Oh The Memories

This past weekend, I went to visit my mother who is currently buried deep beneath all of my grandmother's worldly possessions.  Okay . . . left to my own devices, I do tend to be a little bit of a pack rat myself, but my grandmother . . . now SHE took that concept to an ENTIRELY different plane.  By way of example, I came across a gigantic box containing trip-ticks from AAA detailing precisely how to travel from Michigan to Blue Springs, Missouri.  She had one for every trip that she and my grandfather took in the early 1970's to visit us while we lived there awaiting my father's graduation from the seminary at Unity Village. 

This is what my grandmother did to preserve these very important items:  First, she took a stack of trip-ticks about three inches or so tall and tightly bound them together with rubber bands.  Then she wrapped them in plastic and secured them with many, many more rubber bands.  After that, she put them all inside of a larger plastic bag, wrapped the entire bundle with rows upon rows of masking tape and just to keep them ultra-safe, added MASSIVE rubber bands to the outside.  The final step was putting all of these individual packages into a much larger box, closing it tight and covering every last inch with tape.  My grandmother did such an awesome job wrapping these things up that over thirty years hence, underneath an unholy amount of disintegrated tape and brittle rubber bands, were all of these trip-ticks in absolutely PRISTINE condition; not a tear, not a fold, not even a slight crinkle.  It was surreal . . . like time hadn't touched any of them.  Never mind that over thirty years later the route may be quite different and that for all we know Blue Springs may no longer even exist; that doesn't matter.  My Grammy would say that one day they may come in handy . . . you never can tell. 

I also discovered that my grandmother kept a receipt for every single mortgage payment that she and my grandfather ever made on every single one of their houses.  Moreover, she not only managed to keep all of this information together she also succeeded in squeezing every last such document into one, single, solitary, nondescript box!  And because she employed the same wrapping technique described above, these documents managed to survive over seventy years without any discoloration, tears, or wrinkles!  So after hours upon hours of going through her stuff I learned something about my grandmother; she could not only pack but preserve an enormous amount of shit that NO ONE on the planet would ever care about into an area no bigger than the inside of a thimble. 

As my mother and I sat there sorting through the mountain of things that was the non-edited version of my grandmother's whole life, we happened upon some old photographs.  It was nice taking a stroll back through time, revisiting the memories and reliving happy moments.  Since I was very little in some of these pictures, my mother took the opportunity to explain what was going on at the time; what happened before and after some of these pictures were taken.  We had a really good, fun time filled with laughter and a lot of joy.  At the end of the day, my mother allowed me to take some of these photos to share with all of you!  So, how about we take a little tour of my childhood and see how I started out here in this life . . .

Okay, the first two pictures depict my very first Thanksgiving. (I am the one in the high chair.)  At the time, my parents lived on Anita Street in Harper Woods.  When I noticed that only three of us were dining, I asked my mother why they didn't invite more family members to celebrate the holiday and enjoy the abundance of food.  Evidently, they did.  However, my aunt, my uncle and my cousins all contracted the flu rendering them unable to attend.  So, it was just the three of us for dinner that year!  (Please do take note that right out of the gate, above all else, I got in my protein!)

I included the next photograph for Beth Dixon's benefit.  This is to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that before I had ANY control whatsoever over my attire, my mother took unnecessary liberties with my dress, hence the PINK outfit.  There it is . . . right THERE for ALL to see . . . I had to wear a pink ensemble complete with a matching pink bonnet!  YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!  UGH! Mom . . . WHAT where you thinkin'?   

Later in life, you see me at yet another shining moment . . . right there . . . decked out in the red costume with snow white fur.  I believe that I was going into the 8th grade when this was taken.  My sister and I were up north (West Branch, Michigan) for the summer visiting our grandparents like we did every summer.  One fine day, my sister talked my grandmother into digging out my mother's old dance costumes that she meticulously maintained and stored in her cedar chest.  (A brief aside; when my mother was in her teens, she studied dance and theater.  She was very, very good and from what I understand had quite a stage presence.  In fact, she was being groomed early on to eventually perform in plays on Broadway.  However, instead of following that path in life, she met my father, got married and five years later I came along.  Years later, I asked her if she ever regretted that decision.  Without even blinking, she answered in the negative advising that her great ambition in life was to be a wonderful wife and a spectacular mother.  Well mom, as far as I am concerned, you hit that one out of the park.)  Though I protested, resisted and all but threw a full blown tantrum, my grandmother asked commanded me to put on the costume so that she could get a picture.  My grandmother was a Scorpio.  You didn't dare argue with her.  It was simply easier to just bend to her will and surrender to her whims . . . ergo the above pictures!

I was four years old in that picture all dressed in blue and sitting nicely upon my bed.  At the time we lived in Blue Springs, Missouri and so remained until my father graduated from Unity Village and became an ordained minister.  I attended kindergarten and half of first grade in Blue Springs before we all moved to Madison, Wisconsin where my father established his parish and where we all spent the next nine years before returning to Michigan in the fall of 1984.

The larger picture of me in the blue blouse was my 8th grade school photo.  I attended Schenk Middle school in Madison, Wisconsin.

Now, they say that a picture is worth a thousand words right?  Many people take note that my little sister and I bear quite a resemblance one to the other and therefore inquire whether we are anything at all alike . . .  I think that this should pretty much clear it right up for ya . . .

Any further questions people?

Comments

[rebecca]

Awesome! Those pictures are great and they remind me of growing up in the 70's & 80's. You look as happy in the dance costume as you did in the purple curlers. Perhaps you could bring back the bikini/football helmet look for your next competition.

[N]

You were too cute as a
little munchkin!
Is that a turkey leg you
are chopping on?
You look like "Bam-Bam" from the Flintstones...

[Lisa]

I think pink is your color.

[AbbieBOURNE]

No, but Chex Methods will in time notify your other bank, your other standard bank has the alternative to close your consideration. They might freeze you balance until you shut it. I would question then what their policy is.

- Amiyah BREEN