Kentucky River
February 1979
Vol. V, No. 1
A TIME TO REMEMBER THANK YOU FOR THE DOOR The thermometer at the bank in the county seat said it was eight degrees above zero. There was a ten mile an hour wind blowing and the chill factor was at least fifteen below zero. Junior Overby, the foreman for our home remod eling program, and myself were out looking over some of the areas ^jwhere home remodeling had been ijflBne. Snow was everywhere. In tact, once we left the road it was nearly ten inches deep. We went to one old lady's home where we had just completed some home repair. As we pulled up into the driveway I was rather appalled to see the condition of the house. The old weather boarding was practically all off the building. It sagged in so many places that you felt quite sorry for it. As we entered the yard, a head peeked out the door and two young people welcomed us into the house. It was a three room tumbled down place but the old lady who lived there was a very fine person. She was eighty-two years old and was trying her very best to make her own way in life as well as take care of her grand children. When she learned who I was, her first response to me was “/ want to thank you for the door. ” Her door had been so rickety that ^ ^ h a d fallen off the hinges. There no way in which she could have kept out the winter weather without a front door. Through our
THE HOME, PLA STIC C O V ER ED WINDOWS, AND “T H E ” DOOR
home repair crew we had purchased a new door and hardware and in stalled it for her. In addition, we put plastic up over all the windows. Up until this time, air would come through the windows with such force that yo u were in a constant draft no matter what part o f the house you occupied. You could see the sincerity upon her face and know the deep appreciation she felt. She explained how she had lived in this old house for thirty-four years. She had no idea how much longer it would stand, but it was the only place that she had. She was so very grateful for the warmth and comfort that a good front door brought her.
Like most old people, there was also the added benefit that came from security. She was in constant fear when she got someone to take her to town to buy groceries. She could not lock the doors and people came in and often times messed up the few belongings she had. Now she was able to lock the door and the added security meant a great deal to her. Perhaps as we complain over the winter cold and over the other sufferings we may feel, it may be good for us to remember an old lady who found such great satis faction in simply having a front door on her house that she could lock and that would keep out the cold.