Waylon Read Free Page A

used to make milk chocolate and pour it over crackers. We weren’t so much poor as pour.
    The depression sure bred some strange things. For greens, we’d eat lamb’s-quarter. It was a wild weed that looked a lot like
     spinach. We used every part of the hog we could. We didn’t waste anything. We even made tallow and soap out of the skin. Lye
     soap, like to take your flesh off.
    If you had any left, that is, after they got finished with you in Sunday School. We were staunchly Church of Christ, especially
     my dad.
    Of all the religions I’ve run into, the Church of Christ has probably got it wronger than anybody. They’re self-righteous,
     narrow-minded, and truly believe they’re the only ones going to Heaven. If you don’t believe the way we do, they say, you’re
     going to go straight to hellfire and damnation. With a side order of brimstone.
    They don’t allow women to speak in the church. They think it’s a sin if you have music in the church. They say, bring your
     organ over here. Mr. Organ, would you lead us in prayer? If it leads us in prayer, then it’ll be all right. Well, what’s the
     whole building for—the pulpit, the pews, the carpet, the microphones—if not to lead you in prayer? It’s people that do the
     singing.
    Once I even gave preaching a shot. Momma wanted one of her boys to be a preacher. I was trying to please, but it was the scaredest
     I ever was in my life. On Wednesday nights they let you give talks. My mouth was so dry, I thought I was going to pass out.
     I thought, if I don’t do it I’m going to hell, and if I do do it, I’m going to stunt my growth. I knew what I was saying was
     fear, was instilling terror in people, and when I got up to speak, I was living proof.
    Their concept of God was of a Father who told His offspring, “I created you, but I’m not going to be there ever. You’re not
     going to see me or hear my voice, and I’m going to give you a book that is not easy to read at all, it’s hard to understand,
     but you are not to question it. It’s a sin to question it. If you don’t follow my words, and do everything that book says,
     even though you’re my child and I love you, and I’m your Father, I will throw you into a lake of fire and you will burn eternally
     and I’ll hear you scream for the rest of eternity.”
    That’s what the Church of Christ teaches, and it’s not my concept of believing. If God knows yesterday, today, and tomorrow,
     why would He cause us so much misery in this world? I don’t think God would destroy the earth and let Satan live again. Or
     blame us for the Forbidden Fruit. That’s our sacred knowledge, the emotion that we’re able to give back to God. It’s what
     makes us human.
    I’ve read the Bible. There are thousands of religions derived from this book, and it seems to me that the inspiration of that
     book lies in what it says to you, individually and as a person. You should live your life, and your religion, according to
     that.
    Love is one of the truest feelings in the world, and it’s based on the attraction a man feels for a woman, not to mention
     vice versa. The Church of Christ called it lust and said it was a sin. You should only make love for the purposes of procreation.
     That’s bullshit. I’ve never been able to believe that. I look at Jessi and have to watch myself. I want her every day of my
     life. And as for playing music…
    I thought, man, I’m going to hell, ’cause everything they tell me is a big sin is something I like. A lot.
    Of course, once outside of church, everybody pretty much went about their own business. Me and some of my friends would go
     over to where the Holy Rollers met and find the tobacco where they’d thrown it out the window when they’d get saved, and we’d
     get it and smoke it. A lot of times we’d be there the next morning and find they’d been out there looking for it themselves.
    My dad was a good man, and he didn’t need the Church of Christ to tell