Remember all the silly games you played in grade school? I don't know why, but as I was mowing endless rows of grass today, my mind went drifting back in time.
Simon Says, Mother May I, Red Rover. Do children even know these games? In neighborhoods with lots of kids you could hear the sing-song "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Lucy right over." The smell of fried pork chops would flavor the air, but the kids all ate as fast as they could to go out to play just one more game before bedtime.
I wonder if this memory is so sweet because it was so rare for me to experience this simple pleasure as I grew up. When my Dad had "shore duty" we would live in whatever city he was stationed near. This insured lots of kids in the neighborhood and lots of playtime. Most of the time, though, we lived with my grandparents while my Dad was on the ship for 9 months at a time. That meant isolation in a country dwelling.
I learned to create my own entertainment. No electronic games. We played board games. If you wanted to play solitaire, then you better hope that the lone deck of cards were not in the hands of someone like minded. TV was 3 stations and only two came in well on the black and white TV set we all sat around in the evening ....... with one small fan.
Wonder what my grandchildren would do if they suddenly transported back in time?
As if all the aching muscles were not enough to remind me of my age ........
11 comments:
LOL - reminds me of home, except we had a remote. Or, at least my dad did..."Teresa, come and change the channel!" (In all truth, he'd holler the name of any of us kids.) We also had three channels and my dad hated commercials. LOL - maybe that's why I want to change the channel when one come on.
We played all the outside games, too. We better hear our name being called and get home ASAP.
I grew up on a farm too, no neighborhood children to play with, just the occasional cousin. When I had my children, I wanted them to have playmates, hence why we live in a subdivision. Some of the sons loved it, some of them wished for the freedom of having land to roam. Guess it's each their own.
I still live in a subdivision and I can't help but notice that it's quite, due to the kids today like to play inside instead of outside.
I had to laugh as I read your post. I remember the age of only 3 stations of black and white. I also remember because me and my brother had no technology we were very creative in our play.
In our neighborhood, we played Kick the Can every night. Had to be home by nine to wash our feet and go to bed.
we used to play in the woods out back all the time and build forts and play crazy games...we were not allowed to sit around the house...
My sister and I played outside for HOURS. If there weren't neighborhood kids to play with, we managed to play with each other just fine. Only when it got dark and came inside did we watch TV.
Yes I know what you are saying I was never bored as a child and I am never bored now but nowadays many children seem to complain about being bored which I do not get.......
Our generation is by far more creative, and we are on-the-spot thinkers, all because we used our bodies and our brains instead of our thumbs on a tiny keyboard. We write, sew, and repair, rather than replace things. Those days made us resilient.
I don't think children today know how to entertain themselves without TV or all those electronic devices. You send them outside and they just sit around. I grew up on the edge of town surrounded by woods, fields and the bayou. We'd leave in the morning and be gone all day.
You are just a tiny bit older than I but same memories here. Tons of kids, street games depending on the season, 3 stations on the TV and I remember when shows started to go to color and it would announce "In Living Color" but ours stayed b&w. My parents never could explain that to my satisfaction. Getting the colored TV in the 70s was a huge deal and we only had one in the house until the mid 1980s. The other one was a b&w in the kitchen.
My kids like TV, but aren't glued to it or they computer. They would much rather be outside and like Mamma we live in a subdivision [always have] so our kids have playmates. I had the advantage of that too growing up, plus we spent every single Sunday at my grandparents farm. Still plenty of kids around and we were never inside. Really the only time I can/could get the kids in was when it becomes dark - otherwise there is just too much to do around here between the parks, playgrounds, path and woods.
One of the best things to come out of my childhood was that we all grew up and went our separate ways if word gets out that one the "Saratoga" kids needs help or their old friends for support everyone that is still in there area shows up and those that live farther away send word that they'll be there in a heartbeat and they are. It's a nice circle we had. And it was all inclusive - didn't matter who you were.
Do you remember the national anthem playing at midnight for sign off? I miss that. I wish sometimes that TV still did that. I might go to bed instead of being up all night. heehee
Thanks for the memories Kathy. :)
My childhood was very similar. Came from a family of 6 kids, one bathroom and a 4 bedroom home. Always had to eat what was on our plate...never went hungry...didn't have tons but had enough and had tons of fun. Good times...thanks for bringing back the memories.
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