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Things They'll Never Get to Do
Kids today sure have a lot of modern conveniences. Most of them have their own cell phones, MP3s, computers with all kinds of flashy fast-action games, expensive toys of many varieties and swimming pools in their backyards.
But I'm pretty happy about the time period that I grew up in. We didn't have all those things as kids, but somehow we found ways to entertain ourselves. Even if sometimes it was using our baseball cards to play imaginary games for hours in our bedrooms.
Kids of today will never get to experience some of the fun things that we got to do while we were growing up. Their loss, I guess. I wouldn't trade any of the following for a cell phone:
Simple toys like the hula hoop, Slinky and paddle ball. My friends and I could hit that little rubber ball hundreds of times and never get tired. We'd have contests of who could hit it the most times without missing.
Running through the sprinklers on a hot summer day because no one in the neighborhood had a swimming pool.
Watching Bucky Beaver commercials for Ipana toothpaste because we didn't have a remote to check other shows during the commercials.
Big rubber hot water bottles that your Mom made you put on whatever ailed you.
Sitting in the balcony at the Strand Theater and "accidentally" throwing popcorn on the people below.
Getting a frozen custard at a little stand on North Margaret Street. Frozen custard seemed to taster richer and better than plain ice cream.
Going out to the milk box on a winter morning before school and getting two glass quarts of milk, both with the cardboard cap pushed up because the cream froze.
Walking home from football, basketball or baseball practice because your family had "only" one car and Dad took it to work.
Wearing picky, heavy wool baseball uniforms and sweating like crazy during the game.
Singing "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" on the team bus after a football win over Keeseville High School.
Playing a great inter-city Catholic school rivalry like MAI vs. St. John's or St. John's vs. OLVA.
Listening to the borders in the MAI gym sitting together at the top of the bleachers yelling, "You, You, You!" at opposing players who committed a foul.
Sitting in the big green grandstand on a chilly autumn night at Bailey Avenue ballpark and watching Peru's Leon Angevine carry the ball against the Plattsburgh High School defense.
Hurrying home from school in October so you could watch the final innings of a World Series game on the family's little black-and-white tv. If you were really lucky, you rigged up your transistor radio with an earplug and ran the cord up your sleeve, so you could listen to the game during ninth-period study hall. Sister Anthony of Jesus never caught us!
Opening a five-cent pack of baseball cards and finding Duke Snider or Pee Wee Reese or, best of all, Jackie Robinson!
Putting some of those baseball cards on the spokes of your bicycle with a wooden clothes pin. Every one of us pretended we were the police.
Riding that bike along the street and being chased and nipped at by a barking dog. Dog leash law? Are you kidding me?
Parking for hours at the Orange Julep, watching and talking to girls. And wishing!
The thrill you felt when your Dad told you that you could have your own phone in your bedroom!
I guess simple pleasures were enough for us in those days. But they all combined to help shape the kind of people we are today. I think we are one lucky generation. I wouldn't trade any of those things for any modern day toy, regardless of how many songs you can fit on it!
Comments
Foxy -
A lot of what you say are true, this morning I drove around town and didn't see any toilet paper hanging from trees , egged houses or cars or car and houses windows soaped. I guess kids are not the way they used to be on Cabbage night or Halloween.
Is that good or bad?
(Foxy's note: I had a lot fewer trick-or-treaters in my usually busy neighborhood. Not certain what is the cause. But you are right! I didn't see one bar of soap all night!)
Posted by: skip zatonski | November 1, 2007 9:54 AM
Fox,
I was never any good at paddle ball. I wonder, were guys just inherently better than girls at this? I could Hoola Hoop with the best of them, though. You forgot to mention playing jacks, though, or hide and go seek or kick the can. Kids don't just go outside to play anymore. Does anyone play frisbee anymore?
While I am going down memory row, does O L V A still have roller skating on Saturday nights and does WIRY still have a "dedications" show on Sunday nights?
Posted by: Kathy | October 30, 2007 9:51 PM
Hey there! I was just wondering if you could gaze into the future for a moment and tell us what the "kids" of today will write in future blogs about their "yesteryears." I don't think that we will ever again experience life as you describe it ("back in the day"), but there has to be something that will make their memories worth talking about. What is it?
Always curious, miss d
(Foxy's note: Great idea, miss d ... I'll do some research on that idea.)
Posted by: miss d | October 30, 2007 9:24 PM
How about having someone record Foxy and Goose on WIRY so you could listen to them use unmatched analogies when broadcasting local football games. (Thanks guys from a Peru boy who lives in FL)
(Foxy's note: Nice to hear from you, Mark. You are well-remembered!)
Posted by: Mark Golden | October 30, 2007 6:05 PM
What about reports that Torre is going to Dodgers or that ARod is headed to one of the LA teams......
(Foxy's note: I'll take Torre in LA just to try to calm the problems in the clubhouse. But don't start calling us "the New York Yankees West." And ARod will probably end up someplace on the West Coast and still fatten his stats against the #3 and #4 pitchers more than he does against the aces!)
Posted by: Steve G | October 30, 2007 2:47 PM
Kinda of interesting that considering how big a baseball fan you are, that you have not mentioned one thing about the playoffs or World Series until the small blip here.
(Foxy's note: I figured that everybody in the world is writing blogs about the playoffs and World Series, so that there are plenty of those. And with my Dodgers out of it, and the American League obviously dominant, I'd better tuck my tail 'tween my legs and wait 'til next year!)
Posted by: art V | October 30, 2007 2:22 PM
Tuning in far away stations like KDKA in Pittsburgh here in Plattsburgh to listen to baseball games.
Having a Root Beer at the A&W in Plattsburgh (wonder why they never came back)
Listening to Mkke Mannix describe the high school basketball action of your local favorite.
Apples being picked by local workers.
Eating at Carrolls
Watching our neighbors from the north trying on clothes in the aisles of Grandway.
The excitement of getting the rabbit ears just right.
Visiting a friend who had a "roter" on the top of the house to best get the channels.
The excitement of Monday Night football coming to our own Vermont based TV station only to lose the ABC affiliate for awhile and go back to trying to get Channel 8 from Poland Springs.
Listening to hear your letter read to Santa either on Channel 3 or a radio station .
Great experiences.
(Foxy's note: Thanks for the great additions, rubble!)
Posted by: rubble | October 29, 2007 8:00 PM