There comes an age in your life when you start thinking of the past more than the future. I'm not sure when this happens. It might be a gradual thing, but I am definitely there. I guess the good (and some bad) memories you have are more powerful than the future. I spent my whole life taking care of people. Before my husband died I never lived alone. I am adjusting but every time I see a wild animal or see a beautiful sunrise, I either post it for strangers or just enjoy it on my own. I still cook. I make soup because I made soup and rice pudding every week for my dad. I bake bread and cookies just because that is what I have always done. It was mostly to save money, but it's just what I do. All those memories made me who I am. Life is meant to share, and that is the hardest adjustment. Life is good but it's just different. Friends come and go. Now friendships are mostly through email and texts. Written words are just not the same as a familiar voice but that too is how it is.
Recently I saw a post on Facebook about a skating rink that was set up at a Catholic church in the town I grew up in. It was the place to go in the 1950's and 1960's. It was so much fun. I lived about 3 blocks away and nearly every day we would trek up a big hill to get to the skating rink. I don't remember a lot about the details, but I remember loving it. I am not sure when it opened or when it closed but eventually a new building was built over the land where the rink and warming house were. Time marches on but it was a good memory.
I don't know if such a skating rink would be as popular now days. I have seen skating rinks in other towns, but they are never crowded like the rink of my childhood or are memory details different than reality? When I was in fifth grade and my sister was in first grade, our dad would flood our backyard in the winter. At that time we could go out after school or on weekends. It was great fun. We built forts in snow piles and would play in the snow for hours. I don't remember being cold.
We weren't addicted to technology and we had to make our own fun. I think my dad was happy when we moved close enough to the church and we could go to skating at St. Ann's church, but I can remember him out every night trying to get a good ice base for us to skate on. I found this picture of my Uncle Jeff (yes I have an uncle who if younger than me) and our little neighbor girl Wendy from that era. This looks more like spring but still chilly. I remember wearing that outfit to skate in. I guess I thought I looked fancy. Oh brother.
Since skating was such a big part of my childhood, I thought it would be a good idea to offer the same experience to my daughters when they were young. I don't think it worked so well. I have no pictures and all I remember of that time was a big patch of dead grass. My dad never killed the grass, but we sure did.
I had a friend who also flooded their backyard for their children and neighbor kids. It was another good memory and I don't think their grass died either. Now we have pictures for every breath we take, but I don't have pictures of that either.
It was a slower time of life and our needs were small. We played outside and didn't have all the activities and the stress those commitments bring to young people and others as well. I keep my life very calm and quiet, but that isn't the way it is today for most families.
We were so obedient. We ate whatever we were given, wore whatever we could afford and generally respected our elders. My parents didn't spank us but we sure knew when they weren't pleased. I think this way of living made us a kinder generation. I could go on and on, but I won't. I will live with my good memories. Who knows what I will remember in the coming years. I do know that although I didn't appreciate it all the time, I had a really good life. Those whom I envied over the years turned out to be not what they appeared to be. I am glad I lived long enough to figure some of that out.
