A thought crossed my mind today, I really don't know where it came from or why but it got me to thinking. I was fortunate to have known both of my grandfathers. One was 66 when I was born and still farmed his land with a team of mules. The other was in his late forties and still had kids at home. One was a big man who told stories, the other was skinny and hardly said a word but they both had something in common, besides me. They had pockets and there were things in those pockets and I remember those things.
Grandpa Wade was the younger and bigger of the two. He was a Production manager who oversaw the production of shoes and boots. I always saw him in dress slacks and white shirts and the occasional necktie. You wouldn't think he would have too much in his pockets because he didn't have that many pockets to begin with, I mean, we're talking about five pockets, six if his shirt had two pockets but then you could add another four if he was wearing his a sportscoat or suit jacket but grandpa's pockets had things in them that defined him.
His front pants pockets always had coins that sometimes jingled when he walked, there was also his keys. The other front pocket usually had his pocketknife that he used to clean out his pipe, sharpen a pencil or cut off a chew of tobacco, the hunk of tobacco was most likely in there too. One back pants pocket had his billfold stuffed with folding money, drivers license, several business cards and Masonic membership card amongst other things. The other back pants pocket would hold a zippered leather pouch that contained his pipe tobacco, it was filled daily from a large can, the tobacco was flavored to give it a different and aroma.
His white dress shirt would have one pocket maybe two, let's go with two. The left pocket usually had what was known as a pocket protecter with several ink pens and pencils. The protecter kept leaking pens from staining the shirt. The other pocket had a couple of cigars, maybe a box of wooden matches. Somewhere, depending on usage he would have a handkerchief either neatly folded or wadded up full of mucus, it always started out in one of the back pockets and could migrate to a front one by the end of the day. Somewhere, in his pants or shirt there was a pipe, it was one of many he had, they had straight stems, curved stems, small bowls and large.
Grandpa Riggan was a simple man who dressed simply except on Sunday and maybe Saturday if he went into town to sell his produce. The rest of the week he dressed in his work clothes, bib overalls, with a long sleeve shirt, well-worn work boots and a sweat stained fedora hat. His days were spent in the fields walking behind a plow pulled by mules so whatever he might need he took with him.
Bib overalls afforded the working man with all kinds of places to put the tools of their trade, in grandpa's case it was more the items of necessity. The pockets of the overalls had whatever grandpa might need while in the field, in the bib he carried a small cloth pouch of pipe tobacco that was closed with a yellow draw string, sometimes the tobacco was a slender can of "Prince Albert" tobacco. A front pocket would hold a box of wooden matches and "Old Timer" pocketknife, the other pocket had a small leather coin purse that would unfold when gently squeezed. A twist of chewing tobacco might occupy a front or rear pocket and like grandpa Wade there was always a handkerchief. He didn't carry a billfold in the field and to be honest I can't remember him having one but somewhere he had to keep his driver license and folding money. He smoked a corncob pipe that would be stem first in a slot of the bib reserved for a pencil.
He would be headed for the fields by daybreak and stay there until lunch or dinner as he called it, everything he might need he carried in his pockets except for a quart mason jar full of water, that he carried from a length of twine tied around the top like a handle. Oh, and there was an old kerchief that would be tied around his neck, it was used to wipe away the sweat.
The things they carried in their pockets were typical of the day, typical of the jobs they had and the men they were. Some of the things they carried would lead to things for us kids, the tobacco pouches became holders of marbles, as did the Prince Albert cans, when Grandpa Wade emptied a box of cigars they were sought after by all of the grandkids as jewelry boxes for the girls and treasure chest for the boys.
So here I am, a grandpa and what things do I carry around in my pockets ? I'm afraid my pockets are not as interesting as theirs. Years ago I carried a pocketknife but as small as the one I had it can be construed as a weapon by todays standard. When I smoked, there was always a pack if cigarettes and a lighter in my shirt pocket but I don't carry either nowadays. I'm retired now and most days around the house, the most I carry in my pockets is a cell phone. When I go out, I will have a billfold in my right back pocket, my left front pocket I will have my folding money and any receipts I have collected that day and my car keys will be dangling out of one of the front pockets. Nothing as mysterious as my grandpas but the times are different. Wonder what grandpas of the future will carry in their pockets.
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