In the evening, the back porch of the country home took on an aura of enchantment. As dusk settled and the lamp was lit, children wandered in from their play to sit on the floor or snuggle in their parents' laps. Glasses of iced tea were refilled and someone would settle back, look up at the stars and say, "I remember when..." Thus began one of many tales, often embellished with some distant imagining. Each one taught a lesson of life. Once they were tucked in bed, the children would drift off with visions of the story in their heads. Years later, they would tell these tales of life to their own children, and so on through the generations. Welcome to my back porch. Please make yourself at home. By the way, I remember when...