I believe this photograph was taken the first day of school, 1959. My brother, on the left, was 6 and this was his first day of school period. There was no kindergarten or preschool then. I was 11.
I was kind of geeky even then - and I think that was before the word - or at least I hadn't heard it. But notice the ink pen in the pocket of my shirt. The cap is off and the thing is on the outside of the pocket!! And, yes, I did get a 6" K & E pocket slide rule but that was later and it was very expensive.
We both had our sack lunches. Behind us is the front door to our home. It was an open porch until my brother was born. Shortly afterwards dad enclosed the porch creating a room that my brother and I shared as a bedroom. We had this "trundle" bed that was right in front of that door. I slept on top and he slept on the bed that rolled under.
We didn't really have visitors much so it wasn't a problem with the bed being in the "entry." Our clothes, what few we had, were in a built-in set of drawers on the back porch. As I recall we each had 2 pairs of blue jeans and a few shirts and a pair of nice pants for Sunday school. We had a pair of dress shoes for Sunday, too, and sneakers for everyday school. Then our work clothes were in a closet on the back porch.
The back porch was where we ate breakfast and lunch. It had a table with a yellow plastic top of some kind. There was an old steam radiator out there, too. When it was cold I would come in from feeding the cattle and put my feet under the radiator and my hands nearly on top of it.
Dad would always thaw the standpipe to get water for the cattle when it was really cold. He'd remove his big old leather gloves and work right out in the bitter wind to get the water running. I always thought that I'd know I had become a man when I could do that.
Still waiting.
7 comments:
This is a great photo! I'll bet you had a lot of ink stains on your shirts if that's how you carried your pen. I remember when I was finally allowed to use a pen in school - I thought I was so grown up.
I love hearing about the hardworking man your dad was. I can see him getting that water flowing for the cattle.
You have wonderful stories, Flinty. I so enjoy reading them. Thank you for sharing.
What a couple of handsome young men you both were. I am assuming you lost the top to the pen and didn't want to get ink on your shirt.
I'm so glad you share these wonderful memories with us.
I love that picture! Especially with the pen in pocket. Thanks for sharing.
That is a really cute photo. I think your adorable! It's nice to look back sometimes huh? You got a lot more to look back at then I do. :) *hugs*
what an adorable picture! i too used to sleep on a trundle bed. my older sister had the top as well. i wonder if that was an unwritten rule for older siblings. she used to tell me i had the bottom so that when the men from china dug through the earth, they would get me, not her!
what *they* said. (except for the hilarious "men from china" thing. hahahahaha)
i posted an old pic on my blog today, too. and i swear i didn't see this before i did it.)
Oh Flint! I "LOVE" your stories, and I really think you should pull them all together & publish them, into a book? You have kids, right?
Even if you don't, all of this Good-Clean-Livin, is bound to be forgotten, if you dont!
My Parents swore that my Sister (first born) slept is one of my dresser drawers, because they couldn't afford a bassenet (spelling) It is probably true, because my Dad was still in the Army, and my Mom was a School Teacher! So, pretty much, dirt poor!
They did much better, after I came along. Although they did buy our family 5 bd 4 bth home for $24,000.00! In 1958, in The San Francisco Bay Area!
I can tell you, you are not, nor were you ever a ...geek!
I know, I was raised by one! His first job was as a "Nucluer Physicist" for Nasa?!?! And he worked for Bectal Corporation for 20 + years, as a Scientific Engineer!
You have far too much Heart, and your writing skills, as well, make you an...Artist!
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