I Remember.....

I’m sure we all have memories of not so long ago of better days. Below are just a few memories of my childhood…enjoy!

I remember Christmas as a child. This being the most magical holiday ever! Carolers would come to the courtyard of the building we lived in to sing Christmas Carols. My family and I would look out the window and enjoy the moment. The singing may not have been great, but the meaning and the moment were memorable. My sister and I could not wait for “The Grinch who Stole Christmas”, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, and “The Year without a Santa Claus (“I’m Mr. Green Christmas, I’m Mr. Sun. I’m Mr. Heat Blister; I’m Mr. One hundred and One…”) to come on non-cable television. We would make every effort to have our homework completed, the dishes cleaned and our baths, by the time 8pm came so we could watch these shows every year. On Christmas morning we would wake up to all of our toys and games. There were three girls, so we shared quite a bit. My family did not have much, but on Christmas morning it seemed as though our entire living room was filled. Easy Bake Oven, Doll Houses, Baby Alive, Jenny Jones and Baby John, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, The “Operation” Game…etc. Amazing!

I remember Easter Sunday as a child. I’m not sure if Easter can compare or if it even means the same for children of today as it meant when I was growing up, but I could not wait for Easter Sunday to arrive. We had two new sets of clothes to be excited about. We had the new Church clothes; you know those black shiny patent leather shoes, white tights, white hat with flowers surrounding the brim, white cape/ knit shawl, white gloves and a cute little girlie purse to match. We can’t forget the fresh press and curl our mother used to do in the kitchen with the straightening comb over the stove, with a dap of “Afro-Sheen Pressing Grease/Cream” on the back of her hand. We were clean!!! When we returned from that two hour sermon about “Jesus Christ our Savior”, we could not wait to put on our second set of clothes, the cool clothes…yeah baby! I don’t particularly remember the outfit I had, but I do remember my black marshmallow shoes with the little flower on the side. Now, anybody who knew about these shoes, knew the official ones had no flowers. Mine were not the official ones. My marshmallow bottom was a half inch of hard azz plastic. My sisters had the real marshmallow shoes – dag!

I remember Summer Time as a child. In the early 70’s (1972-1973), my family lived in an area of New York City known as the South Bronx, in a neighborhood of connecting tenement buildings. There was a Bodega on one corner, and a Laundromat on the other. Our neighborhood was live! I remember folk sitting on the stoop (stairs to those who don’t know what a stoop is) of our building, drinking soda, eating, or cornbraiding someone’s hair. I had to stay in the front of the building where my mother would be able to see me if she looked out the window. My sisters had the freedom to roam from one corner of the block to the next. That was the extent/perimeter of their hanging out, corner to corner. If my mother looked out that window and did not see us, she would be on her way downstairs to "wreak" havoc. There were girls playing double-Dutch, and hop scotch on the sidewalk. People would be playing jacks on the stoop, and hand games (i.e., Mizz Mary Mack, Mack, Mack. All dressed in black, black, black. with silver buttons, buttons…etc.). In the street there were young men playing basketball with the hoop being a plastic crate that had no bottom, posted on the utility pole of the block. There were also people playing “skelze” (sp?) in the street. Some may not be familiar with skelze, but it was a cool game back in the day. When it was extremely hot, someone would turn on the Johnny Pump. There was always someone who had the can and placed it at the opening of the pump to make the water go up in the air, and everywhere else. I used to love getting wet, it was great! When it was time to go upstairs my mother would yell out the window (ghetto, I know, but acceptable back then) for us to come upstairs. We would beg to stay outside and sometimes she let us, but when she didn’t, we would go upstairs and get on the fire escape and watch those who were still outside playing.

I have so many fond memories of my childhood. Life was good! My mother raised her three daughters to the best of her ability and I must say she did a pretty good job. At times she was strict. One of many of her sayings was “I am not your friend - I’m your mother and you will do as I say. When you become grown we can be friends, but not until then….” meaning her way was the law. I appreciate this saying, and understand it completely. I don’t raise my children as my mother raised us and I do not necessarily ascribe to her philosophy. My sons and I are very close, I am their friend to an extent and they completely understand that I am in charge. I tell them how lucky children are today and how good they have it. The contrast between growing up when I was a child and my children is remarkable. My children receive an allowance, and I did not. I think because of that, I know how to save, and I believe that some children these days are wasteful and take things for granted. My children have the latest fashions and electronics in excess, and as a child I was lucky to have one pair of sneakers. My son will have his own car before he graduates High School and I was lucky to have a bike! My sons and I go on two family vacations per year, and as a child I cannot recall us going on any vacations at all. My son can ask me for one hundred dollars with no problem and get it. I wouldn’t dream of asking my mom for that amount of money, more or less expect to get it if I did ask.

Times have changed dramatically. As we watch our children grow, and see the generational changes, we can remember with fondness how it used to be back in the day.

Talk to me…
DDW