REMEMBER I WAS THERE

3-3-11...REMEMBER I WAS THERE

Boon-docks? There was a song in the 50's called Down In The Boon-docks. It declared “People put me down cause that's the kind of town I was born in”. Another song proclaimed Someone was born on the wrong side of the tracks. Now I don't know much about the other side but I grew up almost sitting on the tracks. That was a long time ago, and I'm not saying how long for sure. I'll just say I remember steam engines. Do your own math.

There was only one car per. family , if that many. Daddy took it to work and the rest of us walked. Everyone rode the big yellow school bus. No seat belts, not much heat and no AC. The school had radiators and no AC. My home had a teeny bit of heat and no AC. Stores and businesses had heat but no AC. We were all in basically the same circumstances didn't matter if you were across the tracks or in the boon-docks.

Food was raised in the garden that was plowed with a horse and turning plow. Mamma canned the veggies. We had a hog and chickens to feed and then to eat. Our horse was Ol' Dixie and I loved that old horse. Ol' Dixie loved me too. I could tell you a bunch of stories about Ol' Dixie.

No one sat around and watched TV. Main reason for that was we had no TV. We all worked together on most of our chores and we did have chores. We never even considered arguing about it.Playing was great especially in the summertime. We didn't need a bunch of toys. We climbed trees, made mud pies, waded ditches after rain, played softball with a board and old sock full of beans, played hop-scotch, jumped rope, and ran up the roads barefoot. I have no idea what the heck most of the toys are today. I was going to buy my Great Niece and Nephew Christmas presents and that was an awful ordeal. I picked up things and had no idea what they did. I tried to go by price but everything was expensive. I saw a Barbie doll and thought I had found the perfect thing for my 8YR. Old niece. It was pretty but I didn't much care for the clothes it had on. Then that blamed thing started making noises and twitching and moving. Scared the heck outta me so I put it down fast. Another lady standing there with one in her cart told me, “That's a computerized Barbie.” WHAT!! Oh Good Grief! Am I that old that I don't even know what toys are. Embarrassing to say the least. I gave up and put money in cards for them. When I was 8 I doubt if I would have been as happy with money as I would have a gift to unwrap no matter the cost. I never had more than a penny for penny candy. Remember the little penny candy sacks? You could get it full of candy for a penny. One penny was enough for all of us to have candy.

I love the boon-docks and I love the tracks and trains. Nothing much has changed with me for many a year. I don't much like change. Is that a sign of age being set in my ways? NAWWW! Couldn't be.