While Jerri was here last Wednesday waiting for time to pick our Beans up from Pre-school, we were talking about times past, when we were growing up, and how there was never much money. I believe what started that branch of the conversation was how the door on the toy cupboard wouldn't quite close because of all the toys, and bits and pieces of toys, that were stuffed into it, and how lucky our kids were to have all of those toys.
The conversation drifted along, one subject leading to another as conversations tend to do, and then a memory popped into my head of the old hoopty my momma used to drive when I was about 10 years old, or thereabouts.
Back then, we lived about a mile out from a little, tiny, town here in Arkansas that's only about a 35 minute drive from where I live now. My sister's and I went to church in that little town almost every Sunday morning, and evening, and Wednesday evening and most of the time we walked that mile, plus several more yards, to get there. After dark though, Mom would come to pick us up because our imaginations could conjure up all kinds of evil critters and axe murderers along that country lane if she didn't.
Anyway, the memory was of the times we, and some of our friends, would be sitting on the church steps, in the quiet dark of the evening, waiting for our rides. Then, we'd hear this far-off, but very distinctive, roar of tail pipes as a car was cranked up and someone would inevitably say,
"Here comes your Momma."
We knew it was time to start saying goodbye to our friends then cause Momma was on her way. We knew when she got to the end of the lane to turn on another road that lead into town, and we could tell when she slowed down at the end of each street once she got inside the city limits. We'd always be lined up, waiting to get in as soon as she pulled up in front of the church.
We were so lucky to even have a family car those days; I can remember even earlier when we didn't and Momma would have to walk that mile, and more, before daylight, in every sort of weather, to catch a ride with a friend to get to work. So, it didn't bother us one hoot that we had one of the loudest cars in the county; it ran, and we had a ride.
11 comments:
Not having to walk was nice...Especially at night! I just wonder what Our kids and grandkids will remember about Us and Our day...hahaa...Nice memory sweetie! Happy Sunday! Hope you're resting!!hughugs
That reminds me of the klunker of a pick up truck we had when I was growing up! I drove Ol Blue around the community and to the hayfields. I was so thankful that thing died a few months before I turned 16 because my folks said I was going to have to drive it to school!
What a great memory - indeed, I can imagine how glad ya'll were to have a car.
We had a chug-a-lug, and I remember how we kids cried when Dad traded it in - we LOVED ol Henry Hudson!! :)
we had a PINK nash rambler....why my dad ever picked pink, i don't know....but i LOVED it!
xo
kimberly
What a sweet memory and it is good that you can look back and be thankful. My mom never learned to drive. My dad brainwashed her into thinking that woman didn't have that ability. (What a crock!) Of course, it was all a control issue, LOL. Anyhow, we had to walk most everywhere because dad wasn't about to haul us here and there. Sometimes we were lucky to get rides from other parents. Rain, snow, sleet, we walked 2 miles to school. That's just the way it was and we didn't know any different. Kids today have it easy-peasy!
LOL, now doesn't that sound like an old fart's story!? I'm turning into a geezer, I do believe.
what a sweet memory...it's always good to look back and smile on the past!
Boy, remembering the cars of our childhood... my parents had a two tone pink/burgundy studebaker. Do they get much uglier than that? I never thought about what cars look like then and I still don't now. I still like a car that runs... although I am partial to seat heaters in the cold weather...just a sign of getting old!
You know....kids today have no idea what it was like! We did a WHOLE lot of walking and riding our bikes!! For miles and miles! And we didn't seem to mind....we knew that was the only way we were going to get there! Great memories, Brenda!
I remember my mom driving a hoopty back when I was a kid. I remember leaning against the door ( back before seatbelts were invented apparently) and having it pop open and almost falling out! Oh goodness, those were the days!! LOL
This made me laugh out loud! What a wonderful sweet memory of times so much harder, but yet easier!
We did walk alot and bermuda mentioned bike riding. A lot of that. I just remembered the other day about riding with no hands. Yikes...what was I thinking? LOL Couldn't do that today :)
Appreciation was a different (often better) sort of thing then than now.
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