What do you most miss from your childhood?

[Maddy McCall]

In my hometown, there was a little restaurant next door to a grocery store on main street, both family owned. The resaurant was Griffith's Cafe--it was on the corner of Main near the railroad, and it serviced mostly railroad men and loggers, as well as the local townfold.

In the mid-seventies, a group of us twelvish kids would walk downtown to Griffith's, get a seat in the big circular chrome-vinyl booth, and pull out our three dollars each. You could get the BEST cheeseburger in the world, fries, and a coke, and still have enough money left over to play the jukebox and get a double scoop of spumoni for the walk home.

Griffith's declined for a decade, and then closed when Walmart came. Several entrepreneurs attempted to open new restaurants there, but they all failed--couldn't achieve the level of charm that Griffith's had. Now it sits empty.

Lots of times I want to take my son back to places in my childhood, but so much as changed. The town library folded because the police department needed the space in Town Hall (what does that say for society). The city pool closed because of integration. The state park no longer welcomes families in the manner it did when I was a kid--it is now a pay-to-play state golf course! And Griffith's is gone. There is one country store near the "swimhole" that is still open, and it is there that I give my child the last vestigal glimpse of my life at his age.

What do you miss from your childhood?

[sasquatch]

1. Nothing!!

Childhood sucked dirty freeper republican ass:hurts:

[inthecorneroverhere]

10. uncalled for....

That comment was uncalled for.

[sasquatch]

11. well it did

I'm sorry if my language isn't the cleeanest in the world but, it did. I express how I feel when I right if you got a problem with it send me a PM and we can have a little chat about it. If you can't handle dirty language grow up:(

[Maddy McCall]

14. I hope everything is going well for you, Sas...

I am curious as to how it is going. Send me a PM so that you can tell me about it, or update us on the board...we are all wishing you the best!

[Madrone]

23. I pretty much agree with you -

But having an abusive control freak of a Rush Limbaugh loving mother can do that to ya... :)

Other than that - I miss not having to WORK or take care of all life's unpleasantries by myself - but things are much better for me as an adult with control over my own life. No ass whippings on a regular basis ain't so bad, either!

[KeepItReal]

2. Thinking Reagan was gonna push *the button* at any minute?

Seriously...

Oh, I guess that was stuff I *don't miss* from my childhood!

[brokensymmetry]

9. The button?

Well, I was around during the cuban missle crises. Then, the home bomb shelter was in vogue - complete with easy time payments. Life went on, for me - as it has for you.

But surely there were some happier times? I certainly hope so!

[iluvchicago86]

26. Ha...

You were worried about reagan..what about the poor liberal children who have to worry about dumbya?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

3. Peace, quiet and blessed ignorance that the world was such

an awful, shitty, rotting mess.
We were not as regulated then as we are now, and things seemed to work better. Even corporations had not figured out the "way" to manage us yet, TV ads.
It was a saner, simpler world.

[brokensymmetry]

4. Great post - thought provoking, too.

I guess what I miss most is a feeling of community. Places like Griffith's - which we all knew, if by some other name - were a part of that. A chain store or restaurant isn't part of our community, and never can be.

About 20 years ago (still long after my childhood's end!) I remember a delightful little restaurant in an airport. You'll probably scoff at the very idea, but this was a tiny little private airport, and the restaurant was family owned and operated. The pies were to die for! And the crusts - surely made with unspeakable amounts of lard - were wonderful!

Back still more years (about 45, actually) I remember TG&Y. It was around Christmas, and they had a gigantic display of every sort of glass ornament that could be imagined. I got to pick one out - I own it still, though the coloring is long gone. It was a glass bell, colored bright red.

:)

[curse10]

5. Summer!

No worries, no job, just bicycles, waterfights, crawdad hunting, and capture the flag games!

[Rick Myers]

6. When I was 12-ish, about the time Neil landed on the moon

we used to take the bus downtown on Saturday. First, hit eh lunch counter at McCrory's 5 and dime, for mac and cheese with ground hamburger in it! I'm sure it had a name, but I don't recall, but my grandfather ran the place so we were allowed to do anything we wanted!!!

Then over to Record Rendevous, where you could listen to the 45's before you bought them in little 'phonebooths'...

Up to the surplus store to dig thru the old electronic parts and military junk, then over to the used book store, where they had piles of old magazines for a dime each!!! Scale Moddeler, National Geographic, all kinds of great finds!!!

[inthecorneroverhere]

7. I miss...

I miss having less traffic on the streets. It's much harder to find peace and quiet.

[number9]

8. Not the most missed, but something

I truly miss the idea that the "big" people actually knew what the hell they were doing, and you could trust them. Growing up tells one that isn't true. I miss that sense of belief.

[KoKo]

12. The "Independent" department stores and "Woolworth's and Kress." Junk

jewelry, cheap candy, makeup, and "glittery stuff" that we young girls could fuss around with. Family businesses... places where you could get a "real" hamburger with lettuce tomato and real fries (yeah they're still out there, but the hamburger doesn't taste as good) and "real" drugstores that had "soda fountains" and a peculiar smell that one only found there ......sort of perfume and medicine and something acidic thrown in.

AND: I miss frozen Coca Cola in bottles with peanuts floating on the top..............(one had to add the peanuts)

Plus when neighbors were friendly enough to say Hi.....what's up.....or it's cloudy, sunny, rainy today...... :-)'s

[Maddy McCall]

15. Bubble Gum lip gloss in the glass tube with the roller ball on top...

remember that? :hi:

[KoKo]

19. Sadly, "lip gloss" was just a little before my time...BUT "Tangee" Orange

Makeup (or, at least when it was applied it turned Orange) was more what I was exposed to.

And, later.......a little "Bonnie Bell".........were they the first "lip gloss?" I seem to remember something from "Bonnie Bell with a glass tube. :hi:

[Maddy McCall]

21. Yes, I think indeed it was Bonnie Bell!

[mitchum]

13. The Great Society

[MercutioATC]

16. I miss that as a 3rd grader, I was able to bike anywhere in the town I ch

I'd never allow my son to do that now. When I was a kid (WAY back in the 70's ;) ) we were safe. We had such fun thinking we were exploring. I regret not being comfortable allowing my son to do the same...

[SOteric]

17. Everything.

I miss how my folks took care of all my needs.

I miss the joy of big, red rubber boots on rainy days.

I miss sleeping in late in the summer.

I miss how no one gave me crap if I spent day after day doing nothing more than reading books and digging in the mud out in back of the house.

I miss not fretting about paychecks and planning a future and worrying about the costs of healthcare.

I miss the innocence and sheer exhuberence of love when one is a child.

And I really, really miss my mum.

[Rowdyboy]

18. Sno-cones, feeling safe, my aunts and great aunts...

Captain Kangaroo and applejacks...not necessarily in that order.

also: Butter burgers, real onion rings and frosted root beers from Frost Top.

[Maddy McCall]

20. Hi, Rowdy

Do you remember Buckskin Bill on the Baton Rouge channel? I don't know if you were in the broadcast area, but we were here, in SW MS.

[Rowdyboy]

30. Only channel I saw as a child was....

WDAM, Laurel/Hattiesburg which was an NBC affiliate...Severely cramped my style-no Lassie, No Beverly Hillbillies...at least I had Disney and Lucy...WDAM had a guy named Cowboy Bob who did afternoon birthday parties and I was on, once, when I was seven. He asked me a tough question, like "What's your name" and I responded, brilliantly, "Seven!" My family was VERY proud.

[Maddy McCall]

31. What a funny story!

I guess you don't remember Romper Room either.
There were lots of cool kids shows here when I was growing up. We wre on the fringe of the Jackson, N.O., and Baton Rouge markets, so we got good selections of programming. Still, ya had to deal with the snow, but we weren't so TV dependent as kids.

[otohara]

22. Nothing -

My childhood sucked - totally dysfunctional mother. I was afraid to become one myself - but alas, my kid has had a safe, loving home.

[iluvchicago86]

24. Bill Clinton....

He was the omnipresent man during my childhood and i always felt safe with him there...almost as if he was a father-figure type. And when i was fourteen Shrub stole the election *huge sigh* now i do not feel safe anymore. i'm sure im not the only kid who feels this way.:scared:

[KoKo]

25. Some of us had to deal with Nixon! A scary one also......................

:scared:

[iluvchicago86]

27. How i sympathize.....

((((((((hug))))))))) but at least nixon wasnt a texan with a penchant for bombing poor countries. Although nixon does give off a sinister dumbya esque air........or is that the other way around?

[HEyHEY]

28. well

How unbelievable magical everything seemed.

[WilliamPitt]

29. The 25 extra pounds I didn't have on me n/t

[Shanty Oilish]

32. My mother n/t

:(

[classics]

33. I miss not knowing.

I miss walking in the calm cold air of a September afternoon and just enjoying the sunshine, cool air and newness of everything.

I miss the clam bliss of not knowing the world hated me, that it would definatly be making me its slave bitch, and most of all not knowing that only worse times than today lay ahead.

Ignorance is the only bliss.

[sam sarrha]

34. boy scout summer camp.

my troop sold xmas trees, if you sold enogh tree tickets you got to go to summer camp free. i was dirt poor, couldnt even afford a uniform... i sold so many tickets, i was also hyper active, that i got all the other poor boys to camp too. i realized that the camp staff LIVED there all summer..in the high sierra 6,200 ft, alpine lake 2 miles across, wow! i found out what they wanted in a staff member... i was from a disfunctional violent alcoholic family. boy scouts got me out of the house 3 nites a week and ALL summer for 6 years. and i got 3 friends and started a group that consulted/trained other troops in camping. i went camping with other troops almost every weekend and holidays for 5 years. i was a wipped puppy at 12, at 14 my father said he was going to beat me, for something.. and i told him to call the paramedics first because he was going to need a ride to the hospital.... that was the last time. i am really disappointed with the scouts today, just weird politics..

[REP]

35. "It Was Hell, Recalls Former Child" (B Kliban)

Put me in the "nothing" category!

[clyrc]

36. I miss the family dinners where we all sat down

and laughed all through the meal. My dad was in a bad mood most of the time, and my mom was very changeable, but dad, mom, and my sister and brother are all very funny. When the right mood hit, they had me laughing so hard my stomach hurt. We all laughed until we cried, but I haven't done that in a while. I miss laughing like that.

My family was dysfunctional, too,a nd I can think of many things I don't miss. But there are absolutely things I do miss.

[ronnykmarshall]

37. My Brother

He died in 1989.

[CBHagman]

38. All the simple pleasures

A lot of simple pleasures are still to be had, even in the cellphone-toting aughties, but I love remembering things such as...

*going trick-or-treating all over town with my best friend.

*sneaking over to the historic cemetery (dating from the colonial days)in our town.

*bringing home all the Sunday papers, fresh rolls, and one piece of candy per kid after mass each Sunday. I was always especially pleased that I had two full sets of comics to read, one from the New York Daily News and one from the Bergen Record.

That's the kind of thing you meant with this thread, I think, Jchild.

[LWolf]

39. Long, happy days

with no responsibilities. I could read all day, or spend all day wandering around in the hills on my little mustang, or hanging out with friends, and not have the constant pressure of all of the chores/projects/responsibilities/obligations not getting done.

Even when school was in session, there was plenty of day before and after left over. No pressure. Homework was manageable.

When I was 10 + years old, it was no big deal to be on my own. I could walk or ride my bike home from school, grab a snack, go catch a bus, walk anywhere I wanted to...we were generally unsupervised. While we did do things our parents wouldn't approve of (like raiding their stash), we didn't get in trouble, vandalize, steal, or fight. We didn't worry about strangers, abduction, or gangs. Safety just never seemed to be a concern. This was not small town America; it was the San Fernando Valley in CA.

It was a different world.