TELL ME AGAIN GRAMPA
by
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THE FORBIDDEN SWAMP As John and Paul were walking down the wooded lane near their home, they came to one of the swamps that their mom, Joan, had told them never to enter. Their dad, Jack, of course winked over their mom’s head as she told them about the dangers of the swamp. So much for listening to their mom! Remembering that conversation with their mom, they started to pass on by the swamp. Paul really wanted to go--after all, the last time they went in they did come home with some delicious blueberries! Of course their mom got real upset when they came home with wet shoes and socks, but the blueberries helped her forgive them—a little bit. After thinking a few minutes, John said, "I tell you what Paul, let’s take our shoes and socks off and go barefoot in the swamp." Paul replied, "I don't know--mom won't be very happy if she finds out." John was quick to tell Paul that she wouldn’t find out since their shoes and socks would be dry. Paul was quick to remind John that if she did find out they would not be able to go anywhere near the swamp again. John agreed but he was also thinking about those delicious blueberries and the pie his mom made with them! So, off came the shoes and socks and they proceeded to walk towards the forbidden swamp. Surely, their mom would be more concerned about one of them stepping on a sharp stone and cutting their foot than she would be about them going into the swamp--or so they hoped. Paul was the first to step into the dark waters of the swamp. As he did the mud squeezed up between his toes, making him hesitate a minute before proceeding. The mud felt cool and refreshing on this rather warm spring day, much like the mud one might find in a mud puddle, only more so because the mud was half way up to his knees and the water up to the bottom of his shorts. "Come on in John, this is awesome. I can feel every little thing that there is in the mud." Hesitantly, John put one foot into the muddy swamp--the mud did not seem that appealing to him! Paul continued to encourage him telling how much they would have. John ventured on, (thinking to himself "Hope mom doesn't find out!") and stood beside his brother Paul. After all, it was a good day to find some turtles as it was time for them to come out of the mud for the summer. They had both picked up walking sticks before entering the swamp and used them to probe to see if there were any deep holes that they might fall into. Finding none, they felt around with their feet to see if they could find any turtles.
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About the Book
Tell Me Again, Grampa is my second book. My first book, My Calling, tells of my personal relationship with Jesus Christ and short articles pertaining to the spiritual aspects of life. It was also published by Trafford Publishing Co. and is available through most bookstores. Many of the stories in Tell Me Again, Grampa are based on experiences as a child growing up in Chatham, Massachusetts—which, at the time, was a fishing village. Other stories are memories from the late 1930s to the early 1940s when we lived in a fishing shanty on Monomoy Point close to the Coast Guard station during the summertime. In addition, some are stories told to me by my grandfather. All are experiences and memories of days when life was simpler, when family shared the work of running a farm and family was the center of our lives. We wandered the fields and explored the woods and waterways. How I wish that my grandchildren had the freedom to experience the outdoors as I did!
About the Author
My name is Merrill A. Phillips. I was born and raised in Chatham, Massachusetts. After high school, I joined the Army Air Corps in 1944 and served during WWII as an aircraft mechanic. Discharged in October 1946, I went on to learn and work in the plumbing and heating trade. I was married in 1949 to my first wife, and we had three children. Divorced in 1962, I moved to New Hampshire in 1965, where I remarried and went into business for myself in the plumbing and heating trade. This marriage lasted eight years. I remarried again in 1976 and have been married for thirty-five years. We presently live in Barton, Missouri, a small town in the northwest part of the state, about eighteen miles from Memphis, Tennessee. God called me to write in 1988 while living in Arizona; two years later, I started writing and have been writing ever since. My writings are mostly inspirational but have many sea stories and poems along with some children’s stories, many of which are based on personal experiences as a child. I have had some of my writings published in our local newspaper. Also, my church has printed one in the church bulletin each week for the last eight years. Many of my writings have been put on the Internet. A church group in southern India requested permission to translate my writings into their local language and use them in their classes. I am now eighty-five years and retired. I spend most of my days working with my writings and still enjoy writing and putting them together in book form in hopes of someday getting them published as I can afford it. My hope is that my writings will be of help to those who are searching for answers to life’s problems or, at least, lead them to where they can find the answers. Without a doubt, writing has been the greatest experience of my life, and I have spent many hours of putting on paper what God wants me to convey to others. Without the encouragement and understanding of my wife, Nell, I would not have had the time I needed to devote to my calling.