Dirt Roads.....by Paul Harvey

 What's mainly wrong with society today is that too many
Dirt Roads have
been paved. There's not a problem in America today, crime,
drugs,
education, divorce, delinquency, that wouldn't be remedied
if we just had
more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.
 People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that
life is a
bumpy ride. That it can jar you right down to your teeth
sometimes, but
it's worth it, if at the end is home...a loving spouse, happy
kids and a dog.
 We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational
system if our
kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids,
from whom they
learn how to get along.
 There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.
 Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they
knew
they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel
shotgun.
And there were no drive by shootings.
    Our values were better when our roads were worse!
  People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and
motorists
were more courteous, they didn't tailgate by riding the
bumper or the guy
in front would choke you with dust and bust your windshield
with rocks.
    Dirt Roads taught patience.
 Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn't hop in
your car for
a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk. For
your mail, you
walked to the mail box.
  What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out?
 That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some
family time,
roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rides on
Daddy's
shoulders... and you learned how to make prettier quilts than
anybody.
  At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words
tasted like soap.
  Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely
lead to a
fishing creek or a swimming hole. At the end of a Dirt Road,
the only time
we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn't
some neighbor
would fill it with too much zucchini.
  At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra
springtime income,
from when city dudes would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up
a team and
pull them out. Usually you got a dollar ... always you got a
new friend
... at the end of a Dirt Road.