LET'S GO BACK

I found this on the internet and knew that I must share it with my readers.
Close your eyes. And go back - way back. Before the Internet or MAC machines - before semi automatics and crack - before SEGA or Super Nintendo.

I'm talking about things like - hide and go seek at dusk - sitting on the front steps - hot bread and butter and waiting for the ice cream man. Eating a super dooper dagwood sandwich - red light green light - really cold chocolate milk - lunch tickets - penny candy in a brown paper bag and playing the pinball machine in the corner store.

Hopscotch - butterscotch - Double Dutch - Jacks - kickball - dodge ball. Mother May I? Hula Hoops and sunflower seeds - Jolly Ranchers - blow pops - Mary Janes - Grape and Watermelon Now-Laters and of course "Alexander the grape" - "lemonheads."

Cooling off under the open fireplug where the girls would say, "I can't get wet! All right - well don't wet my hair." The smell of the sun heated blacktop in the summer. Watching Saturday Morning cartoons - Fat Albert - Road Runner - He-Man - The Three Stooges - and Bugs and friends. Catching lightening bugs in a jar - playing half ball. When three blocks away seemed far away - and going into Center City seemed like going somewhere very special. Reluctantly going to bed - climbing trees in the park - a million mosquito bites. Playing cops and robbers - cowboys and Indians or just sitting on the curb with your friends. Jumping down the all the front steps at once - jumping up and down on the bed. Pillow fights - being tickled to death - eating Kool-aid powder with sugar. Running till you were out of breath - laughing so hard that your stomach hurt and being tired from playing. 

Crowding around the after school fight and then running when the teacher came. 

Remember when there were only two types of sneakers for girls and boys Keds & PF Flyers- and the only time you wore them in school - was for gym. Boys always wore black sneakers and girls always wore white ones and there were no other colors available.

When it took about three minutes for the TV to warm up and there were only three channels to watch. When nobody owned a purebred dog. When a quarter was a decent allowance and another quarter a huge bonus. When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny. 

When girls neither dated nor kissed until late high school - if then. When your mom wore nylons that came in two pieces. When all of your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done - everyday.

When you got your windshield cleaned - oil checked - and gas pumped - without asking - for free every time. When two dollars worth of gas would last all week. You didn't have to pay for air for the tires or water for the radiator and you got trading stamps to boot!

When laundry detergent had free glasses - dishes or towels hidden inside the box. When any parent could discipline any kid - or feed him or use him to carry groceries - and nobody - not even the kid - thought a thing of it. 

When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed and did! When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home Basically - we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat Didn't that feel good? There's nothing like the good old days! They were good then - and they're good now when we think about them and to go back and say - Yo - I 'member dat!

The five (5) books in The Waffleman Series are available for you to share our memories with your friends and loved ones. 

Contact me at the Philadelphia Public Record. You can E-mail me at Waffleman@phillyrecord.com or visit my web page for other great memories - http://www.Dwaffleman.com.