So why all the questions?

The reason that I phrase the title for each posting as a question is basically an extension of the blog name itself.  As I mentioned earlier, the name Shed Talk was a term that I created to describe the conversations old men had sitting outside the shed at my grandfather's house while they sat under the shade trees.

As a young kid, I didn't pay attention and take part in all of the conversations, but I have an idea on what they talked about.  I'm sure they covered sports, a little politics, and some local gossip.  The one thing I do remember was that when someone would drive up to visit or if someone was looking to break the silence that had lingered underneath the shade trees there would be a question.  The answer to the question would foster a discussion on the topic at hand.

For example when someone would show up to chat, you'd hear a "How ya'll doing?"  That would start a conversation on what had been going on.  To beak the silence you may hear a "Watermelons gonna be any count this year?" (translation: Will the watermelons that you are growing be good quality this year?).  Most of the men that would stop by had land they farmed or where they at least tended a garden.  So the topic of struggles with that was a frequent one.

The one thing that got me was even if it was a statement, it could still be turned into a question.  Here are some examples:

Braves can't win a game, can they?

We ain't had no rain, have we?

Tomatoes just ain't makin' nothing this year, are they?

It was usually hard to argue with any of the facts in the statement.  It just required a "yep" or "nope" that would lead to some sort of discussion.  As I mentioned before, my Pawpaw was not a big talker.  So many times the only response you would get from him was a single word response.  Then, a return to silence.

So when you see a question in the title, know that I'm just breaking the silence.  No offense taken if you're like my Pawpaw and don't give much of a reponse.