The other day I discovered the website of a neighborhood where I grew up many-many years ago. I was surprised and elated to see the faces and names of my childhood friends. I remember playing with the two girls (back left) Susie and Sunny. Funny how seeing this photo placed me smack dab in Susie's home across the street from our home. I can picture her dad, brothers, mom.
Life takes us far away, but somehow, and sometimes it circles us back "home." Everyone sat on porches on hot summer evenings. We went indoors to listen to 15 minute serial radio programs: Jack Benny, Young Dr. Malone and so many more. Television was just making its debut. Black and white!
The milk man delivered milk in an enclosed carriage, pulled by a single horse. And if we were lucky, he would use an ice pick to break off a chunk of ice and toss it on the grass for us. Sucking on a large ice chip on a hot summer day was a delight. Walnut Park was the last St. Louis neighborhood to have horse-drawn milk delivery wagons. Two dairies thrived in that area.
My Italian grandpa, who I called Pappy, died when I was five. He would sit on the front porch with me and drum his fingers on the rail. "Listen, hear the horses clopping our way?"
Try as I may, I could never get my little hands to make that galloping sound.
Too bad the neighborhood is a high crime area, too dangerous to drive through. I sure did leave my early childhood memories there.
I do not own the rights to this photo. But I am delighted to share it with you.
6 comments:
Love the post, Linda! It's such a sweet delight to revisit childhood memories.
Linda--Wonderful architecture. Lovely memories. Home--our home when we were young--continues to pull us even decades later.
I've heard so much about that area, and how it was vibrant years ago. So sad it's changed.
I was amazed how small my childhood street was, when I took a drive after returning home from college. We spent the evenings catching lightning bugs, and playing "kick the can" with our neighborhood cronies. Some of whom would show up at suppertime, cupping their palms around their face to peer through our screen door, and ask if we could come out yet.
Milk delivered in a horse carriage? Wow. I remember we used to get it delivered to the front porch when I was growing up. Those were the good 'ole days for sure. I love the name you called your grandpa, Pappy. I bet it was so nice to see your childhood friends and reminiscing. I remember playing Barbies and Trolls with my neighborhood friends, and we were entertained for hours.
~Sheri
Things are changing, and not to the best. We should cherish our childhood memories as they are a constant in our life. We don't know if any good lies ahead of us.
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