After reading last Friday’s post Jim Doss sent me the following in an email.
I always heard from my Dad that there were three degrees of non-workability:
1.) “Broke” – Not working right now, but can be fixed, maybe as soon as late this afternoon.
2.) “Bad broke” – Not working, but the repairs will take a lot longer, somewhere between next week and next month.
3.) “Ruint” – Not working at all, and can’t ever be repaired. Hopelessly busted.
I enjoyed the degrees of non-workability Jim’s Dad used. The word usage really highlights Appalachian language.
As I read the numbered list I was reminded of various stories from Pap as well as things that have been broke, bad broke, and ruint around our house since The Deer Hunter and I have been married.
Pap told me a story about a log truck over on Pine Log that was broke down for many months. This was in the days before tow-trucks and parts stores on every corner.
The family who owned it were loggers. They were more than able to fix it, but it took a while to get the needed parts. So according to Jim’s dad I guess you could say it was bad broke. Before they got the parts there come a heavy rain which left the heavy log truck stuck fast in the mud. Pap said the family wasn’t afraid of laying in the mud to fix the truck, but getting it out from where it was marred up was a different story. Between the needed repair and the mud I guess Jim’s dad would have said they were about runit.
Pap said every time he went by he’d see them a working on the truck or trying to get it unstuck or sometimes both. He said it took a long time but they kept working till they got the truck repaired and out of the field of mud.
I like the story of the log truck because the way Pap told it about the family who were his neighbors and friends was humorous, and I suppose I liked to think of the log truck marred up to the hubs in the mud, but mostly I like it for the determination of a group of Appalachian men facing a time where the log truck that provided for their family was broke, bad broke, and almost ruint yet they used a fierce determination to persevere and overcome it all.
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
I enjoyed today’s post. I’ve heard people say concerning money that they’re not broke they’re just badly bent. In my family we’ve been badly bent a plenty of times. When my husband became disabled we learned how to stretch a penny until you could see through Abraham Lincoln. 🙂
Broke, bad broke and ruint applies to finances as well.
I laughed all the way through this; not because of the logging family’s unfortunate circumstances, but the usage of broke, bad broke, and ruint were perfect! I have seen many examples of this over the years. Sometimes it reflects on the character of the people. I remember some people who had a broken down car parked right in front of their front porch. I think their intention was to eventually work on it when they got around to it; they weren’t the most industrious people in the world. Weeds grew up taller than the car, eventually all 4 tires went flat, and finally a tree started growing out one of the windows. So over the course of a few years it went from broke to ruint. I could never understand why they didn’t have it hauled away for scrap metal. I guess it became such a fixture in their yard they didn’t even notice it anymore.)
4.) Use it for something else! Door stop, dog bowl, boat anchor, flower pot. People don’t have faith in their own abilities any more. Brains like muscles will turn to much without exercise.
Mush not much! See there, I haven’t been exercising my brain enough!
I’ve heard the saying, “that dog is spoilt to ruination”. Imagine this is the same as ruint.
Amen!! I do know that today a machine can break down and the part that is broke is not being made anywhere now so unfortunately that machine is ruint.
I watched a documentary on the Hoover Dam and the workmen there have their own shop where THEY make the parts that operate the dam.
It sure sounds like those loggers situation went from bad to worse to worser.
I admire those individuals that turn ruint things into statues, repurpose tea pots for fountains, chipped cups for planters, etc. I’d like to add one more quality to MAXPC ‘s list, imagination.
Great story about the log truck. It’s a great example of how working together, with skilled determination can achieve whatever one sets their minds too. God gives us all abilities to use for our good and His glory. One just needs to believe and accept what God has for us through His Son Jesus the Savior of the world.
I can sympathize with the logging family. My Dad and uncle were small-time loggers in the 1960’s. I helped summers as a ‘gopher’, carrying power saw gas and oil, measuring log lengths, helping load, etc. Periodic breakdowns were just part of the territory to be met and mastered as best one could. There were not any both good and feasible alternatives. My Dad’s slogan was, “You can do what you have to.” And he did, in various ways. In his mind, he had to house, clothe, feed and train us and whatever got in the way of that he had to overcome. There was a lot of ‘have to’ in his life and not much ‘get to’.
The stages of broke and bad broke we were somewhat used to. Mainly because of his and Mom’s determination we escaped ruination but we were closer than us kids were allowed to know.
I agree with Glenda Page’s comment. We live in a time of throw away and buy new. Granted, parts and labor costs today make it more sensible and financially reasonable to simply throw away and buy new. But generations ago, if people could get the part to repair something (or fix it with spit and bailing wire), they were willing and more than knowledgeable on how to repair something themselves. Sadly, in todays world, most things require a computer chip/mother board to make a repair complete. I enjoyed the story about the log truck and could see it happening in my mind as you told it. Have a great day, Tipper!
Donna. : )
Trust in God; fierce determination and perseverance: those three qualities sum up the Appalachian personality completely.
I love it, we have degrees of broke, now that is what you call attention to details!
Great post Miss Tipper, when I was coming up & in my granddaddy’s time, if it Broke we fixed it, if it was Bad Broke it took longer but we fixed it or got someone to help us fix it (and back then they would) and if it was Ruint well we would keep it around and use parts off of it to repair something else we needed to keep going and to work with. Very well said Glenda Page & unfortunately sad but true on raising a lazy generation that also feel entitled to convenience. I thank the GOOD LORD ABOVE for being taught a good work ethic.
The familys determination made the difference between bad broke and ruint.
Great blog. The sad thing is that, some of those hardships made our ancestors, created the work ethics of yesteryear. I appreciate what they did and grateful that my parents passed those ethics and moral on to me. Sorry to say, we are rearing a lazy generation that wants to use electronics instead of their brain. God bless
Amen to that!