When I saw the prompt “A Family Value,” all I could think of was the Addams Family. Why? I don’t know for sure, but I assume it was because of the movie Addams Family Values. Now, never mind that I have not seen the movie and I wouldn’t associate the Addams family with my family in any way. However, I couldn’t get it out of my head. Thus, I wrote a version of the Addam’s Family theme song about my dad’s family and some of our values.
The Theme Song
They’re scrappy and they’re quirky,
Industrious and mighty
They have a sense of duty
The McCracken Family
Their house is no museum
When people come to see’em
They’ll try & share some wisdom
The McCracken Family.
[snap twice]
Weet (know)
[snap twice]
Feat
[snap twice]
Complete
So get an ol’ work shirt on
A shovel that works til dawn
We’re gonna pay a call on
The McCracken Family.
For your listening enjoyment:
A Few Stories Behind the Words
Scrappy
The McCracken boys of my grandfather’s generation ruled Farlington, Kansas. It wasn’t that they were mean and looking for trouble. It was the opposite. If someone came looking for trouble, they would have to deal with the McCracken boys.
One time some young guys came planning to steal some watermelons from a neighbors farm. Well, the McCracken boys got wind of it and put a stop to it. No details of exactly what transpired were ever shared, but let’s just say that those guys never tried anything like that again.
Industrious/Hard Working
McCrackens, for the most part, were always working. It was just expected in the family. When people died Grandpa McCracken did not consider that an excuse to have someone else come and do the chores. However, when someone in another family died, the McCrackens were right there to help.
The Bailey kids found out this value when some of them switched houses during the night with some of the older McCracken kids. Grandma and Grandpa might have been surprised to see someone else’s kids in their house when they woke up. However, that meant that the Bailey kids simply had to do the McCracken kid’s chores.
Duty
The McCrackens had a sense of duty to both family and country. Dad believed that his parents expected him to care for them and help with the farm. He made several sacrifices for them, including changes that affected his career direction and his relationships.
One example, was that when he worked at Goodlanders Mill, he was offered a management position in Nebraska. Obviously, he turned it down.
Uncle Doc showed his sense of duty during World War II when he joined the Army. He was a few months shy of 44 years of age at the time.
Wisdom
Wisdom was bountiful in the family and came from a lot of different sources – formal education, life experiences, and for Dee her past life as a Hopi Indian.
Some pearls of wisdom:
“Can’t is NOT allowed.”
“Schoolwork is for work at school. Homework is for work at home.”
“If I am going to get punished, I might as well do something to get punished for.”
“You’ve got the same pants to get glad in that you got mad in.”
These are just a few of the McCracken family values. Each one could be an entire article of its own.
Image created using Chatgpt, the family photo taken in the 1950s, and a photo of the house at the homeplace.
Prompt: A Family Value
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