- Fogey's
Memories
- If
you're from my generation -- hang in there!
- If
you're not, you might have missed a few things:
-
- I
remember homemade toys.
- I
remember peeling tomatoes.
- I
remember snacking IN the garden.
-
- I
remember school desks with inkwells.
- I
remember when gentlemen held doors for ladies.
- I
remember when men caught fish & women cleaned them.
-
- I
remember playing baseball.
- I
remember neighbors who played baseball.
- I
remember when baseball was a game,
- not
an investment for the pompous.
-
- I
remember when it was legal to hand-out Bibles on campus.
- I
remember girls who were beautiful, all the way through.
- I
remember when prayers, not weapons were in school.
-
- I
remember the wondrous things in our scrap-iron pile.
- I
remember trapping gophers for comic-book money.
- I
remember long conversations with animals.
-
- I
remember CREAM & sugar on cereal.
- I
remember rhubarb upside-down cake.
- I
remember canning peaches.
-
-
- I
remember the smell of cut hay.
- I
remember the smell of lumber.
- I
remember the smell of death.
-
-
- I've
seen people die for their flag.
- I've
seen people die for small freedoms.
- I've
seen men salute as the flag went by.
-
- Our
house contained love, caring, hotdish, home-made rolls
& jam.
-
- In
our house, Mom was the nurse & Dad was the law.
- In
our house, we were all students and teachers.
- In
our house, we all attended supper.
-
- In
our house, the gift of food wasn't wasted.
- Nor
was the importance of decency.
- In
our house, we either spoke politely or not at all.
-
- In
our house, the rewards and punishments were
- simple
enough for a child to understand,
- and
real enough to remember.
-
- In
our house we obeyed our parents,
- not
from fear of punishment
- but
for fear of disappointing them.
-
- Our
neighbors were forgiving & understanding,
- because
we all needed each other.
- Neighbors
even prayed for neighbors.
- I
remember cars with trunks.
- I
mean real trunks.
- Tall
enough for cream cans.
- I
remember when cars looked distinct.
- I
remember tailfins, bullet lights and chrome.
- Not
cloned plastic bubbles.
- I
remember the first Thunderbird.
- I
remember going 120.
- I
remember losing my hat.
-
- I
remember losing my way.
- I
remember losing my values.
- I
remember losing my direction.
- I
remember being hopelessly lost,
- thoroughly
confused and desparate.
- I
remember hurting,
- and
being scared
- and
crying.
- Only
memories guided me back.
-
- I
remember years of playing by myself.
- I
remember every one of the playground bullies.
- Only
the certainty of my Creator's judgement
- prevents
me from naming them right here.
Okay, enough old times -- let's have some
fun!
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