Since I recently shared a picture of my nephew Daniel with his bicycle, this one caught my eye as I was paging through a photo album. Josh was around four here and living on an Army post in Kentucky. I was visiting, and some things I remember that happened during that trip include:
- One of the twins–I think Gina–injured her finger in a door, and her parents took her to the emergency room. This explains why, in photos from that morning, Sarah’s hair is an uncombed mess (the one who went to the doctor was groomed; the other was left with Aunt Becky, who didn’t think to brush her hair). Being left with Aunt Becky might also explain why Josh was on his bicycle without a shirt. Kids didn’t wear bike helmets in those days, but I could have made him get completely dressed. Sorry, buddy. At least he’s wearing shoes and a belt. He looks so blond here, and SO LITTLE on that bike. I like the contrast of badass cruiser handlebars with training wheels.
- This may be the visit when a babysitter was brought in, and the grown-ups went to see a new movie that came out that summer called Star Wars. That movie managed to infiltrate just about every part of our lives, including our language. We loved it.
- It was definitely where I was when the news broke that Elvis died.
And these people left their children with you because..?
Star Wars is the first movie I remember seeing at the cinema. I fell asleep. I was four.
Then you’re Josh’s age–and his sisters are younger–so that’s why they didn’t get to go to the movie.
At least I KNEW the kids. When my poor mother once had to rush me to the ER in the middle of the night while my father was on maneuvers, she had to ask a stranger to drive her (she couldn’t drive, and it was snowing) AND let his wife stay home with her other children. A parent’s gotta do what a parent’s gotta do.
Ah, memories … both the good and the bad … that summer was really bookended with happenings.We went to see Star Wars the day after the opening night and the waiting lines filled the lobby and the parking lot. That was back in the days when a multi-plex meant the theater had two large auditoriums. And both were showing Star Wars.
It’s strange to me that I don’t remember any hype about Star Wars. I was in summer school that year, so maybe I was just too busy and too poor to go to the movies. It was probably my sister and brother-in-law’s treat.
The second I saw the house I said “base housing”. I can remember riding my bike without a helmet AND barefoot, how on earth did I survive … I wont say how old I was, but when I walked out of star wars I was awestruck. I thought it was the most amazing thing in the world, and while I still love it … when I watch it now, and you see that first ship … and it is so big, I remember it as being even bigger … and I curse Lucas for making yet another change/ Why on earth would he shorten the ship ! BOOO!
Hyperspace–that’s what I locked on. I was a speed demon, and having never read science fiction, that was a new concept–with an amazing visual–for me.
Josh was and still is so pretty!
For sure. All those kids. Good matchup of genes!