Sharing A Laugh With Mom
I spent a good deal of my life growing up in a small town in Southern New Jersey called Woodbury Heights. My childhood home is at one of the far ends of town, the corner of Walnut Ave. and Egg Harbor, now Tanyard, Road. It will always be my home. The Heights was a good place to grow up in the 50's and 60's; small town America with all its virtues. For a few years that corner was my own private world of imaginary friends whose voices I supplied. I was separated from all the kids my own age for a time, simply because they did not live close to me, so I invented my own. I do not remember their names, but we ran and chased each other all around my yard, fighting pirates and exploring the seven seas. Our yard was large; almost an acre, and we had woods bordering us in the back.
I loved the woods. The worlds one created were of story book creatures and Indians, the jungles of Africa and Brazil. It was my Sherwood Forest, and I its Robin Hood, free to spend the day robbing the rich barons who dared trespass my domain. I was master of it all until Mom called me in for supper.
"Soups' on!" was her cry, and the merry men would fade away.
I had to play outside most of the time when I was very young. My father was a railroad man who worked long night shifts at the time. He was always asleep during the day, so I had to be quiet indoors. I preferred my outside world where I was free to whoop and holler.
My world of isolation and imagination would affect my relationship with the outside world in the years to come. It was a world of my own making that I controlled. I became a loner in those years, always able to find something or invent something to do. I was never bored. I guess that's why I cried the first day of Kindergarten. I was being torn away from my Mom and my own private kingdom into a world of strangers and ways unknown to me.
Follow me down this path and we'll go on a journey of youth and memory. Of loyal dogs and shiny new bikes,brothers and friends, a world of joy and irony. Did I understand anything then? Do I know anything now?
Hop on my bike and we'll go for a ride.
I loved the woods. The worlds one created were of story book creatures and Indians, the jungles of Africa and Brazil. It was my Sherwood Forest, and I its Robin Hood, free to spend the day robbing the rich barons who dared trespass my domain. I was master of it all until Mom called me in for supper.
"Soups' on!" was her cry, and the merry men would fade away.
I had to play outside most of the time when I was very young. My father was a railroad man who worked long night shifts at the time. He was always asleep during the day, so I had to be quiet indoors. I preferred my outside world where I was free to whoop and holler.
My world of isolation and imagination would affect my relationship with the outside world in the years to come. It was a world of my own making that I controlled. I became a loner in those years, always able to find something or invent something to do. I was never bored. I guess that's why I cried the first day of Kindergarten. I was being torn away from my Mom and my own private kingdom into a world of strangers and ways unknown to me.
Follow me down this path and we'll go on a journey of youth and memory. Of loyal dogs and shiny new bikes,brothers and friends, a world of joy and irony. Did I understand anything then? Do I know anything now?
Hop on my bike and we'll go for a ride.
2 comments:
Hey Jim,
You need to compile these great stories into a manuscript and get published as a grouping of short stories. I volunteered Patty (your wife) to look into getting this done.
Lora Sparks
I can picture perfectly all you describe. You have a simple way of telling your story without using a lot of words but the ones you do use say it all. I feel I know these men and women, and I want to know more. Can't wait...
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