MEMORIES ON A WINTER NIGHT
As I sat here in my rocker-glider a few nights ago and even though it was the middle of February, we were also in the middle of real good snow storms. Of course we have had some storms, especially in the mountains, before now, but very little in the valley. This translates to not much snow and a shortage of water this summer. I thought, “I really like that.” But do I ?
My thoughts shifted back to when I was young and care free
and believe it or not I loved the winter. I loved sleigh riding and ice skating
(although the skates were MUCH different than they are today.) We had snowball
fights or just threw snowballs at the girls on our way to school and back.
Winter seemed to be a season all its own, and I loved it.
Every winter we had an abundance of snow. I loved it but I am not sure the
adults were that fond of it. Yes we got cold, but it did not seem to bother the
kids like it does the adults now.
We pulled our sleighs up the hill and rode down so many times
we felt like we could not make it one more time--- but then we went up again
--- forgetting that eventually we would have to walk home. And when we did walk
home out pants and shoes were wet and frozen stiff from our ankles to out
waist.
We would eventually
quit and make it home and get out of our wet, frozen clothes as fast as we
could and wrap up in a toasty (homemade) quilt, sit in front of the kitchen
stove until we were warm and ready to either eat or go to bed.
Then my memory bank skipped; My life had changed, I was not a
kid or an adolescent or a teen ager, I
was somewhere in those years where you don’t really fit in anyplace, but seem
to slip back and forth from one age group or another.
The memories of going to school filled my mind. Yes, I walked
back and forth to school and yes it was about a mile each way and they both were
uphill? But I liked it. In the winter our boots and gloves were soaked when we
got to the school house. We would take them off and dry them on the steam
heated radiator. I have never forgotten that smell as long as I have lived.
We did not have fancy clothes for all seasons like we do now
days. We wore the same ones all year, and it was OK because we did not know any
better. And of course we walked everywhere, summer or winter until I was 17 and
we finally got a car.
I am not sure when it happened, but all at once it seemed I was an adolescent. It was a terrible time and a wonderful time. It was an age where you don’t fit in a lot of places. You are still a kid, or maybe not? However your parents still felt that way. But then there were times when they want you to act like a grown-up. And then there were the times even I was not sure where I fit in?
Then you take one step past adolescents --- you could drive.
And we bought a brand new family car. It all at once was a different world.
We still walked a lot and we had to shovel a place in front
of our home to park the car. AND where we lived the snow was many times three
feet deep, and there was no such thing as a snow-blower. People got stuck
often. It seems everyone carried a snow shovel in the trunk of their car. If
the car windows iced up you cleaned then off with a little cloth bag filled
with rock salt that was kept in the (glove box.) Yes that is what it was
called.
I finally outgrew adolescence, I still enjoyed winter
activities and could drive a car to get to them. We still had to keep a parking
spot shoveled free of snow. Then we built a garage, which was Wonderful. I
still did not like shoveling snow----
and OH what I would have given for a snow blower.
Life went on. I moved to the city, but did not like city life.
Winter in the city was a time for hibernation. I lived in Salt Lake and spent a
lot of time in winter, watching TV, driving back and forth to work, and I hated
city driving in the winter.
Then I met my wife to be and my social habits changed a lot.
I almost gave up on TV (the screen had an enormous 10” screen), as I was too
busy driving back and, forth from Provo to Salt Lake at one or two o’clock and
it got where the Winter trips were really a drudge trying to keep my old Buick
on the slippery roads.
Then we were married and had kids and winter seemed to slip back to one of my favorite seasons again. We went snowmobiling as a family and I tried skiing, but I quickly found out I was not a natural born skier. After I broke a rib on a ski trip with my son I gave up skiing--- and I never missed it!
At that time of my life I did enjoy ice-fishing, but my
favorite winter activity was snowmobiling. I was told I was like a kid with a
new toy--- and Yes, I did have a few “dicey” experiences with my machines. We,
as a family went through six of them before I finally gave it up because of OLD
AGE.
As I progressed to what I lovingly called “old age” I sold my
machines and bought a snow blower. And NO it was not a good trade.
Now I sit in the house and watch the snow come down and I
curse it. I can’t play in it anymore and it was a struggle to get it off of my
driveway.
However, when I turned 80 I had a Guardian Angel visit my
home and one morning after a big snowstorm I looked out the window, not liking
what I expected to see, and the snow had magically disappeared. The driveway
and sidewalks were clear. YES, I think I know who that Angel is but I have
never thought of a proper way to thank him.
So now I watch the kids play in the snow and wonder how they
can call that fun--- Then I get a memory jog and remember I at one time did all
those things once myself a LONG TIME AGO.
And YES Currier and Ives are some of my favorite paintings!
