Thing #2, I miss about home........

Thing #2  I miss about home....…….

 

My childhood……. If none of you grew up with kick ass neighbors I feel sorry for you. It was the best! Every summer I had not one, not two but three yards to play in. I had a trampoline the next one down had a swing set and later a skate/bike ramp and further down a basketball hoop. It honestly was the best ever. In back of all of our houses was undeveloped land or what we called the “weeds” that just added to our playground. Neutral territory where we all would hang out. We built forts and played war. We played so many games and spent so many summers out there I honestly had to say it brought a tear to my eye when they put apartments on the land. When I got sick of my sisters I would just tell my mom… “I’ll be out with the neighbor boys be back when the street lights come on.”  Summers were filled with adventure and fun. Best place in our whole town to grow up. Our little summer group grew close in a way that when we grew up into teenagers and not kids it was just a “I got your back” kind of attitude. A group of unofficial siblings.

The last house in our group belonged to a boy named Andy. My bestfriend and the coolest person I knew. Whenever I had sleepovers and even up to my teenage years my friends would ask to come to his house. It was the best! Super fun attic playground and he had bunk beds and boy toys I wouldn’t find at my house. It was the best! We never used phones. In fact I don’t think I ever knew his number by heart. He would throw rocks at my window so I would come out and play or I would Just walked to the side door. Makes me laugh now. This little skinny freckled faced kid knocking on the side door asking for Andy and running up to his room begging him to take me for a ride on the lawn mower around the block. Bringing half dead rabbit to his door because I was sure he could make it better. Stupid things like that about growing up I miss. Late summer nights staying out playing running around playing tag with the boys Mike and Tim and Andy. And their band…”Raak n’ Rainey’s” playing so late till our feet hurt.  How the summers seem to drag on and coming up with new things to do everyday until we grew up.  We grew up and he got normal guy friends and I got boobs. The knocks to the side door were less often and the other boys Mike and Tim moved away. It sucked! But still every now and then I would find myself walking through the yards under the willow tree around the back (flicking off the other neighbor next door to him as I walked by because we both hated them) on my way round the corner to the side door. “Is Andy home?” Finding myself running up the stairs again as a teenager the same as I did when I was ten.

As we all grew up and moved away seeing each other less often but when we did it was a hug and smile. Growing up there was the best for me. Our little unofficial family. I never forgot how much fun that was and how important childhood friends are. Still when I go home and look down the lawns I see all of us there again. 9, 10, 11, 12 years old playing around. I miss that. That time everything being so easy and how time went on for what seemed forever. After a number of years pass and I brought my son home to go trick or treating I walked up to Andy’s old house and had to stop myself before going in the side door. Funny how things come back to you that way.

Years later we had our 10 year class reunion.  It was so big and intimidating event being back. (not going to lie) But as soon as I walked in it was ok. There was my childhood friend standing there with a son of his own. Our lives being all grown up so far from those summer days.  But I walked right up to him hugged him and it calmed me standing there with him. Being back was not so intimidating anymore as long as he was there.  The same for the other 2 boys I grew up with. If I’m ever back home I find myself standing next to one of them and I’m right back in my comfort zone.

I guess I hope my son has the same group of childhood friends. I hope he would grow as close as we all did those summers on East 14^th Street.  Things have changed so much but as corny as this sounds those memories will last my lifetime.