Occassionally I enjoy taking time to drive between meetings rather than my usual flying routine. While driving the “scenic” route through Virginia today, a number of sights, sounds and smells triggered memories of my childhood.
My summers were defined by the incredibly sweet smell of honeysuckle vines which grew by Pricillia’s house up the road. I connect the color yellow with this smell since Pricillia always seemed to be wearing a frilly dress of that color while playing near the honeysuckle vines.
We spent almost every waking hour outside since TV was limited and the inventors of systems like X-box probably had not been born yet. My brother, sister and I would end the summer with leather hard soles on our feet from rarely wearing shoes anywhere. Trips to the old Harris Teeter with mom to get groceries was a welcome blessing since the air conditioned building provided a cool treat for our feet as we walked barefooted pushing the grocery cart.
We grew up in the south so hot days and nights were part of life. The heat would bubble up tar poured into cracks on the road in front of our house. A popsicle stick was an effective tool to scoop up this hot mixture and make tar balls. By the end of the summer, most of the tar in the road had been scooped up by each of us. We spent many fun hours of sitting in small groups digging this black, gooey mix up. I still love the smell of hot tar..strange I’m sure for those who might read this!
Sleeping at night could be hard since we had no air-conditioning except for an old window unit in the den. A small oscillating fan and incredible memories of mom swabbing our backs with cotton balls soaked in alcohol provided temporary relief from the humid nights. Falling asleep to the sound of a fan oscillating back and forth provided a calming steadiness which remains with me to this day. I can only sleep with the sound of a fan blowing air.
Really hot days were spent sitting face first in front of the window air conditioner. I can still remember the droning sound of the motor and the smell of the air as it hit you in the face with its slightly humid, mechanically sweet aroma. Both the sound and smell always provided a sense of security and a defining point in the seasons.
Many evenings were spent chasing the mosquito jeeps around the neighborhood. These jeeps sprayed a heavy fog of bug-killer and were a blast to chase around completely immersed in the fog. This summer activity carried over to a time when we lived in the middle of a cotton field. A great thrill involved running into the field to watch crop dusters fly low and spray the plants. We usually got sprayed! So far, I don’t believe I have suffered any permanent health issues from these summer activities! Some of my family and friends might disagree!
Most hot afternoons were interupted by the sound of the Good Humor truck. With a quarter in hand, I would buy my most favorite of popsicles…a banana juice popsicle. Oh, it tasted so good if you could eat everything before the heat melted it off of the twin sticks. Occassionally, mom would make a pitcher of cherry Kool-Aid and bring it outside with cookies. The simple joy of sitting under a tree in the shade drinking a cup of cool, red Kool-Aid and munching on a cookie. It doesn’t get much better than that!
We didn’t take many vacations, but occassionally we would go to the beach and stay in a rental house which by today’s standards would be classified as condemned! But, we were kids and the bugs and filth did’nt really matter. A breakfast of cocoa puffs in a small paper bowl started the day before we ran to the beach and played in the surf for hours getting scorched. That scar on my face is the result of too many sunburns as a kid!
Sometimes we need to find a way to slow down the hectic paces of our lives. Spend some quiet time reflecting on life and I will guarantee you will see much joy in the many little things you have experienced. We all tend to get focused on the next big project, the career and jamming entirely too much into a day. I want to recommend that you change how you do things just one day and spend time enjoying all that is around you and remembering all that has been and continues to be good in your life!
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