Lets Just Talk About It Podcast with Chuck

Timeless Lessons from Ms. Mary Fountain

• Season 3

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What if the wisdom of our elders could guide us through the complexities of modern life? Join us for an extraordinary episode of "Let's Just Talk About It" as we honor the life and legacy of Ms. Mary Fountain, a woman whose 84 years were filled with resilience, love, and profound insights. In this heartfelt conversation, Ms. Mary takes us on a journey through her upbringing in New Jersey, recounting stories of helping her father with his store and managing household duties from a young age. Her reflections on a disciplined childhood, the educational influence of her father, and her family's encounters with segregation provide a powerful testament to the strength and endurance that defined her life.

As we navigate through this poignant dialogue, we also contrast the evolving dynamics of family and society, particularly focusing on the behavior and upbringing of today's youth compared to past generations. Ms. Mary shares personal anecdotes and sage advice, emphasizing the importance of patience, cherishing dreams, and not rushing through life's stages. Alongside these reflections, we celebrate the significance of familial bonds and the enduring impact that elders have on shaping our lives. Tune in to experience a tapestry of love, wisdom, and gratitude, honoring the legacy of Ms. Mary Fountain and the timeless lessons she leaves behind.

Chuck:

Hey, welcome back to another episode of let' Just Talk About it podcast. I'm your host, chuck, and if you're here for the first time, this platform was created to give genuine people just like you an opportunity to share a portion of your life's journey. So, with that being said, hey, I've had a lot of great episodes with some amazing people, but this conversation right here that I had with Miss Mary Fountain is dear to my heart. She was full of love, laughter and life, but unfortunately, on November the 29th 2022, she passed away quietly from her journey. So, hey, today I just wanted to share this amazing woman's valuable wisdom again with the world. You know what? As a matter of fact, do me a favor Go and grab your husband, your wife, your children, or even call a friend and gather around to listen to this conversation that I had with MS Mary Fountain on let's Just Talk About it podcast. Hey, let's jump right in. How you doing, ms Mary?

MS Mary Fountain:

Just fine. How are you?

Chuck:

Doing good. First of all, I want to say thank you so much for coming on to do this interview with me on let's Just Talk About it podcast. I really appreciate you. I love jumping in to my conversation, so, ms Mary, tell me where you're from.

MS Mary Fountain:

I am from New Jersey.

Chuck:

New Jersey. What part of New Jersey, oh?

MS Mary Fountain:

my. That's a short story by itself. I got you. I was born in Elizabeth, new Jersey. I went to New York and Harlem and stayed there five years right out of the hospital, and I went to Plainfield, new Jersey, and did my childhood years growing up and helping my father with his store, and from there we moved to Elizabeth, new Jersey.

Chuck:

Okay, you just celebrated a birthday.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yes, I did. Wow, I was blessed, you was blessed.

Chuck:

I was blessed, so if I may ask, how old did you turn?

MS Mary Fountain:

84.

Chuck:

84. 84. Shout out to Miss Maryary 84 years old it is. It's a great segue into one of the reasons why I wanted to have you on, miss mary. First of all I wanted to have you on is because, first of all, I love you and, uh, you're dear to my heart and I love our conversations off air. But, second of all, because I thought it would be a good you know good thing to share your voice with the world, because I believe you have so much to share. I've had younger voices on my podcast, but I thought wouldn't it be great to hear the voice of one of our seniors? And so that's when I asked you would you, would you mind coming on to share a portion of your life, to give us some of your wisdom that you've learned along the way? And I believe, because of technology, this generation doesn't doesn't value the voices of our seniors anymore, and so I'm glad to have you on. And you said you grew up in Elizabeth, new Jersey. So how was that for you growing up back then?

MS Mary Fountain:

Like you mentioned to me, that was the quiet generation. Quiet generation and to look back at it, it was, and so you did what you were told, without a lot of conversation, and you did it as quietly as possible. It was a nice growing up period. My father was an educator. Like he would read all the time.

Chuck:

Wow.

MS Mary Fountain:

And so he started me writing letters to the bishops and elders because he was a minister and he communicated by me writing the letters so I would get my handwriting correct.

MS Mary Fountain:

It wouldn't be, you know, it would be nice for them to receive it. And my mother. I helped her in the kitchen when she came home from work and then it got to the point where I started cooking dinner when it was almost time for her to come home. I would start with the dinner, I would make the fire and start the dinner blanket. That's when we had coals back then.

Chuck:

Coals back then, wow, so you had to throw the coals in the fire to keep the house warm.

MS Mary Fountain:

I had to make it from the beginning. You know the wood, the newspaper, the coals, and then it caught. You know, when you catch it real good, then you bank it, bank it and let it burn slow until you know my mother would come in and she would start cooking.

Chuck:

But you would start the fire.

MS Mary Fountain:

But I could start the fire.

Chuck:

Wow. So do you remember those? What years were those? Like 1920 or whatever.

MS Mary Fountain:

I would say no, they was like 59.

Chuck:

59?.

MS Mary Fountain:

No, no, no A little earlier. No, it was earlier, it was like 49. Okay, 49, and I was growing up. I was still in school. So when I came home I had work to do, you had to do chores, there wasn't no go outside and play.

Chuck:

Couldn't go out anywhere. I just had to do what you had to do first you had to do your chores Right.

MS Mary Fountain:

I had to help my father in the store and then I'd go in the kitchen part and get usually it's the rice or potatoes, okay, whatever vegetables my mother was having. I'd start them and then she would come in and start the dinner.

Chuck:

Wow, so so do you remember in those days. I know it was a lot of. I don't think slavery was that much in force during those days, but I believe you experienced some type of segregation back then yes, um how was that?

MS Mary Fountain:

my um. That reason was my father had gave my mother a house for a wedding present in New Brunswick Heights, new Jersey, and he told us to go head out there and get a good night's sleep my mother and some of the children and when we caught the bus we didn't have a car, we caught the bus.

MS Mary Fountain:

And when we got off the bus last stop, my mother stopped and looked around and she got us all together and she said I don't want no noise, I don't want you to step on the stone, but I want you to walk. Keep up with me, let's get through this path and get in the house. And I light the light and I was in the back with the girls, and so nothing but me was to turn around and look.

Chuck:

Okay, so you turned around.

MS Mary Fountain:

I turned around to the right and looked over my shoulder, wow, and I seen the white and looked over my shoulder.

Chuck:

Wow.

MS Mary Fountain:

And I seen the white sheets and the pointed heads. And then I saw the fire. The flames went up so high and I went flying to the front of the line and said Mama, there's fire. She got down, she know, she squatted down and she didn't say a word. She just picked up her speed and everybody followed her speed and we walked. And the mule that was in the field, he just stood there and looked at us and didn't say a word.

Chuck:

Wow, the people with the pointed hats and white sheets.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yes, and we got in the house and locked doors and pulled curtains in. Wow, scary moment. But that was. That was a time that I seen. And the other part of history I seen was when we had the stamps. Stamps, you know, the books they would give you.

Chuck:

The book of stamps? Yes, the book of stamps.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yes, ma'am, and you would go, they would let you know when to go and bring the stamps. And you would go, they would let you know when to go, mm-hmm and bring the stamps and you would get sugar, or you know staples Okay. And I was sitting up there at the table playing with them because I thought it was something to play with, and so I got tapped on my hand. You know, she said that's nothing to play with.

Chuck:

Right, yeah. So how long did you stay in New Jersey? When did you decide to leave New Jersey? I left New.

MS Mary Fountain:

Jersey. You see, I left New Jersey when I left Newark, new Jersey, newark, new Jersey, okay, and I came to Georgia.

Chuck:

So you left the North and came South.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yes, wow. Even though my mother told me not to, I did it.

Chuck:

Did it anyway.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yes, but she was specifically telling me don't go south.

Chuck:

Because it's trouble down south.

MS Mary Fountain:

I had a daughter that was in the army in Georgia.

Chuck:

Right.

MS Mary Fountain:

And so I came to be closer to her. So we all came Came to Georgia. So how all?

Chuck:

came, came to Georgia. So how long did you stay in Georgia? What was that? Like you know, you say you came from the north and then you went to south to Georgia. How was that? Like Did you start a new life there?

MS Mary Fountain:

Yes, I did Okay and it was nice. I met people and I didn't think I would meet. I met a good friend, sharon, and I got jobs, I worked, and so it was nice living there.

Chuck:

Right, Wow. So in Georgia you met a couple of friends, so you settled there. So you was in Georgia. For how many years, Ms Mary?

MS Mary Fountain:

About 20, I'd say about 21 years 21 years.

Chuck:

So, being in Georgia, you're there 21 years, so you had your daughter, so you raised your kids in Georgia.

MS Mary Fountain:

They finished school in Georgia, yes, but the oldest one she finished in Newark, New Jersey.

Chuck:

So I got a question what would you say to this young generation today? Is there a real big difference from back then to now? What would you say to this young generation?

MS Mary Fountain:

It's the way that they are raised and I feel like when they took God out of church, out of school, when they took God out of school and out of the home, it messed with the family. So it's not much that people don't have a choice of talking to children. They don't know what family Very few that you can talk to that will tell you where family is, the borderline of family, and so it's kind of hard. So you have to really talk to them and but you got to talk early, right you really got to talk early and make it fun that you're going to be there.

MS Mary Fountain:

You're going to love them and, um, hopefully they'll hold on to that. Just like like some. I ask some do they want a cross on their graduation and they're not taught about the cross?

Chuck:

They're not taught. No, what do you think is being taught now?

MS Mary Fountain:

They think and feel what they think and feel at the time they're feeling it. So if they're angry, they show it. Now, if they want to say something out of their mouth, they say it. They don't think, you know. Let me be still and listen or be quiet, you know. But you know you have to be patient with them. I just say you have to love them.

Chuck:

So you feel that it's a big difference. It's a big difference, right.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yes, because the young men that's out of the house at 10 o'clock at night, 11 o'clock at night that wouldn't have been like that before. You had a certain time to be at home. Right, because home is family, you know, home is where you're safe at. But that was that time. They don't practice that. Now the parents can ask them, they'll tell them, but it's not something they practice. Yeah, because they think that they have grown, they're able to do whatever they want to do. They can handle it. So you get to an age that you go back to being quiet.

Chuck:

So you can't say no more.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yeah, you go back to being quiet, because what is there to say If they're saying it all? There's nothing to say, so you let that go. And my mother came from a large family. She had three sisters and two brothers and I was the baby of now.

Chuck:

I was number nine, so there was a lot of us.

MS Mary Fountain:

So you didn't see the fussing and the fighting and whatever. You didn't see that. You seen a lot of laughter. If there was a disgruntled situation, you see it and then they smooth away. My mother would get up and walk through the room and you see it smooth away.

Chuck:

What do you mean by that?

MS Mary Fountain:

Whatever they was fussing about would go away. It was smooth away. You know, my mother would just walk in the room and it would stop, walk through the room and everything would go quiet. But now when I see that going on, it goes on and on, it's funny. But children will be children, yeah, and maybe they do need to talk now because the government is different, you know, the people are different, so they do have to speak up for themselves, I imagine. And the churches there's so many different churches, they don't know what to pick. You know, if you listen to the different churches, your mind whirls with it, because there's this church and that church and this church. So you got to be strong in your faith. But you got to have a beginning. Yes, god knew when he created us. He knew what we was going to do, because he put that will in us and that thought in us. But he gave us a choice.

Chuck:

Yes.

MS Mary Fountain:

And it was up to us to make the right choice.

Chuck:

What would you change about today if you had an opportunity to change it? You know, as you look back, change of what you see going on. Now, what would you do different?

MS Mary Fountain:

I would let the children have family and let family be the village that it used to be, you know, because the family used to be the village where children can go and be safe. And children was children and they know who to believe in, what to say and what not to say. Right, I think that would be nice.

Chuck:

To go back to that.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yes, because it would be a beautiful thing to be able to talk to each other and know that you're being heard and cared about.

Chuck:

If you could go back, what would you say to your younger self? I always ask that question. What would you go back to say? If you had an opportunity to go back and talk to the younger Mary, what would you say different? What would you say to her?

MS Mary Fountain:

Be patient. Be patient Because I just wanted to do things and look like I wasn't doing it fast enough, and by me being the last child at home I couldn't tell it to nobody, so I was like raring to go.

Chuck:

Ready to get out.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yeah, I wanted to see what was around the corner. I always wanted to see what's around. A parade would come.

Chuck:

Yeah.

MS Mary Fountain:

And I would follow that parade. And then I'd look back and I saw my mother. I'd go back and she would look at me standing and smile. She'd say go ahead.

Chuck:

Yeah, it was curious.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yeah, because I know you like the parades. You know the music and the drums and the excitement.

Chuck:

If you had the opportunity to talk to a young lady or a young man right now, what would you say to them?

MS Mary Fountain:

Well, it's all depending on the age group.

Chuck:

Yeah.

MS Mary Fountain:

I would tell them take your time, don't let your dream go. Always keep your dream alive, wow and be patient. It's going to happen. It's going to happen, it's going to happen, and hold on to your dream.

Chuck:

And don't be so quick to rush.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yeah, don't be so quick. I think we all go through that, because you're going to learn. You're going to learn.

Chuck:

I think we all go through that part Wanting to get out, get out, get off the porch would stay in the house. Yeah, yes, you're right about that oh man, yes man, but I, I just wanted to get your voice. Um, so we have your voice. Yeah well, we always talk together. Absolutely, absolutely. I just, I just wanted your voice on record, so, okay yes, it was. It was as always. It's great talking to you and hearing your voice and hearing your wisdom okay, is anything?

MS Mary Fountain:

is anything you can do this again? Yes, ma'am, is there anything you?

Chuck:

want to say, before we um sign off.

MS Mary Fountain:

I thank God for you and I thank God that he saw you coming down the road. I met you and we've been together ever since.

Chuck:

I appreciate you too. Thank you for coming on. Let's just talk about it. This won't be the last time, no, it won't.

MS Mary Fountain:

Yes, ma'am, it won't be the last time.

Chuck:

Yes, ma'am, love you, I love you to life.

MS Mary Fountain:

Love you too, all right, love the family.

Chuck:

Wow, what an amazing conversation. Again, shout out to you, miss Mary, we love you and we miss you. Your life, love and laughter still lives on. Thank you, and I want to thank everyone for always tuning in to let's just talk about it podcast, and if you have any media needs, such as videography, photography, you can reach out to me and my partner. Photography, you can reach out to me and my partner Low Mills at M&B Media, found on Facebook. So, hey, as always, thank you so much for always tuning in and until next time, don't hold it in, but let's just talk about it. Talk to you soon, thank you.