Childhood Memories

This is suppose to be the most magical time of our lives, where things are surrounded by mystery, ghosts and goblins abound, where things go bump in the night, and at bedtime there is always something under the bed or in the closet.

I can remember one time when I was about ten, my mom wanted me to go down to the cellar and get some coal. The entrance to our cellar was outside and down about ten steps to the door, that alone was scary, it was like entering a cave of long ago. You had to feel inside the door for a chain and then pull it, it was torture until your hand came in contact with the chain and pulled it. This is not to mention the light added to the eerie shadows that reflected on the walls, it was probably a low watt bulb. I scooped up the coal in the coal bucket, turned off the light and ran back to the house. After that I made sure we had coal in the bucket before dark.

I have many fond memories of my childhood, the one sad thing was the death of my father, he was killed at work, in the steel mill in Pittsburg, Pa., it was October, 1942. I can remember how we always listened to the news broadcasts to see how the war was going, it was World War 2. and they had just announced that America was going to be bombed. I spent most of that night looking out the window for airplanes. My Dad was a good father, but very strict, we loved him for the short time that he was allowed to live on earth.

From birth there are phases of growth, infant, childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Our greatest adult fears were created by childhood memories, even our attitudes, perspectives, expectations and our adult view of life are influenced by childhood memories.

When we were kids it did not take much to make us happy, we were always thinking up games to play, not much time was spent indoors. I don't know about you, but it seems like yesterday we were running and playing, following a favorite creek, pretending it was a river and you may see a ship or two. Pretending when you were a kid is lost in adults, we have lost the ability to enter that magical kingdom again, in a way this is sad. Even so, memories is powerful, I think everyday of adult life is touched by memories of childhood experiences.

Most of us have siblings that share in our childhood memories, if you were close to a brother or sister you are blessed to have had someone to remember some of your happy and sad times. Sharing our memories with others is one of the most generous things we can do. Most of us have photos of our young days, this is a moment captured in time that will live on long after we do not. It is fun to rummage through the pictures of the past and say I don't remember that one, I can't remember looking like that.

Childhood was such a short lived part of our lives. Remember when Mom would say just wait you are little for just a short time and then you are big forever, so lets not rush things. I wish I could tell my mom she was right. So lets say goodbye to being young, many years have passed since those glorious days gone by. If you have a childhood story, I would like to hear it.