C: Your “Typical” Childhood Day

Yes, another Ayn Rand Quote.  Still in Chapter one of Atlas Shrugged (and  it is a loooooong book!) we find Eddie thinking:

He wanted no sadness attached to his childhood; he loved its memories: any day of it he remembered now seemed flooded by still, brilliant sunlight.  It seemed to him as if a few rays from it reached into his presebare_feetnt: not rays, more like pinpoint spotlights…

What do you think of as your “typical” child hood day?

You know I can remember rainy days, alright; and I recall bundling up against the cold winter.  I can bring to mind events of other seasons.  But when I think of my childhood, my mind immediately goes to summer; to days free from school schedules and days of play, mostly with V.

Really, the summer memories dominate; they are far and away more disproportionate in the ranking I give them in childhood memories than in time actually spent.  Ipopsicle think of summer play days, running into the the house occasionally for a swig of ice-cold water from my personal water (a recycled pickle jar); racing to get a quarter so that I could have a popsicle when the popsicle man came by; and digging my bare feet into the ground, seeking cool dirt against the hot summer’s day.  The rest of the year fades by comparison.

And my childhood was happy—very happy.  I had my very best friend next door, as I still have her today.  I had a drunk, womanizingplaymates father and, sure, I knew things were not right.  But my childhood was happy.  I attribute that mostly to my mother.

How do you remember your childhood “typically?”  Do you think of  playing outside, like I do?  Or is your memory more grounded in the larger-proportion of school days?  Interesting to think that such a small slice of my life’s annual rotation (one fourth, at most) takes up such an inordinate space in my memory.

Share with us your recollections…what dominates in your memories?  C

Comments

Vickie said…
The very same thing. I had a wonderful childhood, too. Two loving parents and our entire family was best friends with our friends across the street who also went to our church. I remember summer days, too, when we'd go outside and only daddy's loud whistle at dusk could get us back home for the last time (except for lunch, supper & popsicle time!) We played in the creek, caught all kinds of lizards, horny toads, birds to keep in cages. We were tomboys. We played cowboy/indians, Tarzan, and motorcycle gangs and clothespinned a bent piece of cardboard on the spokes of our bikes. We played in the water hose and on the slip-n-slide. We watched the clouds go by laying on the shady terrace at my house, played basketball in my backyard, kickball in my friend's backyard, and snuck into Mrs. Langford's backyard to pull off long thin limbs of weeping willow tree and stuck 'em in the back of our shorts so we could be monkeys with long tails. She fussed at us every time, but we kept going back.
Shall I go on? It was sure fun!!!
August 22, 2010 at 1:37 PM
Vee said…
Funny...same story here about summer having more punch. I do remember playing in mud in March and sailing boats down my handmade little streams and rivers, but warm summertime with all of its romps in the woods, swims every single day, the 10 cent ice cream cone, and the pop in a glass bottle feature more prominently. We children ran pretty much wild from the first day off from school until that dreaded last day before school began and without a whole lot of adult supervision. It's a miracle that any of us reached adulthood.
August 22, 2010 at 4:45 PM
Arkansas Patti said…
Wonderful question.
I would be torn between Key West, my first pony and my first steady boyfriend from ages 10 to 12. Equally as strong a pull was a private lake we lived on in Ohio.
Summers spent with our main garment being a bathing suit. Swimming, canoeing and jumping off the falls. Competing with my best friend for the cutest boy at the lake and seeing who could get the darkest tan.
Then after supper, all the kids would play kick-the-can till dark. But it was also those times every two weeks that the book mobile came to the club house and the world of fantesy was mine that also stands out. The Black Stallion series made my few quiet times so special. Gosh, youth was grand.
August 22, 2010 at 7:20 PM
Ayak said…
I only really remember the long summer school holidays. Long sunny days (was it really that sunny then?)...playing out all day in safety. What a shame kids can't do this so much today.
August 23, 2010 at 8:06 AM
Jody Blue said…
Sweet summer memories spent at my grand parents, aunts and uncles playing with cousins and riding every kind of critter we thought we could get away with.
August 24, 2010 at 12:20 AM
Stickhorsecowgirls said…
How I wish summertime lasted as long as it did then and was as carefree!
August 24, 2010 at 6:33 AM
Stickhorsecowgirls said…
Yeah, I forgot again--it was me "V" in the last comment.
August 24, 2010 at 6:34 AM
Laura Taff said…
When I was a child we lived in the country, and we would walk miles to our friend's houses to hang out and play in the summer. Hey, it's Laura! Thanks for telling me about your blog. Stopping by to follow on GFC and check things out. Talk to you soon!
August 25, 2010 at 6:56 AM
Amarykinwoman said…
Mudpies, 'chocolate milk' puddles on the side of the house, my mom getting stung on the lip by a bee at the swimming pool :), dill pickle potato chips, following Chris and Pam around, daddy getting mad at us for playing in the water hose/forgetting to turn it off, outside tea parties in grandma's back yard, and my least favorite summertime memory: dog poo between my toes for running around barefoot all the time!!!
August 25, 2010 at 4:29 PM
Amarykinwoman said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
August 25, 2010 at 4:30 PM
Amarykinwoman said…
** AND fishing with CB and daddy at Hindman park, probably one of the top 5 least safe parks in AR now, reading Archie comic books on the bench seat of the blue station wagon early in the morning taking CB to his golf lessons!
August 25, 2010 at 4:32 PM
Eggs In My Pocket said…
What a wonderful post to read! It takes me back to my life as a child and all of the creatures that I came to know. My childhood was full of farm animals and pets, family and barbecue get togethers, and long walks in the woods with my aunt at Grandma's house! So enjoyed reading! blessings,Kathleen
August 25, 2010 at 7:32 PM
KathySue said…
Summer memories are pretty vivid as are my memories of spring when I was anticipating summer! Let me explain...for me summer meant going barefoot! Going barefoot was one of the highlights of summer and for some reason my mother was extremely "strict" about when I could go barefoot...when school was out! Not before, no matter how warm it got! I think she said something about getting pneumonia or other dreaded disease! I remember the growing anticipating by the flowers that were blooming. One of the perks of walking to school was that I got to watch the timeline of blooms. First some yards would have those amazing crocus...then daffodils and by then I think some shrubs would be blooming, like quince and forsythia. That really started building my excitement. But, what really heralded the advent of summer was when those little purple flower weeds started coming up in the lawns! Then I knew it was really close! I could almost feel the dew covered grass, the "cold" clover, mud between my toes, and the hot pavement. I remember being excited at the prospect of callouses on my feet so that the heat was tolerable! Now I pay someone to get rid of those callouses with periodic pedicures!

Also loved summertime treats including watermelon, strawberries, popsicles and best of all---snowcones! Veggies like fresh corn on the cob and fried okra helped lure me in from whatever activity I was engrossed in! Summer meant long days making "forts", playing in sandboxes, building homemade swings and lots of other imaginative play.

Really interesting how summer trumps the rest of the year...glad you created this post and took me back to some great memories!
August 25, 2010 at 9:04 PM
KathySue said…
OK, so I couldn't figure out how to edit my comment....so ...
I remember the anticipation growing by the flowers that were blooming.

And also, I forgot the wonderful memory of playing "hide from the car lights"...anyone else remember this game?
August 25, 2010 at 9:09 PM
Anonymous said…
My dad was a high school coach and loved his job; we moved every 2-4 years depending on his employment. I attended five schools by the time I graduated high school, and I remember all the places we lived and all the friends I had. Surprisingly, our family never had many hard transitions in our movings; I guess my dad and mom's attitudes were so positive that it was hardly fretful for us kids. I have great memories of childhood and had the best parents in the world! So blessed!
I love your posts! :)
August 26, 2010 at 1:09 AM
Steve Greer said…
I remember lots of sweat and dirt and worms and fishing and way too many stubbed toes. Running barefoot all summer long was great except for the 2 or 3 times I would catch my big toe on the concrete and peal back that whole flap of skin... ouch! But it was also about exploring. Checking out the fields, woods, ditches and anywhere else you could find unexpected treasure... like a coke bottle you could cash in! I wonder if summer has the same impact for kids now-a-days? They don't seem to have much opportunity to explore their imagination or the world around them. It's all about technology and a new visual image every 3 - 5 seconds.
August 27, 2010 at 9:19 AM
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