Today's prompt: Your childhood neighborhood.
Kicking and screaming, I was dragged away from the home I knew. My mother had always wanted to live in Florida, so off we went.
First, we had a house near a pond with ducks, and a Beverage Castle with Orange Sherbert, (that's where they sent me when they wanted "adult time.") It was right in the middle of retirement land, so, with no kids to play with, I spent a lot of time alone in my room. It was nice, sunny, peaceful. ♪In my room, in my room♪ (Beach Boys)
Then, things changed, Mom had a new man, and we were living in a hotel that smelled like bug spray, then near the dog track we got a 1 bedroom duplex where I slept on a bean bag. I didn't want to go outside, but with all the adults inside, it was just too crowded. In the neighborhood, under the cover of large oak trees, I fought off the older boys who thought I was fun to "play" with. I hated that place. It was dark and grimy; no place for a child. ♪Dirty Deeds done dirt cheap, dirty deeds done dirt cheap♪ (AC/DC)
When I came back from Gramma's that Summer, we had moved to a whole new town. It was great! There were kids to play with! I was outside all the time; riding my bike, swimming at a friends pool, playing football! I loved it there!
Again, we moved. This time into a brand new trailer in a not so new trailer park in Turkey Creek. And if you're thinking Turkey Creek sounds mighty country, well, it was. This is where I caught crawdads in the crick, chased snakes from under the trailer, and tried to steal strawberries with out gettin' shot by salt rocks! It was a blast! (haha blast, shot gun, get it? ok, sorry)
My friends and I would walk around the neighborhood, (the whole 2 streets of the park) singing: ♪Looking for love in all the wrong places♪ (Johnny Lee) and we made up a dance to ♪Barbara Annnnn please take my hannnd♪ (Beach Boys) We played chase between the trailers, ran scared from the bobcat in the Laundromat, built a fort in the trees, and laughed and played without a care in the world. When the streetlights came on, we went home went to bed, and got up in the morning to do it all over again.
This was our neighborhood. Nobody cared what brand of jeans you wore, or what kind of car your parents drove. Nobody made of fun of you for having the wrong hair color. Here, you weren't "trailer trash." We were all equal here. There was no need to worry about what you said or did; everyone liked you for YOU! ♪And we danced like a wave on the ocean romanced we were liars in love and we danced♪ (The Hooters)
Then, we moved. And everything changed...
♪Nobody's gonna break my stride, nobody's gonna slow me down, oh no oh no I got to keep on moving♪ (Matthew Wilder)
Wow...that sounds like a roller coaster ride!!
ReplyDeleteDo you get the urge to move now that you're older or are you cemented in one place?
Frannie
In some ways that sounds so hard growing up having to move all the time, but on the other hand you must have had many experiences good and bad that shaped you as a person. I love how you link your posts to music. I think my life would be much more fun if it were to music like in the movies. :)
ReplyDeleteStopped by from mama kat's
Stopping by from Mama Kat's.
ReplyDeleteHoly cow - what experiences you've had! I like the music references, too - it helps set the scene. Do you like being in one place, now, or do you like a change of scenery now and again?
What song would really define that summer for you?
music definitely makes the difficult times easier and the good times more fun!
ReplyDelete