Comfort Addict tagged me with this one, it was fun trying to think of the top five things I miss.
1) Ice cream on the way home from the pool
There was a public pool, near the high school, in the town where I grew up. In the summer it was often one of those places we’d gravitate to when the weather got really hot. I have these memories of the “Mr. Frosty” ice cream truck, and how sometimes as we were walking the couple of miles back home it would pass, and once in a while I’d have enough money to buy a cone. I’m sure, that ‘soft-serve’ stuff they served wasn’t really all that good, but to me, then, it was the best thing ever.
2) Playing in the woods
Summer was a time when I could vanish with my friends into the ‘woods’, which in reality were simply a couple of vacant lots at the end of the street. To us though, it could be the wilderness, a jungle… essentially anything we wanted it to be. We’d build forts, hideouts, dig ‘foxholes’ and play Army… climb the trees and spy on the neighbors…
3) Not knowing how life works
The naiveté of youth. We were poor, but I didn’t know it then. I always had food to eat, clothes to wear, a warm bed and a roof over my head… who knew what it actually took to provide all of that? I didn’t know about homeless people, starving people were the people my parents told me would ‘like’ the dinner I didn’t want. Small kids like me, well, we just got to be kids… I do miss that
4) The taste of everything being new
When I was young, I had (and actually still do) an almost inexhaustible energy for anything that was ‘new’, new to me that is. As far back as I can recall, when ever I’d get interested in something new, everything else ceased to matter. I’d focus on that one thing until I’d discovered all I could about it. While I still have the desire, and the energy at times, I simply don’t have that ‘luxury’ these days.
5) Music
Music that I related to that is. I listen to, and enjoy all (well, most) types of music, but, as a kid it seemed to speak to me. I could identify with all the lyrics, they made sense in my life then. I suppose it was because the artists were close to my age, and going through similar emotions… but, I still miss that!!
17 comments:
All great memories! Thanks for sharing those with us. Made me think back to some of those good ol' days. :)
Lois Lane
I miss how summers seemed to go on forever...now they fly by.
Re: yesterday's blog post. Thanks for your support...it does help to know you understand what we're going through.
Kind of sets off a longing in my heart for that time. Sometimes it would be nice just to have one day back in time - just to taste, touch, smell what you didn't realize met so much to you until it was gone! Hey Bill, I'm back and have updated my blog.
Lois - You're welcome.. it was a lot of fun to just sit and think back to those times.
Karyn - Me too! I know I've been complaining about the heat... but summer will be gone all to soon!
I do understand, please feel free to drop me a line if you ever need to "bend an ear"
Ivan - "Be home before the street lights come on" was the common statement if we headed outside after dinner!! We made our own fun too.. and damn.. I forgot all about sledding in the winter!
Ilene - Thanks for stopping by...good to have you back! I'll be stopping by your place to see what you're doing these days!
Bill,
Playing in the woods...man, that's what I miss. All the simple things.
Thanks for participating, Bill. I like your list.
I still play in the woods ;P
I definitely miss completely not understanding the world the absolute most. I miss believing that all the answers would be simple. There was just something so fun about that.
Firehawk - Yeah those were some great days! Riding the bike in the mountains has become my 'woods' these days I think!
CA - You're welcome, this was an especially fun tag to do!
Braleigh - As well you should. I think I miss that innocence most of all too... the sense that everything could be 'fixed', that my parents could move mountains... and that the world was just and fair.
Good memories. I don't know if I really miss much, probably because I have refused to grow up, and still indulge myself when I can. I must say though, that cartoons just aren't as good as they used to be. Saturday mornings are always a disappointment these days.
I miss everything you miss! Isn't that strange? Yesterday I was looking at my forest thinking, "I'll never climb trees again." It was a sad thought.
Jay - Cartoons are really bad... except I've become fond of 'Get Fuzzy"... and Saturday mornings for me are always fun... as I don't have to go to work!
Knitter - Old fart that I am, I've still been known to climb a tree or two, usually to the tune of
"be careful.. don't fall... you're going to kill yourself"
I may miss all of these things, but that does not mean I've 'grown up'.. just ask my wife... I've still got a long ways to go!!
I used to always live next to actual forests, I too miss playing in the forest. Actually, what's stopping me....
jaws - I know exactly what you mean.. while I make most of my living with 'new' stuff... it's not quite as much fun any more!
Trevor - What is stopping you? I've been thinking about a woodland camping trip once the weather cools down a bit!
Very nostalgic. I'm in my early 20s, and I can already see things that are different from when I was a kid. I was afforded the luxury of a "safe" world, where walking to school or playing all day in the neighborhood came without fear of abduction or worse. How sad that we've lost that innocense now.
I still get the whole music thing Bill. I love to hear lyrics that mean something. Some of the pop stuff can be crap, but some of it really has some meaning. I like the musicians that can write their own stuff. I still get inspired.
awwww bill, nice memories.
seeingdouble - Thanks for stopping by! I think that the loss of innocence is probably a 'normal' thing, generation to generation... no less sad though!
jenbeauty - Oh there's still a ton of good music out there... I just miss the days when it seemed like every single song spoke to, or for, me!!
Kim - Always good to see you... and thanks, they were fun to remember!
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