Yesterday in class I was talking with the kids about photo albums. The Religion book was using it as an “opener” to the lesson. In the lesson, they’d be looking at “snapshots” of the early Christian church – particularly in regard to how it grew.
So anyway, I talked about how my siblings and I loved to look at our “baby books”, which were albums from our early lives. I even had a picture to show them. A few years ago for a chapel message, I showed pictures of my birthdays from 1 year-old to 10 years-old. My sixth birthday picture always makes me laugh. I’m wearing a purple shirt that I think I liked. (It also appears in my seveth birthday picture). I also laugh because Beth has been banished to another table. In the picture, she’s kind of twisting her head around and peeking over my shoulder. Hehe… Poor Beth: little sisters ruin everything, so they must be exiled.
In the picture, clockwise, from the bottom left: Jimmy Baskin, Keith Ledbetter, Beth, Me, Robby Price, Patrick Randolph, and Brent.
That shirt is ROCKIN’! America’s troubles began the day that little boys stopped buttoning their pointy-collared shirts all the way to the top.
I can’t believe you remember all those names!
Agreed. That was freaky, Brad.
Perhaps as my memory of immediate events gets worse, I am remembering the distant past better. They each have one strong memory attached to them:
Jimmy – I got stung by a bee once and his mom tore open one of her cigarettes, wet the tobacco, and put it on the wound. It made it feel better.
Keith – While playing in the woods behind his house we once found a dead animal that was about the same size as a cat. It was a rat. A huge rat.
Robby – While staying overnight, I spent a day at the pool and spent too much time in the sun. I got sun poisoning and threw up all over their hallway carpet.
Patrick – I got really mad at him once in kindergarten and said “I’ll knock your curls straight!” I immediately felt bad about it. It still makes me cringe a little.
See, this is why you even have this “memory archive” – so when the Alzheimer’s sets in (not even funny, Carol) you can look back and reminisce…from the same page…every day if need be…if you can remember your own URL by then…
I think I had a shirt like little Jimmy Baskins. It took me way too long to figure out who was who, because I wanted to go left to right instead of clockwise.
In grade school our merry-go-round directions were “the dizzy way” and “the milky way”, but I don’t recall which was which anymore.
Yea. You guys sucked.
But the picture that really blows it all is the picture of MY birthday that you and Brent got to invite friends over for. And I was still sitting by myself at the little table while you and your friends sat at the big table with MY cake.
That sucked more.
Honestly? That is so mean…how about you post that picture…and no more fun on Brad’s b-day…it’s time to pay the piper.
Perhaps your potty mouth got you banned to another table.
Is that cake a church? You guys know how to party!
Are you sure that’s Brent? It looks more like Scut Farkus & he’s obviously up to no good.
My best friends brother did mean things to us all the time. The most scaring was returning to our dolls after eating lunch only to find them all headless. Sometimes the heads were hidden in various different places, sometimes they were all together in a large pot. Wait, I think I’m just now realizing the roots of my twistedness…
OMG, Peggy! I’m honestly laughing so hard I have tears rolling down my face. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all month!
Does Keith have a brother named, Kevin?
There were twins at Honey Creek three grades behind me named Keith and Kevin.
Keith’s brother’s name is Wade. He’s in the picture of my 10th birthday.
How cool! I get mention and a photo blip in your blog!
I must admit, I’m having a hard time remembering the party. I’m sure it was fun, though.
And you know… I’m pretty sure I would wear that shirt of yours to the bar one night and fit in quite nicely.
As far as my memory of Brad, we went fishing in Mr. Acres stocked trout farm. We each got a free fishing rod and hat and got to catch a couple of nice trout apiece. It was 1982 and I still have the picture of us posing in my backyard, with fish laid out in front of us on newspaper. I’ll have to see if I can find it and share.
1982 was a very good year.
Cheers.
Keith
Hehe… it’s really Keith, everybody. We recently reconnected on F***book (It must not be named. I am resisting full integration into the Cult of F***book.)
I remember Mr. Acres’ trout farm very dimly. I also have some other memories of your house. You guys had Atari, didn’t you? Awesome!
I googled the other guys. I’m not sure about Robbie and Jimmy, but this is definitely Patrick HERE.
1982?!?! I was already working at a medical laboratory near my Chicago home by then, entering patient data on a keyboard and measuring body fluids – use your imagination. You young whipper-snapper you!!
Whoa! As I recall, Patrick was quite the athlete.
As for Atari, Brad, every cool kid in the 1970s should have had one! Yes, I remember well the little combat game where you were these little block tanks and could shoot the other tank. The precursor to Medal of Honor that my kids play today!
I’ve come across that fishing picture from time to time and I remember the occasion well. We were near a little fishing area alongside the road when Mr. Acres drove by. He saw us there and invited us to come into his barn. Since we didn’t have fishing poles, he grabbed each of us brand new ones out of their packages. He also outfitted us with hats. He grabbed a can of corn and we went out by the pond. As was his practice, he used his mouth and fingers to create a shrill whistle, after which he threw a few handfuls of corn in the water, creating a feeding frenzy of trout.
He baited our hooks and BAM. It took about 10 seconds apiece to get a bite.
When we got back to the house, we cleaned and gutted the fish ourselves and then grilled them up.
It’s funny the little things you remember about your childhood.
I still have my Atari. My kids dig it out every once in a while & play it. It was my kind of system…one joy stick & one button.
We didn’t have an Atari, and my brothers’ friend came over with his. He plugged it into our t.v. and BLAM!! – it blew out our tube.
That was not a happy day.
HA!