The First Guy in My Life

I suppose the first boys in my life were my three brothers. I've already written about them. I want to write about the guys in my life who were not related to me.

The first guy in my life was my neighbor, Jim. We spent lots of time together from the time I was two until I was about 12. Then he and his family moved to a bigger house in town.

He would wait on the porch until I finished my piano practice. He knew I couldn't come outside until the practicing was done. We climbed a big tree beside our driveway - even got on the roof of his home. Of course, we got in trouble for that!

Daddy almost ruined our friendship when he had a load of rocks put on our driveway. Now, this wasn't gravel - but rocks! When we'd get mad at each other, we would throw rocks across the driveway at each other. I think I hit him more than once! He claims he still has the bumps on his head to prove it!

We also listened to his victrola - we would crank it and then listen to "Hallelujah! I'm a Bum!" It is the song we liked best. We would laugh and laugh about this guy singing he was a bum.

Then there is the story of the two of us "swimming" in the big pickle barrel his Dad brought home from their grocery store. We probably smelled like dill pickles!

We lived at the north edge of town. There was a draw across the street north of us. We always took our sleds there. It was a perfect place to sled. We were told not to go there if it had rained heavily. I remember we went over there once after a heavy rain and got really wet. We also got in plenty of trouble for doing this.

We played together nearly every day - in the summer, we played together from morning to night. We always had a good time together. We liked to look for four leaf clovers in the grass, lay on our backs looking up at the clouds and deciding what they looked like, and play marbles.

We went all the way through school together and have remained friends.

"The Men in My Little Girl's Life"

This is a song Mike Douglas, the singer and talk show host, sang that I like a lot. It was written by Gloria Shayne Baker, Mary Candy and Eddie Deane. This song is the story of a child, an adolescent, a young lady, a wife and a mother. The words follow:
The men in my little girl's life
The men in my little girl's life

It seems like only yesterday
When I heard my little girl say
Daddy, there's a boy outside, his name is Rod
He wants to play in our backyard
Can he, Daddy?
Oh, please, Daddy.

Is it really so long ago
She'd come to me and wanna know
Dad, there's a boy outside, his name is Lee
He wants to carry my books for me
Can he, Daddy?
Is it alright, Dad?
He's got freckles, Dad.

The men in my little girl's life
The men in my little girl's life

Then came pony tails and jeans
And my little girl was in her teens
Popsie, there's a boy outside
His name is Tom
He wants to take me to the prom
OK, Popsie
We'll be home early, Popsie

Before I knew it time had flown
And how my little girl had grown
Now it was, Father, there's a boy outside
His name is Eddie
He wants to know if we can go steady
Can we, Father?
Yes, Father
Oh, can we borrow the car, Pop?

Yes, it seems only yesterday
I heard my lovely daughter say,
Dad, there's a boy outside
His name is Jim
He asked me if I'd marry him
I said yes, Dad
Got something in your eye, Dad?
I love him, Dad

The men in my little girl's life
The men in my little girl's life
A child, an adolescent, a young lady, a wife
And oh, yes
there's another man in my little girl's life
Hi, Dad, there's a boy outside
His name is Tim
I told him Grampa was gonna babysit him
Thanks, Dad
Bless you, Dad
Good night, Dad

The men in my little girl's life
The men in my little girl's life

xxx

I'll write now and then about the guys in my life.

Christmas When I Was Growing Up

Growing up in the 40s and 50s was a good time to grow up. My little hometown was a good place to live and grow up. Celebrating Christmas was much different than it is today.

The stores didn't put up Christmas displays until after Thanksgiving - giving people a chance to celebrate and be thankful in November. The stores didn't put out the advertising the way they do now. As far as I can remember, there were no artificial Christmas trees nor white lights.

We always had a small four to five foot tree that we decorated with a few ornaments and one string of colored lights. There was a small white church that was always placed under the tree. One of the colored lights went in the back of the church to light up the windows. There was also a 3-4" ceramic Santa Claus under the tree. That same Santa Claus has been under every Christmas tree every year since I was a child. - It will be under our tree this year, too. It is a little beat up and some paint is missing but it connects me with people who have gone on ahead and simpler times.

I don't remember any specific Christmas. I think I probably got an orange or an apple, some candy and one or two gifts. I didn't feel deprived because it was the same way in most homes back then. I did get a doll that could open and close its eyes; a baby buggy and a doll house with tiny furniture. Of course, those didn't all come the same Christmas.

Mother cooked Christmas dinner - it was probably a roast chicken with dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy and corn or green beans. There would be cake or pie for dessert. My three brothers would have been there with Mother, Daddy and me.

I don't remember sending and receiving lots of Christmas cards. We probably sent them to relatives and a few old friends - all who lived far away. People didn't write long letters detailing what they had done all year.

As I said, it was a simpler time back then.