Things I Miss From Childhood

At 53, I know I am not THAT old. But time does march on and lately I have had some yearnings for "the good old days."

It's not that I want to revert back in time. I love being in the present. We have magical technology that links the world through fingertips. I can take photos and videos on my cell phone. Exploring the world through travel is so much easier and accessible. Dishwashers and microwaves have made my life much more manageable. I love the here and now.

But it might be fun to recover a few items that have been lost in all the progress.

Drive-In Movies. I remember piling into the car as a child. Ma would get us into our pj's, pop some corn for a snack and make a jug of Koolade. Dad would fumble with the speaker box, mumbling a few choice words under his breath before finally settling down to the movie. With our pillows and blankets making us all snugly, we would be fast asleep even before the feature film was presented. When I started dating, going to the drive-in was an excuse for a make-out session. I'm certain that drive-in movies contributed to more than a few surprise pregnancies. Maybe that's why most of them have been torn down.

Soda in glass bottles. Something about soda in bottles that tastes much fresher and colder.

Rotary phones and party lines. There was just something very soothing about placing your index finger into the dial and having the satisfying sound of the return rotation. Though today's push buttons give you much quicker dialing speed, I am sure that I now dial more wrong numbers. As for party lines, I loved sharing a phone line with the neighbors. The telephone had a distinct ring for each household. It was like receiving a prize when your ring came up. Not only that, but I could eavesdrop on another conversation. This is not something I'm proud of and I certainly wouldn't want anyone listening in on my conversation. Just a guilty pleasure as a child.

Full service gas stations. It's rare to find a station attendant that will pump your gas, let alone check your oil or wash your windows. I have reluctantly become accustomed to pumping my own gas but it sure would be nice to not have to do it on cold or rainy days.

Milk delivered to your door. I remember our Hood delivery man. His name was "Red" and he was a cheerful, friendly guy who sometimes slipped us kids an ice cream on hot days. Red never let us run out of milk, butter, eggs or bread. Nowadays, I will make two or three separate trips to the grocery store because I have forgotten to pick up the milk or bread or eggs or butter. Red, where are you when I need you today?

Woolworth's. In case you don't know about Woolworth's, it was a store. But not just any store. It carried a wide variety of items from penny candy to shoes to hardware to kitchen towels. Just about everything and all very cheap. But Woolworth's, to me, was more than just a store. I'd spend hours roaming around with my friends, trying on clothes, buying little trinkets and having a relaxed, fun time. When we got tired of shopping for nothing, we'd have a seat at the store's diner where you could sit on a stool and order the world's best grilled cheese sandwiches, french fries, and chocolate shakes. If I close my eyes, I can still hear the creak of the old, wide plank wood floors and smell the odd combination of mustiness, mothballs and grease that welcomed all who entered Woolworth's.

I'm really not sure what brought on this wave of nostalgia. In any event, a trip down memory lane and a visit to "Happy Days" was fun!