Did You Get A CHILDHOOD?

Staff Writer I was reading editorials the other week and came across an opinion piece concerning whether or not “today’s kids even get childhoods.” I thought a moment or six and decided that I definitely had a childhood—and LOVED it! I really think I would have been totally happy to have been somewhere between 1st and 8th grades my entire life. I think my Children had childhoods, and I believe my Grandchildren are having childhoods; however, I do believe that “times do change” and bring changes, to our expectations and activities. Are these changes good—bad—no big deal?

When my boys were young, I once told my Dad that I was going to have to build a storage building for all the toys they had. And then I remarked that when I was a boy, all my toys would fit onto four small shelves at the end of one of our clothes closets, and then I just shook my head and grimaced. Dad, giving me that “Fatherly and all-knowing stare,” casually replied, “Well, Don, when I was a boy, I can remember having only ONE TOY at a time and then getting another one when that one wore out.” HMM! I was left speechless! I posed a question to many of our wonderful readers out there—some of the ones for whom I had e-mail addresses. Request: favorite activities as a child, can be short or lengthy, would like to show what the childhoods of “you guys” were like! Some responded with the following information. Thanks to them.

Sonya Hill Bannister: I used to go to the Dallas Library to read or check out books to bring home. On nice days I rode my bike up and down the roads and would be out most of the day and come home close to dark. I would visit friends or go to the local store. (I did not have a watch!) On Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays, I would be at our Church, and I was in the Church Choir. On every Monday, a group of us would go visit those who hadn’t been in Church for a while to try to get them to come back. My Father was part of the Mensa Group, and during the summer months, they held large picnics with the members’ families. That was a lot of fun. Also, every summer my family would spend a lot of time at Lake Whitney and go fishing, boating, or just “hanging out” as a family at our lake house—cousins, uncles, aunts, etc. We did not watch a lot of television, but I know my Grandparents watched a lot of Westerns, and I remember watching the Donny and Marie Show every week. We would also listen to music quite a bit—I had a “ton” of 45s, and that might be why I love good music and had my girls listen to different kinds when they were growing up. It’s been kind of fun reminiscing about the “good ol’ days”—simpler times for sure!

Ann Themer Moreau: For my sixth birthday, I got the best gift ever—a 24” Schwinn bicycle. It was a beautiful shade of blue. For the first year or so, I could not sit on the seat, because my feet could not reach the pedals. It was purchased with the intention of its lasting for my entire childhood. When taller, I just rode back-and-forth on our street (Maple) until I was old enough “to go out on my own.” I loved being able to occasionally ride it to school, to a friend’s house, or even all the way out to Mrs. Dickey’s house during the summer for piano lessons. And, it did last me throughout my childhood. Later, when I went to East Texas State University, I rode it to classes when I did not feel like walking the mile or so from the dorm to the campus. Ahhhh.….the freedom that it provided!

Alan McCuistion: Many of my summer days in the early 1960s were spent playing “pick-up” baseball games at Legion Field (the site of Little League and High School baseball games in Forney). My neighbor, Rod Stark, and I set up our own baseball field on a vacant lot in our neighalso, borhood, where we played numerous pick-up baseball games with friends. (*Themer: I was part of several of these games and remember that Alan’s older brother, Jerry McCuistion, and also Darrell Penny, and other “guys” who had bikes during our era had some really good times there, sometimes hitting homeruns into the cemetery behind the empty lot that later was the house site of the Conway Senter family.) Other summer days were spent riding bikes with friends to downtown Forney and other local places of interest. Like most of my friends, we usually only had to check in with the parents at lunch time and dinner. To stay cool in the summer, many hours were spent in our backyard pool with family and friends. As a Boy Scout, our Troop would go to summer camp at Lake Texoma, where we spent time learning about nature, shooting rifles, and swimming and canoeing in the lake. However, it was always great to get home and get the sand out of my sleeping bag and underwear! As for family activities, several summer vacations were spent at the coast in Galveston, where we had lots of fun and made some great memories. On Sundays, our family attended a local church, which included several potluck lunches. Sunday afternoon activities were often scheduled for teens in the Church—MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship). *I was invited to some of their outings and had some really good times, bowling, etc.— Themer* Stephen Davis: As far as my favorite activities growing up go, I guess that would vary over the years. But over-all, I would say that swimming in the approximately one acre pond that my Dad built in the mid-1950s (and that included a dock to fish in and dive off of and a trapeze-type swing from a cable off of a utility pole that he salvaged and dug in at the water’s edge) made every summer a great time for many years even up into my adult years. Secondly, I would note eating the many great desserts that my Mom made over the years, as she was a terrific cook and homemaker. (Obviously that had nothing to do with my being a “slight diabetic” now.) And thirdly, I remember throughout all those years visiting with a couple of favorite uncles who always had hilarious stories of the crazy things that they got into while growing up around Forney in the ‘20s and ‘30s. A couple of the many examples are riding on the running boards of their 1935 Ford pick-up and grabbing a skunk by the tail as they passed it and then throwing it into the cab of the truck through the open window. Or, pulling back the bed covers and putting a large snapping turtle into bed with my Dad. …..So, yes, I agree these days that kids don’t know what fun is!

Betty Pippins Haynes: TIN CAN ALLEY was a game of choice for several years on Bois d’Arc Street. It was a game of “Hide and Seek,” using a tin can that was HOME. Whoever was “IT” had to seek out those hiding and then run to the can and call out the “found” person’s name. “IT” was allowed to hit the can if “IT” was away, seeking those who were still hiding.

Beverly Smith Hargrove: My favorite thing I did as a child was riding my bike. Some days I rode it as far as the Heath Store. Lisa Dozier and I rode all the way to Rockwall once—NEVER told our PARENTS! Riding the bike was the most freedom I feel that I have ever had. Too bad I learned to drive—LOL!

Tracy Brannon Drane: Mostly 1970s—I loved riding my “Big Wheel,” playing hopscotch, skateboarding, riding on the merry-go-round or seesaw at the playground, and swimming…..soccer, too! As an only child to a single Mom, I watched a lot of TV in the afternoons after school. “Speed Racer” was one of my favorites. As I got older, I listened to a lot of records in my room.

Don Themer: My five favorite activities of childhood days in FORNEY were the following. 1) Riding my bikes with mainly David Costello, Rod Stark, Warren Hatley, and my Cub Scout/Boy Scout friends: (1st one) was a 22 inches wheels model (I was 6 or 7 years old) on loan from Billy Owen Costello in return for my (2nd one) 26/28 inches model that Dad purchased from Luke Shipley (Son Larry’s bike from storage in the “shed.”) When I grew a little and could reach the pedals of the larger bike, we “swapped back.” (Third bike) was a Christmas present from Mom and Dad and was “brand new” and purchased from Montgomery Ward in Big Town and transported to Maple Street in the “old Ford” after Church in Dallas one Wednesday night right after Christmas. 2) Playing “pickup” baseball games at the old LEGION FIELD across the street from the Little Building and Big Building (Forney Grammar School)—nearly every warm day for several years! 3) Shooting Daisy Model B. B. guns with mainly David and Rod in Forney and my Cousins in Oklahoma. 4) Collecting coins by examining coins from rolls from Forney State Bank—getting the rolls, looking at each coin’s date, returning the rolls and trading for more, mostly pennies at that time. 5) But most of all, I remember that already far back into my “little tyke” days, I could not wait to get out into the outdoors (garden areas, trees, neighbors’ yards, school grounds, church yards, farms, parks, etc.) and making, exploring, finding, crawfishing, fishing, hiding and seeking, wading— anything outdoors!

The editorial did make me ponder and decide that “all kids get childhoods,” but the definitions and remembrances of that term may differ for each generation!