By Allen Hamrick
Much of our history is becoming extinct.
Technology has taken over most people’s everyday lives. We live with a sense that technology will get us through almost every situation. Our food is readily available as long as grocery stores keep their doors open. If we get lost in the woods, our GPS will get us out or just dial 911 on your cell phone.
There is nothing wrong with technology as long as you have a backup plan when technology fails. Hence it is always important not to forget the old ways of doing things, especially when it comes to survival and food. Many of our old ways of doing things are gone because the wisdom was not carried through all the generations of family. These days, the old ways mean work, work, work, and this is true but it is a work that can be very rewarding.
This brings me to my story of a man and his community of family, friends and neighbors. The place, some call it Gene Town, is a place that will take you back to the old ways with an atmosphere that will leave you longing for a time that has been lost to modern ways.
It was time for the Gene Truman Annual Sorghum Festival held at his home deep in the hollers of Sycamore. The legendary Gene Truman is a survivalist, farmer, blacksmith, homebuilder and pastor, and he has a unique way of keeping a balance between the old paths and the new. The festival is a time for family, friends and neighbors to get together as in the old days for some good old fashioned molasses making.
He breaks out the old press that was generally turned with a small pony or mule but now is turned by the iron horse, a four wheeler. It requires several people and several days to make molasses from beginning to end. However, the good ol’ fashioned setting around swapping stories and the sense of being a part of something as timeless as molasses making, makes the time spent doing it seem too short but well worth the effort.
Once the sorghum is was squeezed it was time for boiling it down and also time to enjoy some of Gene’s legendary homemade chili and Mexican cornbread. The smell and taste was enough to overwhelm any food critic’s taste buds. The event lasted into the evening as friends came and went. No belly left empty and no one left without a smile on their face and a warm feeling knowing that they had been a part of something special.
The old ways are fading away fast and molasses making is one of those that is almost gone. Gene Truman and Terry Rhodes, both of Clay County, are two people that keep the tradition alive. Both agree however, that fewer and fewer people are coming to help and it is not a good sign. While the sun set on the day and night engulfed the hollow and a cool misty fog drifted through the trees, fresh molasses was setting on the shelves cooling and the day was done.
I was left with one feeling as I hopped in my jeep to head home, I didn’t want it to end. I lived in the past for just a few hours and it made modern living more bearable. and I can’t wait till next year.
Thanks to Gene Truman and his community of family and friends, it was a good time.
