Many times a day a freight train with twenty to twenty-five cars loaded to the brim and beyond with output from the coalfields just a few miles away, came up the hollow puffing tons of black smoke. My family lived across the narrow valley of the hollow from the railroad at the time when I was just learning to read. The loaded freights labored up the grade through the hollow at a speed that any able-bodied person could outrun. But the return trip was a different story; unloaded and down grade they seemed to fly past.

I was fascinated by the trains. I watched them go by and daydreamed that one day I could drive one of those trains. Oh, to be its engineer! Like many dreams, that one never came true.

At that time I also had night dreams. I walked along the railroad track, looking for whatever I could find of interest. Usually I found nothing, but nearly always when I was on the track I heard a train whistle. That warned me to get off the track, and I tried to step off the track and head to the right for home. That did no good for the track moved to the right along with my body. I heard the whistle, now closer. Maybe I could step off to the left, but again the track moved to the front of me and I could not get off the track. The whistle persisted getting closer as I ran down the track as fast as I could go. But we were headed down grade and there was no way I could stay ahead of the train. Fortunately I woke up before the train ran over me. I was mighty glad to wake up in my own bed. This dream is the one that I remember because it recurred often. Once my family moved away from the railroad the dream ceased.

Since then I have had many odd and some truly weird dreams, but all were since forgotten.

As an adult I suppose that I have had daydreams that I didn’t even realize that I had. But when I sit down and think about it there are thoughts that pass through my mind that can be classified as dreams. When I think of what is wrong with our society I think of the freedom that we have given up to our government. Our founding fathers believed that a republic could endure only so long as it has a strong moral fiber. It’s easy to blame bad politicians for bad government, but the people put them in office, and the same people can fire them. Therefore the ultimate responsibility for government, good or bad, belongs to the people.

The people who elect a representative have the responsibility to know if he does a proper job for his people, or for himself, and if for himself see that he is fired at the next election. Just don’t depend on what he says, only what he does.

My modern dream is on behalf of my grandchildren and great grandchildren. My dream is that enough of the people take seriously their worst enemy of freedom and downsize it before we lose our moral integrity.