Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Things I knew I as a child
The Earth was in the center of the Universe.
The Earth did not move or rotate.
The Sun, the Moon, and the visible Planets all revolved around the Earth.
The Earth, the Sun, the Moon, the Planets, the Background Stars, all were enclosed within a crystal sphere.
Heaven was just beyond the Background Stars, which in turn were fairly close to the Earth.
The Seasons were appointed their Time, and their manifestation had nothing to do with the Earth revolving, or moving closer to, and then further away, from the Sun.
The best way to spend the day involved sweating in the summer and staying warm indoors during the winter.
A monopoly game played while eating our next door neighbor Valada's homemade peanut butter cookies, played at the family kitchen table was one wonderful way to pass the time.
The worst words I could hear were, just wait till your dad gets home from work!
The best words I could hear were, you're dad's going to be home early tonight!
Elton John, the Doobie Brothers, Three Dog Night and the remaining Pantheon of Rock Bands playing on A.M. radio were wonderful to listen to while doing homework.
'Acid Rock' was to be eschewed in favor of the Osmonds and Jackson Five.
Or Ferrante and Teicher. Or any one of many Gospel recordings.
Mahalia Jackson could bring down the Fire.
Johnny Cash was the Man in Black, but was the goodest guy you could watch on the Rabbit-Eared T.V.
Lucille Ball was hilarious.
If you buried a pet rabbit with a grave marker, and then went back and dug the rabbit up several months later, all that would be left were a little skin and a lot of bones.
Vietnam was a war fought a long, long long way away.
I learned from my next door Indian neighbor Mom Ary that all war is bad, and that though she attended a different church than I, God is a Spirit...the Same for all of us.
Riding a bike with a banana seat, spoke covers and playing cards placed in the rear wheel to make a sound like a motorcycle while riding, was one of the coolest ways to get around the neighborhood.
Sissy bars were for girls.
Lite Brites - cool.
Ouja Boards fond in the attic - uncannily true - and cool.
Army jackets were cool.
Elephant Legs were definitely cool.
If the neighbors down the hill threw a party, you might see some longhairs walking down the dead-of-winter iced over streets. Barefoot.
Playing marracas with a college band (again the neighbors down the hill) was a great way to learn rhythm, and again to appreciate the strains of Three Dog Night.
Watching Rosie lay out in the sun on top of her house (the neighbors down the hill) raised strange urges in me.
Neil Diamond was uncool. Except for 'Hot August Night', in which case he was cool.
Rust Never Sleeps.
Double Albums with a Gatefold were the coolest.
Yellow Smiley Faces on Rust Colored Sweatshirts were 'right on'.
The Peace Sign was cool. At least up until Nixon.
My dad, when we camped, could beat the socks off any takers at the ping-pong table.
Being in the Ozarks, during a crisp fall night while camping, and taking a walk in the nighttime with my dad, using a flashlight he had given me, made me feel completely alive. Without my knowing it.
A chopper motorcycle.....Cool.
Evil Knieval - the bravest man on earth.
Bruce Lee - the baddest dude on earth.
Country songs with lyrics about C.B.'s, listened to while delivering papers with my dad in the early mornings berfore the sun came up in the car with fogged up windows.....were cool.
Taking a walk down to the corner gas station, buying a zero bar with my dad, and shooting the breeze with the guys was a great way to start a Saturday.
Seeing a movie at the Ross theater...usually Disney....definitely cool. Not cool....magical!
You really can take a cross country trip to California in a beat up station wagon with four kids and two parents - and still survive. And sweetest, still remember.
The Earth was in the center of the Universe.
The Earth did not move or rotate.
The Sun, the Moon, and the visible Planets all revolved around the Earth.
The Earth, the Sun, the Moon, the Planets, the Background Stars, all were enclosed within a crystal sphere.
Heaven was just beyond the Background Stars, which in turn were fairly close to the Earth.
The Seasons were appointed their Time, and their manifestation had nothing to do with the Earth revolving, or moving closer to, and then further away, from the Sun.
The best way to spend the day involved sweating in the summer and staying warm indoors during the winter.
A monopoly game played while eating our next door neighbor Valada's homemade peanut butter cookies, played at the family kitchen table was one wonderful way to pass the time.
The worst words I could hear were, just wait till your dad gets home from work!
The best words I could hear were, you're dad's going to be home early tonight!
Elton John, the Doobie Brothers, Three Dog Night and the remaining Pantheon of Rock Bands playing on A.M. radio were wonderful to listen to while doing homework.
'Acid Rock' was to be eschewed in favor of the Osmonds and Jackson Five.
Or Ferrante and Teicher. Or any one of many Gospel recordings.
Mahalia Jackson could bring down the Fire.
Johnny Cash was the Man in Black, but was the goodest guy you could watch on the Rabbit-Eared T.V.
Lucille Ball was hilarious.
If you buried a pet rabbit with a grave marker, and then went back and dug the rabbit up several months later, all that would be left were a little skin and a lot of bones.
Vietnam was a war fought a long, long long way away.
I learned from my next door Indian neighbor Mom Ary that all war is bad, and that though she attended a different church than I, God is a Spirit...the Same for all of us.
Riding a bike with a banana seat, spoke covers and playing cards placed in the rear wheel to make a sound like a motorcycle while riding, was one of the coolest ways to get around the neighborhood.
Sissy bars were for girls.
Lite Brites - cool.
Ouja Boards fond in the attic - uncannily true - and cool.
Army jackets were cool.
Elephant Legs were definitely cool.
If the neighbors down the hill threw a party, you might see some longhairs walking down the dead-of-winter iced over streets. Barefoot.
Playing marracas with a college band (again the neighbors down the hill) was a great way to learn rhythm, and again to appreciate the strains of Three Dog Night.
Watching Rosie lay out in the sun on top of her house (the neighbors down the hill) raised strange urges in me.
Neil Diamond was uncool. Except for 'Hot August Night', in which case he was cool.
Rust Never Sleeps.
Double Albums with a Gatefold were the coolest.
Yellow Smiley Faces on Rust Colored Sweatshirts were 'right on'.
The Peace Sign was cool. At least up until Nixon.
My dad, when we camped, could beat the socks off any takers at the ping-pong table.
Being in the Ozarks, during a crisp fall night while camping, and taking a walk in the nighttime with my dad, using a flashlight he had given me, made me feel completely alive. Without my knowing it.
A chopper motorcycle.....Cool.
Evil Knieval - the bravest man on earth.
Bruce Lee - the baddest dude on earth.
Country songs with lyrics about C.B.'s, listened to while delivering papers with my dad in the early mornings berfore the sun came up in the car with fogged up windows.....were cool.
Taking a walk down to the corner gas station, buying a zero bar with my dad, and shooting the breeze with the guys was a great way to start a Saturday.
Seeing a movie at the Ross theater...usually Disney....definitely cool. Not cool....magical!
You really can take a cross country trip to California in a beat up station wagon with four kids and two parents - and still survive. And sweetest, still remember.
