Don't Worry About The Mule Going Blind Just Load The Wagon: And other things my dad used to say.

By Sandra Lynn Eaton

Don't Worry About the Mule Going Blind Just Load the Wagon, is book about the funny and wise things my dad used to say. The book is a little bit biography-autobiography woven into the explanations of the sometimes hilarious things my dad used to say. Billy James Eaton grew up in a time when humor was free flowing and certainly not censored. However, I did leave out some of Daddy's one liners that most certainly would have offended some; even as a child before "political correctness," I used to cringe at some of the things that came out of his mouth. When I talk about my Dad, comments from people are, "I wish I would have know your dad, he sounds like a fun and interesting character, and he was. I don't want to forget his funny sayings and want my children and grandchildren to remember to get to know him, thus the reason I wrote this book. Our life with Daddy was so unbelievable at times, someone is always telling me I should write a book. I don't know if I want to relive my childhood, so this as close at it gets to a autobiography, the good and funny parts, the bad is best not remembered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tablo Publishing
• Release date: Dec 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685835538

Book preview

Meet My Dad: Wild Bill Eaton

INTRODUCTION

The title of this book and each chapter heading are idioms of my father, whom we called, Daddy.  It was not until recently that I realized the profound wisdom and humor that are rolled into his one liners.  I wish I knew then what I know now and had it to do all over again."  Like him, Billy James Eaton, I think we all wish sometimes we had our life to live over again.

The problem is that Daddy’s generation (born 1927) were the last to use funny one liners in their every day language.  I think today with all the politically correctness everywhere, people are afraid of humor; it might offend someone.  Bill Eaton never worried about offending anyone.  He had a nickname for everyone, which might just use your race or a physical trait that you may not even like.  Some of the nicknames I would even be afraid to add to this book because I know it would offend some people.  Funny thing though, no one was ever offended, they loved my dad and loved that he loved them enough to give them a nick name.

My nickname is Brownie, because I was the only one out of four girls that had brown eyes like my Mom’s, whose nickname was Squaw, because we are a little Cherokee Indian on her side.  Her other nickname was Rosebud because she loved red roses.  Every Friday night for many years my dad brought her a red rose and a Woman’s Day magazine.

My Dad called my oldest sister Linda (she and my Mom are both in Heaven as of 2016), Ninny—Next in line, Shirley inadvertently gave Linda her the nickname because that's what came out of her mouth when she tried to say Linda, so Ninny it was. Linda hated when we called her Ninny So, as loving sisters. we always called her Ninny because she threw a fit every time we did.  Nothing gives siblings more satisfaction at that age then to irritate the oldest bossy sister.

Number two sister, Shirley's nickname is Awa (agua), which is how she pronounced water as a toddler.  Perhaps because she was born in Los Alamos, New Mexico where she heard our Mexican friends say agua, or just because she mixed her letters around (she does say she's a little dyslexic).  Who knows, but it came out awa, so that's what Daddy called her.

My younger sister, Debbie (or Debra), the baby of the family, was always, Jake, which may sound strange for the most adorably cute little girl in the world.  Debbie, a miniature little girl, who grew to a whopping 4’10 1/2, (and you better add the 1/2 inch or she will let you know it) earned her nickname when she and I were teaching ourselves to ride a bike (we all four shared one bike). We started at the top of the hill in the street in front of our little house in Hominy, Oklahoma and rode it down as far as we could go until we either made it to the bottom or fell over, which ever came first.  Well, Deb was so tiny the bike got out of control, she crashed and knocked all four of her front top teeth out on the pavement.  Besides being very painful, it left her with no teeth for years, thus the reason Daddy called her Jake (he probably knew a Jake with no front teeth). Since they were knocked out prematurely it took longer for her permanent teeth to grow in than normal.  Every year at Christmas. Linda, Shirley and I would sing, All I Want For Christmas Are My Two Front Teeth to her; she hated it but we thought it was hilarious.

Then there’s my Dad, those who ran with him,