Todays children would probably fall down laughing at our pre TV, pre tech entertainment.
My sisters and I would spend hours playing with Paper Dolls and even more time designing new clothes for them.
We would take turns Jumping Rope, we only had one rope for the three of us and it never occured to us that we were deprived because we had to share.
We played Jacks together or individually and on sudays we would take them to our grandparents and to play with our cousins and aunts.
One Christmas we each received a pair of Roller Skates. There of course were no pads to protect arms and legs so we always had scabbed knees and elbows. What a status symbol it was to have a skate key on a string around our necks!
When my family would go to my Goode grandparents on a sunday we would join our cousins, we had many, in the Conestoga Wagon or 'Prairie Schooner' as my grandpa called it. He still used it as a farm wagon. In it we would become pioneers traveling across the frontier fighting indians and other hardships.
We would lie in front of the Philco listening to the Lone Ranger, Amos and Andy, Fibber McGee and Molly, Sgt. Preston of the Yukon and of course that scary one Inner Sanctum. Just hearing that squeaky door opening during the intro would cause a spine tingling shiver!!
We also loved impromptu plays, one of us would write a script and the others would gather costumes and props. We would preform for our parents, our cousins, neighbors or just for our selves. Sometimes Mom would bake cookies to give to our audience, maybe that was to keep them coming back. These plays were especially fun when our younger siblings were born and we could include them too.
My Dad built us a tree house which was about 20 feet high. Not only did we play house up there but we also pretended to live with Tarzan or the Swiss Family Robinson. We would put our 'props' in a basket and pull it up with a rope then we would be set for an afternoon of fun! I sort of lost interest in it after I fell about 10 feet when a step broke under me. I didnt break anything but I was banged up for quite awhile.
It didnt take much to keep us happy because we just used our imaginations!
8 comments:
Nancy, What a great memory you have for the details of our early childhood activities. I had totally forgotten about Sgt. Preston, and what was his dog's name? You are correct in noting that we had to use our imaginations. I feel sorry for my grandchildren who would have no play if it weren't for the video games and TV. I am emailing your article on to my sister who was a friend of your sister, Billie.
What a delight! Yes, does anyone remember Sgt. Preston's dog's name? I can't quite bring it to mind, but feel it is on the tip of my tongue.
When we share memories like this it refreshes all our memory banks. Perhaps we have discovered a true antidote to Alzheimers!
Keep them coming, Nancy!
Do you remember how, in every program, Fibber McGee or Molly went to the closet to get something and then the sound effects guys had a field day simulating all the junk that would fall out! They always gave you fair warning that they were going to open the closet so you could get the laughs ready.
Also, the character who always had a "check for a short beer" in his pocket. What was his name??
Yukon King was the dog's name.
Looks like Dick is the only one of us old folks that doesn't have Alzheimers.
Yes, now I remember his famous line, "On, King. On you huskies."
(Couldn't resist putting that old Philco up again, since Nancy mentioned it.)
What a wonderful childhood, Nancy ... and an uncanny ability to nicely share some of it with us. "Thanks for the Memories" - Bob Hope
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