~Share a magical memory from your childhood thread~

by FlyingHighNow 44 Replies latest jw friends

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  FlyingHighNow

  We all had those moments in childhood that were pure magic. Moments that were full of wonder that brought us great joy. Sometimes those memories are connected with music or certain fragrances. This thread is for the purpose of sharing your memorable childhood whimsical experiences.

  I don't remember a time during my childhood that I didn't go at life with gusto. I was the five year old swinging up through the air at the playground, singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer at the top of my lungs. It's hard to single out just one memory.

  When I was five, I recall being told by my mother that we were going to go see a Mardi Gras parade that evening. We lived in Mobile, Alabama, the home of the first Mardi Gras celebrations. (They later brought it to New Orleans.) I had not been to a parade before and this was my introduction to Mardi Gras.

  My older siblings explained what a parade was. We jumped up and down screaming, "Goody, goody gumdrops!!" And then began the several hour countdown to the parade. That wait seemed more like years. Finally, armed with brown grocery bags for the candy, necklaces, doubloons, toys, etc. of which we planned to catch a bounty, we found ourselves on a city street corner. The sun had already set. We threw spirals of colorful serpentine paper in the air. The gorgeous floats went by and we scrambled to catch our loot.

  Then a float stopped right in front of us. And there he was: Louis Armstrong. He was maybe 10 feet away, if that. He smiled his amazingly huge smile, I've never seen one to rival it, and looked right at us. Then someone said, "Mobile, we give you Mr. Louis Armstrong!" He began to sing "Hello, Dolly!" and of course he played his trumpet. I had never felt such charisma and magic coming from one person in my life. I was spellbound, as was everyone else. I fell in love with the performer and am a fan to this day. Now Andy and my two grandsons are fans as well. The boys ask me to play Louis for them as they fall off to sleep.

  I also fell in love with Mardi Gras, which sadly I have not been to since our family moved from SE Louisiana in 1970. I understand that Mobile still puts on a fabulous week of Mardi Gras balls, parties and parades. The crowds aren't as huge as the ones in Pre-Katrina NOLA. I hope to head down there some time. May Mr. Louis rest in peace.

  Please share some happy childhood memory. It could be as simple as picking honeysuckles, the way they smelled and tasted, the first time someone showed you that you could suckle the nectar... It could be buying your first 45 record. Mine was Eleanor Rigby/Yellow Submarine.
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  BabaYaga

  Dang, that was a WONDERFUL story, FlyingHigh!
  
  I may or not be able to come up with a magic story of my own, I just wanted you to know I appreciated this one. *grin*
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  FlyingHighNow

  Why thank you, Baba, I bet you've got several stored up in there somewhere. I'm looking forward to hearing at least one of them. Maybe when you've had some sleep? I am thinking this thread, if it gets some support, could cheer a lot of people up. No one sees the world as it is seen through the eyes of a child. And who can tell a memory more warmly than an adult who has carried and kept safe, a cherished experience, in his/her heart for many years?

  Maybe you were lucky like me and had a grandpappy who played swing era 78's on a victrola and said oky doky in a huge suthin' accent. Or one who used to trade you pure silver dollars for your paper dollars because the silver ones were "weighing down' his pockets.
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  Frannie Banannie

  FHN, you da MA'AM! That was a great experience. I'm a Louis Armstrong fan myself. I can even imitate his singing...

  I have one from when I was between 6 and 8 yo. I used to go to Houston to visit my Dad every third weekend of the month and for one month during the summer as that was the visitation arrangement after my Mom and Dad divorced.

  Anyway, I had an Aunt Lolette who was married to my Dad's brother, Uncle Paul. When I was in Houston and my Dad was working, he'd often leave me with Aunt Lolette for the day. Lawdhammercy, you couldn't find a happier camper than me. I LOVED Aunt Lolette! She was great and had a wonderful house for children to play in. I don't know if anyone remembers me telling about a humongous oak tree in my Aunt's front yard that my Mom had to climb up almost to the top of to rescue me one day, but this was the house it was in front of.

  It was a HUGE 3-story frame house with verandas and gables and AN ATTIC, located in the Heights in Houston, Texas. It's since been torn down and replaced by clinics and other private businesses, but it was MAGIC when I went there.

  I was thrilled one day when I discovered one of the doors in the third story hallway opened onto a hidden stairway that led to an attic. I sneaked up to explore the attic one day and discovered a TREASURE TROVE of wonderful things to play with. There were trunks FULL of women's clothing from the 20's, 30's & 40's and SHOES and HATS to try on! Man-Oh-Man! There were guitars for strumming and a couple of accordions. One of the accordions was just a small handheld and I called it a "La-la." There was also a 6' diameter sombrero hung on the wall of the attic, which I finally managed to struggle with until I got it down on the attic floor so I could strum the guitar and do a Mexican Hat Dance. My Aunt heard me stomping and strumming when I did that and she had to come up and investigate. But, yanno? She never minded me playing up there, because I wasn't hurting anything, nor myself. She also always knew where I was and I wasn't under her feet pestering her with a bunch of questions....heh

  That was only one of a few magic times that I remember from my childhood.
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  FlyingHighNow

  I love it, Frannie. I lived in Houston and had my daughter there, down at Jeff Davis.

  What little girl or boy wouldn't have wanted to spend their days at house like that. Attics and treasures, especially dress up clothes. I think I'll daydream about Aunt Lolette's while I fall off to sleep. In your case, divorce at least gave you some happy memories. Thank you so much for sharing these of Aunt Lolette's.

  Your Aunt sounds a lot like my mother's dad, who made us call him Uncle Green Daddy. Grand Pappy was my daddy's dad. I could tell a million stories about both sets of grandparents.
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  Frannie Banannie

  Thanks, FHN. I think most of my "magic" moments were from my visits to my Dad in Houston. I was a "middle child" so it was great not having other siblings around for a change, especially my older sis, who was snotty and domineering.

  My mother never liked my paternal g/mother, but I sure did. She was great to me, too, and sometimes I stayed with her. She lived in a two bedroom house near South Main near a large park. There was a screened-in little private porch that I could play on and my g/mother taught me to sew on a Singer sewing machine with the treadle. She helped me learn how to make a linen tablecloth with 4 napkins that were all fringed for a wedding present when my older sis got married when I was 9 yo.

  You're gonna hafta tell us some stories about those grandparents of yours, FHN. Aren't g/parents magical? They are such fun....or at least can be. My maternal g/mom was an *sshole. I never wanted to go see her.

  I didn't know you lived in Houston at one time, FHN. You'll hafta tell me about that. I lived there in 1965 and had my oldest son there at Memorial Baptist. He had surgery at St. Luke's Children's Hosp when he was 5 1/2 wks old. That's the son I've just been reunited with. :)

  Have fun with Aunt Lolette tonight, FHN. She was blond and blue-eyed and very pretty and sweet...and FUN!

  Frannie
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  buffalosrfree

  The moment I remember most, was when up on Black Mesa in Colorado, when as a young man I was walking along a path high in the mountains made by animals and mostly cattle. It was very foggy or at least the cloud layer was very low. You couldn't see much more than 10-20 yards in front of your face and I was following several cattle down toward a watering hole. Upon arrival I got to see up close and personal one of the biggest Elk I had ever seen in my life. I was armed it wasn't season and It was beautiful. The elk was drinking water and being very watchful at the same time. It was a moment of beauty and wonder. Beauty of the scenery, the elk, the cattle, and the fog/clound cover. I still remember it like it was just moments ago. I had a 300 remington magnum with me fully loaded and didn't even think of spoiling the moment by shooting it, which I could have done and no one the wiser.

  Anonther magical moment concerned fishing with my parents at a place called Brush Hollow in Penrose Colorado. We went setting along the bank drowning various baits and it was getting to be sundown. We were below the hills to the west of us at the far western end of Brush Hollow and when looking up my stepdad said oh my gosh look at that, my mother and I did along with my younger siblings and there outlined by the sunset was one of the biggest Mule deer bucks I had seen up to that time. Outlined by the setting sun it stood there majestically and filled me with wonder and appreciation for God's creation. It stood there for a good 10-15 minutes outlined like that before moving on. That memory will also stay with me forever (until I die anyway) and is one of my favorite childhood/teenhood memories.
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  becca1

  That really was a sweet memory, and I am so glad you had such a lovely childhood. As a mom I worked hard to give my kids plenty of opportunities to experience life and create happy memories. Be happy you have these memories and treasure them, pass them on for others to enjoy, as you did here. Not all of us have them but we can live vicariously through people like you.
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  daystar

  Gods, there are so many...

  When I got my first camera, a Polaroid, many mornings I had extra time after getting ready for school and I'd spend it taking photos of the sunrise, the clouds, etc... They weren't the best photos, but I just felt the urge to capture the beauty.

  And another time... I climbed out of bed in the middle of the night. My parents were asleep. I selected four or five of my dearest items from my room, a smallish stuffed dog, a wooden bomber my dad and I had made, etc. I took them all and my camera into the bathroom. I set each one of them on the toilet lid and took photos of them.

  I still have these photos, but I can only guess why I did that. I can remember feeling like I might soon not be able to have them and wanted to capture them on film perhaps... I don't know really...
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  restrangled

  Great thread!

  When my younger brothers and I were probably, (8, 6 and 5 years old) There was a freak snowstorm in Chicago. The drifts were at least 10 feet high and my father was not able to get home from downtown for about 4 days. School was cancelled and we spent 10 hours a day scooping out igloos in the drifts as every kid did in the neighborhood. There were magnificant snow ball fights between neighboring kids. It was total abandon to play and use of our imaginations. The time was magical and surreal.

  There is a strange peaceful quiet after snow falls and this mood lasted for days even for adults. Because my dad was not able to get back, there were no meetings, and only simple meals to cook... my mother relaxed......we thrived in the atmosphere.

  Finally one evening in the twilight, with the snow hardened we saw our father walking down the street coming home. He had taken the train back. We ran to greet him.

  That time is a magical memory for me.

  r.