I was working my way south to Florida and decided to stop in Gaffney, SC to pick some peaches to replenish my meager funds. I was down to $18.25. I had gorged myself on delicious ripe peaches along the roadside and saw a sign saying picking jobs were available at 75 cents a bushel.
I thought the Lord will provide and followed the signs and signed on starting the next day. I was going to pick the Elberta variety of peach. A large variety which filled the bushel basket faster. That was all I knew about peaches except they could be mighty tasty and filling when hungry.
I reported to the straw boss at dawn the next day and soon found out picking peaches was more work than I thought and those bushel baskets were slow to fill up. At the noon break I had not yet filled up my third bushel. The straw boss said I needed to get my ass in gear or there would be no work for me the next day.
Not know where I might find work beyond the peach orchards, I did kick it in gear and finished with 8 bushels. I made a full 6 dollars.
The next day I had developed a rhythm and scored 10 bushels earning $7.50. In two days of hard labor, I had earned a meager $13.50. Partial bushels earned you nothing.
I was too tired to eat and fell fast asleep underneath a Live Oak tree. I awoke near morning with hunger pangs eating my insides. I needed something to eat and not just peaches. I needed some solid food.
I remembered an old diner a few miles down the road and began hoofing in that direction. When I arrived, it was not yet open but someone was inside working. I pounded on the door and a middle-aged woman answered saying, "We ain't open yet."
"Lady I'm starving I haven't had anything but peaches in two days." I replied.