"A grownup is a child with layers on." - Woody Harrelson
Peeling back the layers.
For quite a bit of my childhood, certain family members lived in Arkansas. My mother's parents, Mama Ruth & Daddy Jess, and Aunt Catherine & Uncle Wayne for the most part early on. Here's a couple of photos from a trip we made up there in 1967, right after Daddy bought this Volkswagen Bug.
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| Jesse Oah Allbritton & Clayon Stutts |
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| Daddy and my little dog Susie |
Aunt Catherine's youngest son was named Luke, after the Rifleman, and I called him Lukey. He was a couple of years older than me. The only boy I ever really played with. At times we got along well, and at times he called me stupid and baby. Despite our natural ups and downs, we made memories together. One of my fondest memories of our times together, was up in Arkansas. There were cool evenings, but not cold. At dusk we'd go out and lay on the steps, look up at the stars and take turns making up stories and adventures with us as Tonto and the Lone Ranger. Our imaginations were vivid and the duo did things far beyond their exploits on TV.
Did you often play games with the opposite sex? How did the older children treat you? Who did you pretend to be?
Thanks for sharing!
Barbara
My mom had a Volkswagon Bug. I didn't spend much time with boys. Just brothers. Mine and my "best" friend's. (She wasn't a great friend in the end.)
ReplyDeleteSometimes I'd really wish I had a brother, and other times I was really glad I didn't. Seems like most everyone has a "friend" at some point that turns out not to be much of a friend.
DeleteMy dad had a transferable job and every time we made friends he would be transferred in a couple of years. It was always a nomadic existence. But it prepared me for a tough life.
ReplyDeleteNice post
I can see how that could be hard at times. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for sharing.
DeleteI always pretended to be the school teacher or the mommy. Everybody else was younger than me, so I got to choose. :)
ReplyDeleteOur house was the Kool-Aid house when I was a kid. The neighborhood kids all came to our house to play. The group of kids that we played with were both boys and girls. We loved playing baseball. I remember one time a boy my brothers' age wanted the bat. Well, I wanted it, too. We got into a tussle over it. Both of us were being hard-headed. We got to find out exactly how hard his head was when I let go of that bat! You could hear that sound all over the neighborhood as that bat made contact with his noggin. Down he went, holding his head crying in pain and into the house I went because I knew I'd be in trouble. They would think that I hit him on purpose. I didn't. I just let go of the bat and nature took care of the rest. I locked myself in the bathroom and watched from the window. I don't remember anything about what happened after that.
I always thought it was fun to lie down in the yard and look up at the stars. I still do, only these yards have snakes in them. My little girl yard didn't. :)
I enjoyed your post. Have a blessed weekend!
Thanks for sharing your memory here! Sounds like y'all had fun days! Well, except for that one boy on that one day. ;)
DeleteYou're welcome. It was great being the Kool-aid house. :)
DeleteI wonder if that boy even remembers? haha
In our neighborhood it was kids of all ages boys and girls who played together. Great memories and good times.
ReplyDeleteI’m exploring different types of dreams and their meanings.
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We usually lived in the country, so we didn't have the neighborhood thing going on. Too far from each other for our parents to let us out on our own. When I was older we did live in a neighborhood. I spent a lot of time with a girl named Debbie and her brothers.
DeleteThe only person of the opposite sex I got to play with as a child was my sister, six years older than I. And I didn't have many neighbors, either, so I did a lot of role-playing in our fields. The Lone Ranger was and is one of my all-time favorites.
ReplyDeleteOh, your poor dear! Hope your sister treated you well. At least you got to really use your imagination!
DeleteI played with two brothers that lived a few doors down from me. We'd get on our bikes and pretend to be taking trips, like riding to Argentina and we had fake names. Mine was Marcia (probably after Marcia in the Brady Bunch!). When we finished our "trip", we'd lay on the grass and look at the clouds rolling by and try to pick out animal shapes and faces. What a giggle to think back to those days! Thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteMichele at Angels Bark
Sounds like good fun! Thank you for sharing.
DeleteI have 3 sisters and no brothers, so not much youth boy action went on. I do have a boy cousin that is quite a few years younger and we loved hanging with him and his little sister. But, sadly, my mom's sister (his mom) died young and we didn't see him much after that. I played with more boys when I was older. :)
ReplyDeleteOkay you rascal. ;) A shame about your Aunt passing so young, and the way it changed the family dynamic.
DeleteI have always lived in the city, which means there was usually a big group of us all playing together. Boys and girls. Throw into the mix I have an older sister, and a younger brother, all of us within four years of age, playing with the opposite sex was inevitable.
ReplyDeleteI can hardly comprehend what it would be like to be a child and grow up in the city. I've really never spent much time in one as a child or an adult.
DeleteWhen I was a teenager, I thought all the coolest people had a VW bug.
ReplyDeleteMy younger brother, by a year, and I were best friends growing up on the farm. We passed football and baseball for hours, hunted together with her BB guns and went ice skating and sled riding well into the winter nights. And of course, we baled hay and milked cows together. He's still the best brother ever. I hope my own children love each other as much.
Susan Says
Those are some awesome memories! Thanks for sharing them here.
DeleteWhen I was in elementary school all of the neighborhood kids played together. My favorite memories were the evenings. We would search for fireflies and we would all play kickball together. I know I wasn't much of an athlete, but I don't remember being teased and I was included in the game. Loved those summer nights.
ReplyDeleteOh, Carol, that does sound like fun! Kickball was a great game. Do children even play that any more?
DeleteI love seeing thos old photos :-)
ReplyDelete@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter - Jazz Age Jazz
Yes, reminds us of a simpler time!
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