"Tagged"!

Hoo boy! I’ve been “Tagged”! Joel Hayes, one of my greatest childhood friends has “Tagged” me on His Web Log (See the Link on the right!) to write the five things I missed the most about my childhood.

First, let me mention that Joel made reference on his “blog” to when we were in Naranja Elementary School together. We both were in the “school patrol guard” (insert sounds of awe with music that is both pompous and gallant). I actually still have the bright orange safety helmet/hard-hat that was issued along with our orange belts. I no longer have the belt, but I gave the hat to my son when he was in the fifth grade. One of my favorite adult memories was getting to tell my son all about the things that poor hat went through. Right down to how it got the crack in the top of it (rock fights. We felt that as guards it was certainly our duty to fight back…). I think for a good minute there I actually had my son’s whole attention.

I have always been terrible at picking what my “favorite” is. Music? I like it all. Some types and artists more than others but I can’t pick a favorite. It’s pretty much the same thing with memories. How do you just pick five? I certainly have dozens and dozens of fantastic memories as a kid. How do you pick just five of the best? or just five of the things you miss? Deanna can probably tell you better than I; because of how many times she had to listen to me reminisce. (Isn't it interesting how you can remember a story so well and not remember how many times you told it to the same person?)
I remember the House in Naranja (south of homestead Fl.) It had this mural painted by my mom on the front with a fish in it. I can’t really explain it. It was a fish like the Christian symbol without any letters in it. I don’t know for sure if that was what it was for but I always assumed it was.

I remember this fantastic one of kind carpet that my mom actually made out of carpet pieces cut into squares. It was awesome for playing with our toy cars. We used to have this fantastic cherry tree in our side yard. It was huge! Oh not as tall as the big palm tree in our front yard, but it was wide and chock full of cherries. I don’t ever remember making myself sick from eating them but then, I don’t understand how I didn’t either. One year our Dad cooked a steak out on the grill and he took one of the branches from the cherry tree and put it in the fire. “The Best Steak Ever” we all agreed and to this day still holds the title simply because of the memory. Give up trying. It simply isn’t possible to make a steak any better.

We use to have this really great dog named Miki. Like the “Steak” give it up now, it isn’t possible to have a dog that was any greater. He wasn’t even my dog; he was “Dad’s dog” and we were simply Dad’s property to be protected and tolerated and even played with but there was no mistaking that He was Dad’s dog first. Miki was part Shepard, part Collie, and rumor has it there was some beagle in there too. He was a “mutt” and he was American! (Thank you Bill Murray). I have so many stories about that dog I could be here for days. Lucky for you I don’t have the time right now…May be later?

We went to Holland when I was almost ten. We had to leave Miki behind and we were going to be gone for three years. The possibility of ever seeing Miki again became very slim. The same for all the great friends I had in Florida. Like Hewlester Samuels. Whenever I watch any of the old “Fat Albert” cartoons I keep looking for Hewlester. He was a fantastic friend and such “Character” that you just knew that someone would tell a story about him on T.V. Or at least use him as the basis for some T.V. comedy.

Those three years in Holland are certainly among the best of memories. They used to have this old mansion that was all boarded and closed up. It had an actual-honest-to-goodness “moat” around it. I mean how cool is that? The bridge across wasn’t a “draw bridge” or anything but that’s just as good, because under that bridge was a way into that mansion that we weren’t supposed to know about! I understand that they have rebuilt that mansion/house and I’m glad.

I really have nothing but the best memories from there. We use to go for drives to see if we could “get lost”. Dad would always say “his nose would tell him which way to go and which way to get home” We got to cross the English Channel on a Ferry. I got sick the one time and I still think of it as a great memory. In three years we made so many friends. We still talk to some. Henny, Nanny, and Dave: I say a special Hello to you! Nanny left a wonderful comment on one of my earlier postings; make sure you read it!

I remember the flight back from Holland. Just as traumatic and yet just as wonderful as the trip over had been. Mostly though, it’s that when we got back and got settled, we actually got Miki back. After three years living with some other people and their dogs, Miki was still “Dad’s Dog”. Hewlester Samuels was still there too! Then there were these other friends to make. Like Joel Hayes and his family. I remember climbing this dirt hill in front of his house and we could see the rain coming. In South Florida it’s like that. Only, its not really rain. It doesn’t ever really rain in south Florida. It either “sprinkles” a little or it just flat out “Pours”. The sun could be shining and bright and less than a hundred yards away it would be flat-out-pouring rain. I remember Joel and I racing to try to make it to the house before the rain got us. I don’t think we made it, but honestly I don’t remember. I just remember “running from the rain” and the laughter when we got inside.

I remember their dog “Muggins”. Not shall we say the brightest dog on the block. But that really isn’t his fault. You see there was this other dog next door that really was in fact, the “brightest dog on the block”. Maybe even the state. Yeah he was probably even smarter than Miki (just not greater! LOL). This is a dog so smart that you don’t just tell him to “go get a ball”. You tell him what color ball to bring… and he does! I only bring these two dogs up because we would play “fetch” with both of them at the same time. (Joel You are Going to Have to Help Me here: What was that other dog’s name???? Oh well, I’ll probably wake up at two in the morning screaming, “That’s it!”) Anyway, this other dog would run right beside Muggins and slowly push him sideways, away from the ball and… (There is no way you are going to believe this…) and… into a tree! While poor Muggins was trying to recover from running head first into a tree the other dog would then run off and get the ball first and bring it back! This happened more than just once so it wasn’t just a freak accident! (See, I said you that you wouldn’t believe me…)

I don’t know how many memories that brings us to, but again I ask: How can you pick just five? I have a better question though; what constitutes a “childhood memory? I mean, if I’m still acting childish then don’t my memories now count? At what point is a memory no longer a “child hood” memory. Here is an example: You have a bunch of High school kids shooting so many spitballs that the wall is literally covered with them…Then, you have all these high school kids crammed into this tiny little office to be chewed out by a teacher who was having a very, very difficult time keeping a straight face. I think he really wanted his scolding to sound much more severe but he couldn't do it without cracking up with laughter. We were High school “kids” not children, yet, we were certainly acting like children and it certainly is one of many of my favorite child hood memories.

1. I miss only having to worry about being home before dark.
2.I miss having all day to do whatever you want... and it still wasn't enough time
3. I miss being immortal (I didn't think I would live forever, I just didn't think I would die)
4.I miss having a future that included the possibility of growing up to be president or an astronaut or both!
5.I miss the Energy!