Friday, February 04, 2005
The Mind is a Funny Thing
I'm not sure if it's because I'm reading The Time Traveler's Wife that I'm having a rush of flashbacks, or if something is about to happen to me so I need to remember.
I was 4 or 5 years old, living in Chicago. 1539 N. Lorel to be exact. Phone number BE7-2672! I'm remembering the little alley 2 houses down from us, and on the corner our doctor's office. I remember if you go left, you can get to the Catholic school I attended, the little soda shoppe kids went to after school, the hamburger joint across the street. I remember the diner that a friend's father owned, who would make me a grilled cheese sandwich for free sometimes. I remember the nuns, the playground...me carrying the big bag of bubble bath lotion for Xmas and falling and breaking one of them on the way to school. I remember taking the picture on my first communion with Sister Mary Charles. I remember walking down the aisle at the church.
The apartment building my parents owned had a tenant upstairs and downstairs. I remember the layout of the building and how we'd hide under the stairs where there was a secret room and we could peek into the yard. I remember how at my birthday party, my mom asked me to give a kid who was leaving the gift party gift that I chose. I remember Betty living next door in a wheel chair, and how she was always dressed up and pretty, and how her mother who was very old had to take care of her. Betty was in her 20's. A few doors down from them there was a girl who I would play puppets with. A few doors down from there was Linda Granata's house. We played Mother May I on her porch.
My mother coming home from the hospital with brother Nick. I was too shy to look at him. I remember the alley behind our house and the trash guys and the fresh produce trucks selling their wares. I remember the back view of many apartments and think I used to visit one and sit on the porch with them, but I don't remember who they were. One of my siblings fell off their bike and into bushes and had to go to the doctor. The dime store was nearby and every time my mom gave us some money for helping her clean the house, we'd go buy stuff. I remember someone stealing from there and getting caught.
My memory is trying to drive me to the exact location where we lived 42 years ago. I actually think I'm going to Mapquest it from my parent's current home.
I think I need to go back and visit.
The mind is a funny thing.
I was 4 or 5 years old, living in Chicago. 1539 N. Lorel to be exact. Phone number BE7-2672! I'm remembering the little alley 2 houses down from us, and on the corner our doctor's office. I remember if you go left, you can get to the Catholic school I attended, the little soda shoppe kids went to after school, the hamburger joint across the street. I remember the diner that a friend's father owned, who would make me a grilled cheese sandwich for free sometimes. I remember the nuns, the playground...me carrying the big bag of bubble bath lotion for Xmas and falling and breaking one of them on the way to school. I remember taking the picture on my first communion with Sister Mary Charles. I remember walking down the aisle at the church.
The apartment building my parents owned had a tenant upstairs and downstairs. I remember the layout of the building and how we'd hide under the stairs where there was a secret room and we could peek into the yard. I remember how at my birthday party, my mom asked me to give a kid who was leaving the gift party gift that I chose. I remember Betty living next door in a wheel chair, and how she was always dressed up and pretty, and how her mother who was very old had to take care of her. Betty was in her 20's. A few doors down from them there was a girl who I would play puppets with. A few doors down from there was Linda Granata's house. We played Mother May I on her porch.
My mother coming home from the hospital with brother Nick. I was too shy to look at him. I remember the alley behind our house and the trash guys and the fresh produce trucks selling their wares. I remember the back view of many apartments and think I used to visit one and sit on the porch with them, but I don't remember who they were. One of my siblings fell off their bike and into bushes and had to go to the doctor. The dime store was nearby and every time my mom gave us some money for helping her clean the house, we'd go buy stuff. I remember someone stealing from there and getting caught.
My memory is trying to drive me to the exact location where we lived 42 years ago. I actually think I'm going to Mapquest it from my parent's current home.
I think I need to go back and visit.
The mind is a funny thing.
# posted by Gina @ 5:15 AM 
