Huh, I guess my jetsetting adventures (and dire illness) weren’t all that interesting after all. Or maybe everyone’s just caught up in the RWA shitstorm (which I’m not really commenting about because plenty of others have it covered, plus I still don’t understand it completely. However, I will posit this question: What about Ann Jacobs’ — a fellow TARA member and an acquaintance of mine — cover does not meet the standards? I don’t see either bare breasts or men’s hands covering bare breasts. Just me.)
Anyhoo, I saw this on Larissa’s blog and though I detest chain letter formats, I thought the actual question was kinda cool, so here it is:
Five Things I Miss From Childhood
1) Making forts out of bedding. When we moved into our new apartment we bought this huge king-sized duvet and I swear, the first thing I thought when I saw it was, “That would make a good roof.” Right now I’m having very vivid fantasies about the removable stiff cushions on my couch. Sailor Boy would probably kill me but I wanna fort.
2. Summers. Summers qua summers. Where they seem to go on forever and you almost can’t remember who you were in May but you weren’t this dark, didn’t have green hair, never thought of getting that scar, couldn’t remember how long you could hold your breath…right now, the summer has just started but all I can think about is August 31st and the thing that’s due on that day. Doesn’t seem so far away.
3. Really believing you could grow up and do anything. I still think I can do a damn lot, but I’m probably not ever going to be a doctor and an astronaut. (No, but you can play one in a book.)
4. Having people over to play. As a writer, I still get to do the whole “make believe” thing, so I’m lucky in that respect, but entertaining tends to be more grown up. They come over to watch a movie, have some drinks, have dinner, chat, maybe, if we’re really creative, play a board game or football. There no “come over and let’s play dress up” days (without the suspicion of weirdo sexual undertones). Kinda sad, really, because I’ve still got the costumes! When I was a kid, I roped my friends and brothers into go along with me. For hours. HOURS. My favorite thing to do as a kid was a) make up stories and b) explore the wilderness. Mostly, I can’t get away with inviting people over for (a) anymore, though (b) works out.
5. Having my mommy tuck me in. Lord, that’s nice. That’s really, really nice.
How about you?
June 7th, 2005 at 3:54 pm
Ohmigod…Legos! You have no idea how secretly thrilled I am to have two boys who love Legos. (Well, not so secretly anymore, I guess.)
And my Hermione Lego can kick their Darth Vader and Spiderman Lego dudes’ asses any day.
(No, I don’t play with them while the boys are at school. Really, I don’t.)
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June 7th, 2005 at 5:30 pm
I miss days full of limitless possibilities that lasted forever. Now I have years that seem shorter than some of those days.
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June 7th, 2005 at 5:38 pm
I loved my Fisher Price little people. I had the house, the A-frame, the barn (and silo), the hospital, the castle, the school house, the airplane and school bus. My sister saw some Fisher Price on eBay a while back going for a fortune (they’re from the 70’s people!), but I don’t know if I could part with them.
I also have a set of Charlie’s Angels Barbie dolls. (Farrah, Kate and Jaclyn.)
Marley = )
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June 7th, 2005 at 7:21 pm
Did ANYbody else have the Sunshine Family dolls? They were like Walton Barbies? There was even a grandma and a grandpa. I haven’t found anybody else who had them. (and I’m 32–we’re not talking ancient history here.) I got them entire set for my 5th birthday, I think.
I had the A-frame!
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June 7th, 2005 at 8:51 pm
When I was younger (though I was the oldest grandchild), my cousin, brother and I would walk all over my grandparents’ farm. We’d spend entire Sunday afternoons pretending we were lost in the forest or fighting evil knights.
Catching fireflies at night.
Rubbing my mother’s ring finger until I fell asleep.
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June 8th, 2005 at 9:38 am
I can’t think of much I miss from childhood. I was going to say I couldn’t think of anything, but there are a couple of things. My close relationship with my cousins, which we lost as we all went in different directions and now have difficulty keeping in touch. But that’s balanced by how much closer I am to my baby brother now that he’s not an idiot.
I didn’t have a horrible childhood, but even the best things about it are things I either didn’t lose, or don’t mind not having anymore.
Or maybe I’m just content today.
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June 8th, 2005 at 2:39 pm
I think I started being a writer when I was a little kid. I’d always be the one who set the stage – making my play pals act out stories of pirates, Man from UNCLE, the Beatles. Poor friends, they never got to have a say in who they had to play. Hmmm, maybe that’s why I don’t have many friends.
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