Random Memories

Random Memories

*When we would have family gatherings the kids (adults) would reminisce about their childhood, usually with a lot of laughter, and most of it at my expense. One time my son was talking about how, if they asked to do or go somewhere, I would say ‘no’ and then continue on with an explanation of why.

“We couldn’t ever get just a ‘no’… she always had to explain why.”

Then others would join in with examples and lots of laughing would follow. But I’m here to say that I was being efficient. Any mother knows that when you tell a child no, the next thing out of their mouth is always a loud, whiny “why not?” I just eliminated that step.

*Manipulation. My then teenage son came to me one day to share that he was smoking. “I want to know if I can smoke in front of you. Isn’t it better to be up front then to sneak around and do it behind your back?” I told him he couldn’t smoke in front of me. I couldn’t stop him from smoking when he was away from home, but I was not going to make it any easier for him smoke by allowing him to do it in front of me. The wind left his sails. (he smoked in his late teens and early 20s then he quit. I continued.)

*I learned about party phone lines when I was around seven, I guess. Three short rings was my grandmother’s line. I would sometimes quietly pick up the phone and listen in to other people’s conversations. I didn’t do it more than a couple of times, not because I got caught, but because the conversations were boring.

*Playing kick-the-can after dark. The streetlight was home base.

*My grandmother seemed to always have on an apron. I remember clean sheets and towels on the clothesline fluttering in the breeze. Those same sheets would feel cool and fresh when I climbed into bed in the guest room.

*I can remember the shocked look on my grandparent’s face one time when I was spending the night. I must have been around six or seven. It was about 6:30pm when I asked my grandmother if I could go to bed. It was a surprise to have a child ask to go to bed… and that early in the evening. Lawrence Welk made me yawn. (The downside to this is that I’d wake up before dawn and have to be quiet for hours.)

*Saturday afternoon matinees at the neighborhood theater. $0.25. After spending a couple of hours in a dream world, walking out the side door into the alley was always a shock. (I can even remember the name of the little theater. It was the Bob White theater. And I never once wondered who Bob White was.)

*I thought Elvis was corny as were The Beatles.

*Bucky Beaver sold toothpaste in ads.

*Romper Room called my younger sister once. We were watching tv and the Romper Room lady picked up her magic mirror to look out at the audience. She’d call out different names, and then she picked up the phone and dialed a number so she could talk to one of us. Our phone began to ring. Mother and I were practically shouting at my sister. “The phone. The phone is ringing. Go answer it, sis. Its Romper Room calling!”
(I don’t remember what happened next.)

Got any random memories to share?