My grandfather was without a doubt one of the most unforgettable characters I have ever known! Those who knew him will probably agree. I can still see him wearing his brown corduroy pants, shirt and black sweater with holes in the elbows, sitting on the front porch smoking his cigar and wearing his black lace-up boots. Each night he would go to bed at exactly 7 p.m. and awake at 4 a.m., ready to go for a ride. James E. Roberson or Jimmy (Mr. Jim) was his name, and all of us grandchildren called him “Dad Jim.”

He was a farmer by trade and lived in the Old Ford community where he was born. He loved living in the country where he raised his family. Rarely would he go to town unless there was a need, or he had to take care of some business matters. He would even have Smith-Mills Buick and Pontiac send him a car each year that they could not sell, and it was driven straight to the back of the fields to be broken in by him. That was Dad Jim!

I remember one day sitting on his lap when he explained to me the value of addressing people with “Yes, ma’am,” “No, ma’am,” “Thank you” and “Please,” and older people were called Mr. and Mrs. You see, he was a farmer and had tenants that lived on his farms.

Dad Jim said, “Harold Jr., it is a way that you show others respect with a sense of humility, regardless of their station in life. If you treat others with kindness and respect, they will treat you with respect, and you will always be bigger in their eyes.” I was only a small child but even to this day, I remember Dad Jim telling me that, and I have always remembered it.

On his birthday each year, it was a celebration like none other. We would go to Uncle Charlie’s farm and start barbecuing chickens and pigs early in the morning. We had all the Dr Peppers and Roberson grape beverages we could drink. That was enough of a pleasure for me! The men cooked, and it was carried to the homeplace for lunch where anybody and everybody were waiting. It was like a who’s who, and if you were not invited, especially during an election year, you felt left out. All of the Roberson family would be there, and the lane was full of cars.

The times I would spend the night with him, he made me get up when he did and our first stop was Uncle Charlie’s farm. He had to see him every day and made a point to visit him first then straight to the Mill Road to visit Uncle Clarence. If anybody would pick on him for carrying me, he would simply tell them that he was training me to be a farmer. I never made it, Dad Jim, but the lessons you taught me have not been forgotten, nor have you.

It is my opinion that grandparents are invaluable to any family. They know the history of the family and the heritage of the family name. They can tell youngsters about the linage of uncles, aunts and others. With the exception of the values taught by Mom and Dad, I remember the lessons learned from my grandparents most. Most of the people my age and older will agree, because we all learned so many good lessons from our grandparents. They had more wisdom and sometimes we did not want to hear the advice they gave us. We would have been better off listening!

They were the best of times with the best of friends and in the best of places, Washington, N.C.! The Original Washington!

 

— Harold Jr.

Harold Robinson Jr. is a native of Washington.