# Just Thinking Back



## oldman (Jul 25, 2014)

When I was a young boy from the time I was 8 until I graduated high school, I was very seldom inside the house, except during stormy weather. I especially loved the summer before I started working at 14 years old. We were out of school from June until the Wednesday after Labor Day. Us guys would hang out and play all kinds of games at the park, go to movies, go swimming at our swimming hole, ride bikes, climb trees and anything else we could find to do. We would pool our money together and buy a watermelon and eat the whole thing, or sometimes just do nothing, except lay in a field of honeysuckle and eat the honey after pulling out the stem.  

We would be gone from maybe noon until dark, or maybe even from mid-morning until dark, depending on what we decided to do to start the day. 

It was a fantastic time and I surely due miss those days.


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## Denise1952 (Jul 25, 2014)

I experienced a very similar child-hood OM We were so fortunate compared to some kids today.  I wouldn't trade my childhood for any other.  Especially being outside building forts, playing in the old, creek, and yes, swimming from morning til night, then sleeping out under the stars too.  I think about those times often  I still try to get outside as often as I can denise


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 25, 2014)

Same with me, even got to enjoy some of that honeysuckle honey too. :sentimental:  We played outside all day, and just came in for meals or nightfall.  We roller skated (with key), rode bikes, played stoop ball and hand ball, jumped rope, played red light, green light, etc.  Even though we had a TV, black and white when I was little, my mother did not let us sit there and watch it all day, TV time was very limited (and supervised).  In the summer we'd go swimming and fishing when we could.


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## Denise1952 (Jul 25, 2014)

Yes, I remember our first tv, but it was a "family" hour thing when we watched  And it truly was entertainment back then  But the house was for eating, sleeping (unless we were getting to sleep out in the hot Summers) and outside was the place to be.  I remember going to the neighbors asking if my friend could come out and play "Ok, as soon as she finishes her breakfast" LOL!!  And the sleep-overs, and walking back and forth by the "the new boy in schools" house LOL!!


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 25, 2014)

Never did sleep overs, but friends did call for each other to come out to play...ahhh, the good ol' days.


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## Meanderer (Jul 25, 2014)

Sounds wonderful om!  Our memories get re-written over time...polished a little I guess, but that sounds about right!  It was kind of like being on "survivor" without the adults. 
I guess you could round up some of your mates and repeat that list today with out too much difficulty...except for the swimming hole and tree climbing.   Thanks for sharing.


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## kcvet (Jul 25, 2014)

every summer just after school let out my mom put me on a train to stay the summer with my dad in CO. I went crazy in those mountains. then in late Aug back on the train to KC


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## oldman (Jul 26, 2014)

kcvet said:


> every summer just after school let out my mom put me on a train to stay the summer with my dad in CO. I went crazy in those mountains. then in late Aug back on the train to KC




I used to love flying over the Rockies. Some turbulence, but the view made it worth being uncomfortable for a minute or so. Colorado is one state that I would really like to spend some time in.


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## oldman (Jul 26, 2014)

Oh yeah, and BTW, my Dad did not allow the TV on during the day before 5:00 p.m., unless there was some breaking news story going on. That lasted until my sister was about 16, I believe and then we could turn it on after 12 noon. My Dad always gave into my sister, so when I really wanted something, I would ask her to ask Dad if we could go get popsicles before dinner or something like that. I never had to ask because I already knew the answer, so why tick him off?


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## kcvet (Jul 26, 2014)

oldman said:


> I used to love flying over the Rockies. Some turbulence, but the view made it worth being uncomfortable for a minute or so. Colorado is one state that I would really like to spend some time in.



I flew a lot between KC and the west coast and back. it was ruff going over those mountains.


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## Pappy (Jul 26, 2014)

In 1957 the Army flew me from Binghamton, NY, to San Francisco, CA, in one of these beauties. First time on a plane and first time out of state for any distance. What a wonderful flight we had and first class service all the way.

When we flew over the Rockies, the pilot tipped the plane each way so that everyone could see the beauty of the mountains. What a memory for a young lad to have. I still have the original ticket folder that has decals and flight info inside.


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## oldman (Jul 26, 2014)

kcvet said:


> I flew a lot between KC and the west coast and back. it was ruff going over those mountains.



I flew for a major U.S. carrier and I would sometimes, (if the weather was clear), ask the air traffic controller for permission to deviate from my planned route just to fly over the mountains in and around Denver and Salt Lake City. What a beautiful site. So, if you fly over those mountains ever again, it may not have been planned, but the pilot may have asked for permission to do so.


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## oldman (Jul 27, 2014)

Pappy said:


> In 1957 the Army flew me from Binghamton, NY, to San Francisco, CA, in one of these beauties. First time on a plane and first time out of state for any distance. What a wonderful flight we had and first class service all the way.
> 
> When we flew over the Rockies, the pilot tipped the plane each way so that everyone could see the beauty of the mountains. What a memory for a young lad to have. I still have the original ticket folder that has decals and flight info inside.




That's a Lockheed model plane. I can tell by the tail configuration. It may be a member of the Constellation family. I know Boeing and Airbus models best. A lot of Lockheed planes were used by the military back then.


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## kcvet (Jul 27, 2014)

Pappy said:


> In 1957 the Army flew me from Binghamton, NY, to San Francisco, CA, in one of these beauties. First time on a plane and first time out of state for any distance. What a wonderful flight we had and first class service all the way.
> 
> When we flew over the Rockies, the pilot tipped the plane each way so that everyone could see the beauty of the mountains. What a memory for a young lad to have. I still have the original ticket folder that has decals and flight info inside.



first plane I flew on as a kid. that has reverse thrust. way ahead of its time


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## oldman (Jul 27, 2014)

kcvet said:


> first plane I flew on as a kid. that has reverse thrust. way ahead of its time



First time is always the one we never forget.


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## Denise1952 (Jul 27, 2014)

Meanderer said:


> Sounds wonderful om!  Our memories get re-written over time...polished a little I guess, but that sounds about right!  It was kind of like being on "survivor" without the adults.
> I guess you could round up some of your mates and repeat that list today with out too much difficulty...except for the swimming hole and tree climbing.   Thanks for sharing.



They don't call it "2nd childhood for nothing" LOL!  Let's go down to the swimmin hole or camping, always one of my fave


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## Ralphy1 (Jul 28, 2014)

Ahh, yes, those Constellations were great.  I flew on one back from the PI that lost two engines on one wing and we still made it to Guam.  This was on Seaboard and Western an airline chartered by the military to fly servicemen and dependents back to the States.  A lot of praying and smoking took place until we landed...


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## Pappy (Jul 28, 2014)

Ralphy1 said:


> Ahh, yes, those Constellations were great.  I flew on one back from the PI that lost two engines on one wing and we still made it to Guam.  This was on Seaboard and Western an airline chartered by the military to fly servicemen and dependents back to the States.  A lot of praying and smoking took place until we landed...



Excellent meals, lots of leg room and smoking was allowed. TWA Airlines was the flight I was on and Howard Hughes was the owner at that time.


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## oldman (Jul 30, 2014)

Yesterday, we had very hard downpours in the afternoon with no thunder or lightening. It made me think back to when I was a kid and this happened, we would run and get our swimsuits on and go outside and run around in the rain and act like a nut.


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## chic (Aug 1, 2014)

oldman said:


> Yesterday, we had very hard downpours in the afternoon with no thunder or lightening. It made me think back to when I was a kid and this happened, we would run and get our swimsuits on and go outside and run around in the rain and act like a nut.



Yeah, or if we were already out, we'd just get wet, but no one would ever go inside. From June - Sept. I'd be out playing with my friends every day from around 10 am - 8 pm. Kids didn't have attention deficit disorder back then either. Were we healthier or just happier?


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