered to the farm labor camps along the Sacramento river.  When I would ride with him I was never allow out of the truck when we went to the camps.  I remember when we would arrive at the labor camps we would have to enter through locked gates manned by guards.  In these camps were small shacks ( our dogs have better housing then these people had).  There was no electricity or running water to these shacks, they all had to share a common area in the open, often the restroom were nothing more than a water foist and outhouse.  The laborers were not free to leave whenever they wanted and they toiled numerous hours in the field, from sunrise to sunset.  They did not have drinkable water in the fields nor were they provide any facilities (no toilets) much less the chance to eat a lunch meal during the day in the shade. 

Whole families labored here, as soon as a child was able to pick they worked with their parents.  These children had very little chance for education as they never stayed in one place long enough to enroll in school much less having the opportunity to get to a school. On one trip to the Liberty Island farms my father’s truck broke down and I was allowed out of the truck and into the camp.  I remember sitting in the dining hall hoping I would find another child to play with, my father explain to me that children my age were already working with their parents in the field and I was lucky I was born in my family and I didn’t have to work in these conditions.  I remember it being very hot and rows of long tables and benches.  The windows shutters were open to let the air in, but there were no screens on the window so there were lots of fly’s.  When the dinner time came it was very late and it was getting dark. The workers came into this dining hall.  I remember that they scared me as they looked like walking died.  I remember being offered a meal.  Being a city girl I rather turned my noise up at what I was served.  My father chastised me and told me to eat what was put in front of me, that these people offered to share what little they got to eat with us and we should be thankful.  I think I manage to eat the tortilla as it was the only thing I recognized. I remember asking for butter and being told that was a luxury and to be quiet.

Cesar Chavez was a man that my father knew.  He always thought he was a bit to pious for him personally, as you need to remember your grandfather was a hard man and not a religious man.   

But my father admired Cesar for what he was trying to do for the labors.  My father never like going to the camps as he hated to see people be worked like modern slaves.  He always felt that the farm owners treated their dogs better than they did the laborers. 

Cesar wanted the laborers to be treated as people and not slave labor.  He wanted them to have decent hours.  He wanted the children of laborers to have a chance at being able to read and write. 

Cesar wanted these people to have the opportunity to worship in a church and not in the field at the altar provided on the back of a flat bed truck. I remember my father telling my mother how when he deliver to the camps that often the priest would travel to the camp and hold mass on the back of a truck during their break out on the road. He wanted to see people have decent working conditions (water and shade during rest breaks). He wanted to see that if they were sick they had the chance to go to the doctor rather than a women just try to work a miracle with her homemade remedies.

As I look back at this time when I was about 6 and 7 it seems such a long time ago. That these memories seem like dreams.  But they did take place.  Just as we all know freedom is not free.  That the rights we enjoy had to be hard fought and won. That individuals had to stand up and do what was right.  Just as Cesar Chavez did for the farm laborer.    

I guess what I am trying to tell you is that you should be proud of what Cesar Chavez stands for.  I know there are many other that will say different.  Just remember every time you eat a fruit or vegetable it was picked by a laborer.

 

 

 

Comment by lsP3Orion on May 19, 2011 at 2:47pm

Wow Nancy, your adventure sounds absolutely amazing - what a wonderful read it was!!  It should be blogged somewhere in addition to this site!

 

I am now in Florida with my DS before he deploys.  Got in last night and once again found out the date has changed - it got moved to this Sunday which I why I changed my flight out of Oregon (for the 4th time) and now it looks like it may be next Tues or Wed - they are depending the the Chair Force to get them over there :)  It means more time with my son - which is great since there's still a few things he needs to do before leaving besides spending Mom's money!  I guess military life is like sticking a pin in jello and need to adjust and take one day at a time!

 

Leslie, now that I am in the correct time zone, we should try to talk/text during the DWTS final next week, lol!  If Conor needs someone to take him out for dinner next week - let me know, would love to meet him too!

 

Still so excited about our get together with you and Flyboymom soon! 

Comment by lou2949 on May 19, 2011 at 10:33am

WOW Nancy....I feel like I've made the trip there myself after reading your very eloquent description of the people, the land and life in general there. What a life changing experience your trip must have been for you........so amazing. I'm going to start doing some research myself to see about ways to help the women there. Thanks so much for sharing your amazing journey with us. I'm just blown away by it......surely hope the process moves quickly for the 4 year old to join the family as soon as possible.

Comment by Paymaster on May 19, 2011 at 12:15am

Nancy...I am with musicmom, I want to know about the native fabrics.

Comment by P3PilotMOM on May 18, 2011 at 2:27pm

Nancy... have gone down the foreign adoption route also, Ukraine. It is very difficult, but such a blessing. Will be praying for a quick court date.

Comment by AH on May 18, 2011 at 10:25am

Nancy, thank you so much for the telling us your story.  You and your family are truly amazing.  I am so sorry that you couldn't bring your other granddaughter home yet, but hopefully it will not be long.   Have fun with all the grandbabies that you have there and look forward to the time when you can see all 5 again.

 

Comment by P3PilotMOM on May 18, 2011 at 8:08am

Paymaster... so sorry... it's been over a year for her, but maybe she is just not ready. I am glad your daughter has made strides toward life again. The healing power of the soul is amazing.

Comment by Rose on May 18, 2011 at 7:32am

Nancy, your post is fascinating ~ certainly NOT an eye-glazer!  I hung on to every word & could clearly picture what you described of your life-changing experiences.  Thank you for sharing such personal insights.  Sheila said it well, very humbling!

Comment by lou2949 on May 17, 2011 at 9:47pm

Paymaster, I'm so glad your daughter is seeing brighter days. God Bless her and you all.

Comment by lou2949 on May 17, 2011 at 9:46pm

Rose, thanks for sharing the link. I read the article and am so glad N4M's is getting the recognition and awards it deserves. I love this site and all we gain from it. I have to share with you all what happened yesterday. I went to Target and ran into an old friend I hadn't seen in a while...her son and my daughter dated in high school, her daughter and my DS were in the same graduating class in high school...we go way back. We had be chatting for a long time when she asked about my DS.....I started talking, with great pride, about him, what he's done, where he is, how hard he's worked, etc. and then, there it was...you know that GLAZED LOOK that washes over people who just don't have a clue about anything military and think that if your child is in the military, he or she couldn't have done anything else....I walked away feeling sorry for her because she has never felt and doesn't know the overwhelming sense of pride that we all know so well. Just made me appreciate this site even more so, thanks everyone. By the way, I have a great book that is a must read for everyone with a child in the military.....or a spouse...."Keeping Faith" by John Schaeffer and Frank Schaeffer.....It is fantastic. Hope to hear from my son on Friday...it's been a very long week with no contact.

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