Monday, November 18, 2013

Rainy-Day Memories Always Make Me Happy

A television commercial ran frequently a week or so back, which made a pitch to purchase a particular 'camera.' The motivating advertisement words suggested that my 'memories' would be made 'better' if I bought this camera. I never before gave much thought to the connection of a camera's quality to enhance memories.

Yesterday morning, I took a cup of coffee to the sun room porch so that I might watch and hear the falling rain. As I starred at the heavenly water drops knock the few remaining leaves to the ground; memories (without a camera) came flooding over my mind.  I recall how at age nine, I would sit on a screened back porch in the home on Hallows and 55th street, East St. Louis and watch that same falling rain. My mother, Lucille was busy preparing supper and I was positioned on the porch-floor with my 'homemade' baseball spinner-game and two teams of baseball trading cards. I was totally immersed in a contest between the Stan Musial led Cardinals and Duke Snider's Brooklyn Dodgers. Somehow the St. Louis Cardinals always won that game; I suppose my head-angle looking at the spinner point is biased.

Other camera-less memories came to mind. I remember at age six playing those pretend 'cowboy' games and never worrying about washing my hands before eating that noon-time bologna sandwich. I cannot recall having many sore-throats or colds back then compared to these days when I am constantly washing hands and using those sanitize lotions.

When my Dad came in from work at Monsanto Chemical Company, we could smell the distinct chemical odors from his work clothing he hung in the utility room. Those smells soon gave way to the wonderful roast, laced with carrots, potatoes and gravy, which Mom placed on the table. I would always save a little gravy so I could 'mop-it-up' with a piece of bread. Interesting how life is an endless series of attempts to make things come out even, like the gravy & bread.

Funny fact...I don't have one camera-photo of those yesterday- moments and yet those days are crystal clear in my memory. I wish you all wonderful rainy-day memories; perhaps you'd rather ask a family member to purchase a Christmas 'camera.'

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