I grew up on Buckner, across from Elsmere Elementary. Dorothy Howell was the principal then. Walked to the Gayety ( sp) with friends .If you came in late you stayed until the movie started again, left where you came in.Rode my bike to Bud and Howards to get a hair-cut, worked at Dusing Ice in the mid 70s. The railroad tracks were the main access to everywhere. Trees ( the woods) were every where as were the tree houses we built ...every year .Every lake was fished ,private or not . Guard dogs or not. Back yards were for camping out , which then meant bring old blankets and be eaten by bugs but it was the fastest way to get up to get to the private lakes before the dogs were aroused. Played basket ball anywhere a tree or telephone pole could hold a nailed- in rim . Football in the streets or behind the school. Baseball of some form anywhere . Buckner v Fox or however we could choose sides . Red Rover was big. Playing in the rain , with permission, was huge in the summer. Treat or Treat was a season unto itself. One year because of fables of kids being poisoned or badly treated Trick or Treat was an all day light , all day event . A once in a life time occasion. We cleaned- up after several missions that day . Exhausted , rotting teeth, a certain curse of over extending. Every year we wore Halloween costumes to school and on that day , marched to the fire house on Garvey and back. The Elsmere Fire House was the true center of the community. Boy Scout fish fries ( Troop 19) in between the greatest event known to mankind- The Elsmere Street Carnival .A weekend of non-stop lights , darts into under inflated balloons, fish ponds, ticket pulls, beer bottles half full rolling under tables at your feet, flirting and fighting and forgetting the next day ( until next year) We played Army , acting out characters from Combat. We played all of these things all year , Outside. Inside was for eating and being yelled at by parents for where in the hell have you been?. Outside . Outside was where the action was . We were a gang , not like today . We knew where to meet , when and how to do nothing on someones steps , even if they werent home, but WE did it .Together. Our gang ( little g).Everyone knew where we met because in that yard was a pile of old bikes . None had kick stands. Wouldnt have used them anyway .Just lay em down .A ball glove hung around the handle bars in summer just in case. We had hoods so we thought , in the near by. Everyone wanted a switchblade because they were so cool. Still are. No one had one , just a pocket knife for whittling , wood not guys. Deposit on bottles was .2$ . Get enough you could buy a rubber ball at Garrishes. Game on. I drive home quite often, The buildings say it has changed , but the gang is still there , waiting on someones steps or under the street light at Central Row and Buckner... in front of the school.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 19:09:50 +0000
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