Tag Archives: nostalgia

Main Street U.S.A

I recently read something, where the author made mention of the “fly over” states. That irked me. Every single time I hear that expression or read it being used by an east or west coast inhabitant, I cringe. What they are in essence saying is, the majority of the states in this country (Mid-West, the Great Plains, the Deep South, the Desert South West) are just states that one will fly over to get to the big cities on either coast, they aren’t worth stopping at for a visit. Even though I grew up in Maryland, only thirty minutes from Baltimore and an hour from D.C., I lived in the country. I appreciated small town life. I saw beauty in the rural landscapes, and the wide open spaces.

Anyone that knows me, or has been reading my blog for any amount of time, knows that I have a nostalgia for small town America. Are small towns perfect? No. Things happen in small towns too, and not always good things. I have to say though, that it is nice to live somewhere where people actually know your name, or at least your face. There is a familiarity that is comfortable. For me, there is peace that comes with quiet, and calm that comes from open space. Neither quiet, nor open spaces are easy to come by in the big cities.

I’ve mentioned before on several occasions that I have enjoyed the old On The Road segments by the late Charles Kuralt. He had a gift for finding the story inside of each person…..no matter how quirky. I am currently reading Bill Geist’s book, Way Off The Road. He is following in the footsteps of Kuralt, who went before him, narrating the interesting stories on the back roads of America. My next set of books will be Garrison Keillor’s writings on Lake Wobegon.

I know that bad stuff still happens in small towns, and good stuff can happen in big cities, and that no one place is a utopia. That aside, there are some aspects of small town life, that I wish we could all go back to……..

 

 

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Main Street U.S.A

 

 

 

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Local five and dime stores, not huge box stores

 

 

 

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Farm land and farmer’s markets and fresh produce that is actually from America

 

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God and country…and Sunday was special.

 

 

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Parades to celebrate life and liberty…..with hot dogs and hamburgers and ice cold sodas while we watched.

 

 

 

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God Bless America and God bless our military.

 

 

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Front porches were for visiting with neighbors and time slowed down

 

 

 

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Local diners that served up good ‘ol comfort food and no one thought about calories

 

 

 

 

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Riding the back roads looking for something to do and finding out of the way places

 

 

 

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Sweet tea out of a mason jar….because is there anything better?

 

 

 

 

 

Vintage With A Twist

Sometimes I wonder if I wasn’t born in the wrong decade…

*I enjoy watching reruns of The Walton’s and their TV lives, circa 1930’s.

*I recently bought a 1934 radio reproduction at a local antiques store. I absolutely love it.

*I think some of the best movies ever filmed were in the 30’s and 40’s.

*I have vintage aprons hanging in my kitchen, that I use.

*Some of my best recipes come from a cookbook entitled New Recipes For Good Eating, circa 1948.

*Buying Christmas ornaments from Woolworth’s Five and Dime store… when stores were small and local.

* I love reading Reminisce magazine from cover to cover.

Sigh.

Before anyone tells me that those two decades were difficult…not fun…and that if I lived in those decades I’d be in my 70’s and 80’s now…..forget it. You are not changing my mind.

I know. I know. The Great Depression. World War II. Hard times.  All true, but there was something about that time period…it seems like people pulled together. They were proud to be American. People were happy with a simpler lifestyle. Neighbors knew who you were. ….At least more than in today’s society.

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“Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”  Casablanca (1941)

“Some day you’ll learn that greatness is only the seizing of opportunity – clutching with your bare hands ’til the knuckles show white.”

National Velvet (1944)

“Oh, my Dear Friend, my heart was trembling as I walked into the post office, and there you were, lying in Box 237. I took you out of your envelope and read you, read you right there.”  The Shop Around The Corner  (1940)

“The time to make up your mind about people is never.”  The Philadelphia Story (1940)

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Everyone Has A Story…

Charles Kuralt, Host from 1979–1994

Image via Wikipedia

My husband gave me the DVD set of the late Charles Kuralt, On The Road series. The series used to air on CBS Sunday. Mr. Kuralt and crew were in an RV, traversing the highways and bi-ways of America. He met people in the big cities and small towns of this country. His key phrase had him wondering what was “up around the bend”. Even though I was a child for most of his years on TV, and don’t really remember watching the series, I am intrigued by his travels, now, as an adult.

One day, I hope to “hit the road” for an extended period of time. Meet people. Write their stories. I long to see America in a way that isn’t shown on the nightly news. There is something to be said for taking time to go down the road less traveled, to sit and listen to stories that  might otherwise never be heard.

I think that is why I love blogging so much…and reading other people’s blogs. I get to meet people in a sense…get to know them. Just like a book can take me to a place I’ve never been…my blog friends show me their lives in parts of the country that I’ve never had opportunity to visit. Yet.

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In 1983 I Was A Sophomore

When my son was small he asked me, “What is this thing?” ,as he held up a record. “It looks like the biggest CD ever!” As I explained to him what a record was I began to feel like an ancient artifact. For cryin’ out loud. Later when he was in school he had to decide where he would like to go if given a time machine. He said, “Way back to the 80’s”. I wish I could tell you he meant the 1880’s…but no, he meant the 1980’s. I told him I could tell him anything he wanted to know, just ask. I was there. Aaahhhh…the mind of an 8 year old.

It is now seven years later. He doesn’t ask me those questions anymore, but he does say stuff like “back in the day”, or “you know Mom, when you were young”. It makes me feel so good to hear my son discussing my childhood as if it was during the Stone Ages. Yeah, Fred Flintstone and I were tight.

I tell him that I was fifteen once.  In 1983. A sophomore in high school. Times were good….and if I’m feeling particularly honest, yes, it does seem like a million years ago. I want to know where the time went? When did it sneak up on me? When did I stop listening to music too loud, worried about my fashion sense, had to have the permed hair, read Seventeen magazine, talked to my friends on a REAL phone, and could stay up all night at slumber parties? When was the girl replaced with a woman?

Sometimes I look at my teenage children and I have to smile. They think I’m old. But….I haven’t forgotten what it was to be young and goofy.  There are plenty of things I remember…and stories that I will just keep to myself. Thank you very much. My kids aren’t going to be with me much longer. Not really. Soon they will be gone, off to discover their new world of young adulthood. Having their own adventures. Meeting new people. Making their own decisions. Part of me wants to sit them down and tell them that they need to pay attention! Don’t be stupid. One day they too will be 42 years old, looking back…wondering where the time went. I’m sure my mom felt the same way about me. Knowing my mom, I’d say she did a lot of praying during the 80’s.

Sigh. Life is short. It goes  by way to fast. The years fly. One day you are in the drivers seat looking out at the road that lays ahead…and than you find yourself, on occasion, looking in the rear view mirror. Not that you want to go back, because there is still a lot of road ahead to travel, but it is nice to remember.

Truthfully, I wouldn’t want to go back to high school. I enjoyed it while there but, each stage of life has had its good points and its bad points. Being in my 40’s isn’t so bad. I am old enough to be able to share my wisdom with others, and still young enough to have my wits about me. It’s a good combination:)

In the meantime, I will discuss with my kids the merits of good personal hygiene, going to bed at a decent time, having a good work ethic and how to cook. Their future spouses will appreciate me.