Memories

I remember when we got our first telephone. It was black. When you lifted the receiver, a live person on the other end helped you connect to whomever you wished to call. It was a great play thing until my mother walked in and discovered my sister and I repeatedly lifting the receiver to hear the live person offer to help us, and then we’d immediately hang up and then lift the receiver again to hear the voice. Back then things were your fault and children were held accountable.

I remember our first television. It was a large piece of furniture with folks who talked to you on its screen. Pictures on it were in black and white. I remember Howdy Doody. He was a puppet and was very entertaining. I found an episode of the show on youtube. Even now when someone asks me what time it is, I have to refrain from answering, “It’s Howdy Doody Time”. (This particular episode played before I was born.)

I remember when a new bag of marbles was as wonderful as a new video game is to kids today. You always had a bag of your marbles, but to have some new, shiny ones that hadn’t yet rolled around on the dirt and gotten scratched or damaged by being “shot” was a special thing. You’d go out and round up the neighborhood kids who wanted to “play marbles” and one of you would draw a circle on the ground. You’d choose a certain number of marbles to go in the circle, and each of you would put that many of your marbles into the circle. Then you’d take turns using your shooter marble to shoot at the group of marbles inside the circle. You’d have to shoot from outside the circle. Any marbles that rolled out of the circle after your shooter had been shot would become your marbles.You’d have to hope none of the new marbles (you didn’t put them all in at once) you had put inside the circle were shot out, for we often played for “keepsies”, which meant you kept the marbles you won. Playing for “funsies” was never as much fun or as exciting.