What is your favorite child hood memory

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HSTurning

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I was just reading another thread and it made me think about when I was a kid. I thought this may be a good thread to start. With all the different ages and back grounds on this site I thought it would be a fun topic.
It can be anything from just a single trip taken with a parent(family) or a just something you did for years.
I know we all miss the days when we had no bills to worry about or other responsibilties. Just the simple things that made you happy then or thinking about them now.

For me as a kid we didnt take many trips so for me it is just something I did most of the time. I had a little dirtbike for years and used it most days. I also lived up the street from a lake and I was in the lake on the lake or fishing just about everyday.
 
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I think mine was the first time I was handed a pistol by my uncle and walked an empty motor oil bottle across the shooting range with it. Apparently, you can learn a lot from Trick Shot on Hogan's Alley for the original Nintendo. He was shocked to say the least. I think I was 12 when that happened.
 
Catching 14 Perch with my Uncle. Between the two of us we caught 32 in the span of about an hour and a half. Most the time we never needed to re-bait the hook. I was about 12.
 
Every summer, the day after school let out my Dad took my Mom, my two sisters and me up to the cabin in Canada. No electricity, no running water, and 4 miles by water just to get there.

My most favorite memory of this is that first glance at the water of the lake, the first whiff of the lake and the realization that we were 'there.'
 
OOF! Just one? Not me! I lived in the boondocks. We were so far out we had to pipe in sunlight and it took three weeks for it to reach us. Hunting and fishing was an every day affair. Working on a farm was just a way of life for us all. Our neighborhood had enough kids to play with when we had time that there was never a want for something to get in trouble over. But, there was plenty of space to do things on my own. the neighborhood, by the way, covered 5 to 8 miles all around the house. When there were no chores left to do, I was expected to leave the house, get out of mom's way and I should be home before everyone else went to bed unless I was planing to be out camping all night with the boys. Once a week, usually on Saturday, we went to town where I visited with my mom's parents. I loved to visit with Mammy and Pappy. City ham and bacon. YUM. Yes, I lived a charmed life as a child. I wish I had just one memory to relate as my favorite childhood memory but I can't seperate just one. I had great teachers in school, my church was back country and everyone knew and cared for everyone. I truly felt and still do feel sorry for the kids that had to spend their entire lives on asphault and concreat in the big city lights, never getting the chance to lay out at night and wonder about the marid of stars in the heavens. Yes, I have been blessed with way too much. Sorry, I just can't pick one.
Charles
 
Whenever there were a few spare minutes between a lesson and recess/lunch/end of the day, my 4th grade teacher would divide the class up into 2 teams to play a game he called, "General Knowledge." He would call out bits of random trivia and whoever knew the answer would just shout it out. First team with a correct answer would get the point. One of his favorite catagories would often start like this, "I'm thinking of a President. His initials are..." One day he just said, "D.E." He did not tell us that they were initials or that he was thinking of a President, he just said the 2 letters. I must have been thinking along the same wavelength because I called out "Dwight Eisenhower" before he had finished saying the "E." He gave me a stunned look, and reminded me of that one answer for the rest of the year. I think it was the first time that a teacher ever made me feel really smart.
 
There were 7 of us and vacations were few and far between. When I was about 9 we were doing our usual Sunday drive and we came across a lake right outside of Salem, Ohio. Strictly by accident "like what's down this road?" We found Guilford Lake and all these people camping. We hung around the day and the very next weekend we had all the camping gear, from Sears, and we camped almost every weekend (Summers) until I 17 or so. Whenever I get back to Ohio I drive to Guilford and we always ask each other how did we camp on that hill? Great memories!
 
Living just below timberline in a cabin for the summer (1960) at the Urad mine in Colorado. WE had running water out in the front yard. I played on the side of the mountain all summer. we were more than 1/2 a mile off the road. My dad worked at the mine. Come winter we moved into Idaho SPrings Co. My bedroom was in the attic. The stairs were not much more than 2ft wide and steep enough you could reach out and touch them in front of you as you went up them. My dad and I panned for gold in the river did not get anything I can remember.

In 1965 My dad built a laser out of parts ordered from Scientific American Magazine and strapped it to a transit to guide the Mine boring machine that was used to dig an irrigation tunnel 13ft in Dia. through the rockies In Chama New mexico. It made a beam 1/2 an inch wide. My dad turned off all the lights and turned it on and promptly shined it on the nose of our neighbor across the street. Our neighbor had no Idea what was what, they had never heard of or even seen a laser before. He jumped up screaming and slapping at his nose. We laughed so hard it hurt. I bought my first Fishing pole that year. A brand new Mitchel Garcia rod and reel. I believe it was almost $8.00

Every other Saturday was our day to irrigate the lawn. We had a two hour Time frame with a 1/2 hour limit where I had to go open the sluice gate at the ditch and let water run out into the lawn and then 21/2 hour later go close it back up.
 
Christmas. Not for the toys or any of that. The stocking stuffers. In all of our stockings was fruit. Apples and tangerines and oranges. Those were the days when fruit in winter was a luxury.
 
Yellow stingray

My Dad was a ex-army sergeant, what he said went. I wanted a yellow stingray, with a bananna seat and high handle bars. for a few years he said no, too dangerous. One Christmas , when I was 12, I opened gifts of new pedals and handle grips for my old bike, how sad I was. and after everyone finished opening all their gifts and all was done, my brother wheeled out my dream bike!!! It was the only gift I ever cried after getting.
 
I feel like I should say standing next to Matthew Brady as he took photographs of battlefields during the Civil War (or, depending on where you live, the War of Northern Aggression). That's how old I'm feeling these days.

BUT. Most of my best childhood memories revolve around smells.

When I was in 6th grade, my school was across the street from a donut bakery. On warm days the teacher would open the window and the aroma of freshly baked glazed donuts was maddening. So every once in a while, she'd dig into her purse, pull out a dime, and send one of us across the street for a bag of broken donuts which would feed the entire class of 30. Imagine -- a dime!

My grandfather used to smoke 16 Phillies blunts a day. Now, this grandfather (unlike the other one) adored me. When we would go to visit, I could smell cigar smoke from outside the house as we pulled up and it was a sure sign that love was near.
Doug
 
There are soooooooooooo many..... most of which have to do with family, vacations, visits or holidays. Main characters would be parents and my grandparents .. cousins .. etc.

But I guess one of my favorite memories would have to be spending time with my paternal grandparents in their Yamaha shop during the day and then running the go-cart track evening - night time closing. When there were slack times and no riders my cousins and I would get to ride the carts (and sometimes a mini-bike grandpa would bring from the cycle shop) around the cart track. I loved hanging out around the bikes and carts with my grandparents and spent weeks of every summer with them until I had children of my own!

Linda
 
I know we moved off the island when I was 4, so I was pretty young, but I have this vague memory that I verified with my mom not too long ago. My dad and I walking across the property and crossing a fence, to go cut down a Christmas Tree.
 
Russianwolf said:
Christmas. Not for the toys or any of that. The stocking stuffers. In all of our stockings was fruit. Apples and tangerines and oranges. Those were the days when fruit in winter was a luxury.
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We also got fruit in our stockings when I was a kid, now they just hang there on the mantle, don't have the heart to tell my Mom that it kind of bums me out.
 
Finally convincing Dad to take some time from the farm to let me use the .22 for the first time to shoot some rabbits. I spent 2 days trapping rats and skinning them and pegging them out before he got sick of it and let me shoot.

Grew up shooting. Now 42, been OS to four countries hunting and lots of places in Oz. I have friends in 4 countries. Taking my family (wife 12yo daughter and 20 yo son) to South Africa next year.

Now shoot kangaroos professionally.

To say that shooting/firearms have become a big part of my life would be an understatement.
 
Christmas was and still is my favorite time of year so naturally most of my fondest memories were of Christmases past. Four kids raised on a sargents pay, we were considered fairly poor and what we did have as kids, we usually earned ourselves by throwing paper routes and mowing lawns.

I'll never forget the one year when I got both a new bike AND a fort apache set for Christmas! Man, I was on top of the world, I couldn't decide whether to go outside and ride the bike in the freezing cold or stay inside and play with the soldiers and indians! :biggrin:
 
Russianwolf said:
Christmas. Not for the toys or any of that. The stocking stuffers. In all of our stockings was fruit. Apples and tangerines and oranges. Those were the days when fruit in winter was a luxury.
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I was thinking of other memories until I read your post... you are right though.. it was a great thing to get up Christmas morning and open the stocking (actually it was just an old pair of socks... we couldn't afford special Christmas stockings)... there would always be nuts, a few pieces of candy and either an apple or an orange. The toys were under the tree and usually only a few... one big one usually a ball glove, or ball and bat, or set of toy guns, a real metal truck (no plastic toys when I was little) and 2 or 3 smaller ones... as a youngster, my father was a share cropper and cash was a rare commodity in our house.

I remember one Christmas, there wasn't enough money for all of us to get our own piece of candy... my parents bought one large peppermint candy cane.. about 1 inch diameter and a foot long... they broke it into 3 pieces and divided between the three of us... tasted just as good.

After I got grown, was talking with my mom about things as a child and she told me we were poor.... didn't know that until then.
 
ctubbs said:
OOF! Just one? Not me! I lived in the boondocks. We were so far out we had to pipe in sunlight and it took three weeks for it to reach us. Hunting and fishing was an every day affair. Working on a farm was just a way of life for us all. Our neighborhood had enough kids to play with when we had time that there was never a want for something to get in trouble over. But, there was plenty of space to do things on my own. the neighborhood, by the way, covered 5 to 8 miles all around the house. When there were no chores left to do, I was expected to leave the house, get out of mom's way and I should be home before everyone else went to bed unless I was planing to be out camping all night with the boys. Once a week, usually on Saturday, we went to town where I visited with my mom's parents. I loved to visit with Mammy and Pappy. City ham and bacon. YUM. Yes, I lived a charmed life as a child. I wish I had just one memory to relate as my favorite childhood memory but I can't seperate just one. I had great teachers in school, my church was back country and everyone knew and cared for everyone. I truly felt and still do feel sorry for the kids that had to spend their entire lives on asphault and concreat in the big city lights, never getting the chance to lay out at night and wonder about the marid of stars in the heavens. Yes, I have been blessed with way too much. Sorry, I just can't pick one.
Charles
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I was lucky to live in a nice small neighborhood but noting like you. It is sad the way mosst kids have to be brought up now.
 
lots of memories

Ever hear the song "Do You Remember These" by the Statler Brothers? Well I do. Every thing in that song except "Lucky Strike Green" (including Judy's mom - I had a cuz named Judy) is part of my childhood memories.

I could not name one "best" memory....there are just too many great ones here are a couple?

1. The first time the big boys let me join the recess/lunch baseball game at school. Also the first time I wasn't the last kid picked when we chose up teams. And, the first time I was the 1st one picked. The first time I hit the ball "over the road" on the fly....

2. In 3rd grade. When the teacher decided I had to go read with the 4th graders because the 3rd grade reader was too easy for me.

3. Being honored to recite "Lincoln's Gettysburg Address" at the annual Memorial Day Service.

4. The first time I went fishing with my Dad. We caught 28 bullheads and I caught a 14 inch yellow perch.

5. Riding the train to Scranton with my mom to get a new pair of shoes.

6. Welcoming my three brothers home after WWII had ended. So happy that they all survived.

7. Learning that my forth brother had survived the Chinese Offensive in Korea that chased his outfit from the Yalu River to the 38th parallel

8. Hitting my first high school home run...longest hit our team had seen for 3 years. Also going 7 for 8 in the first two ball games of my senior year.

9. Being part of the boy scout troop's beginning in my home town. I stayed in for 5 years.

10. Diving off "the gate house" into 3 1/2 feet of water. The gate house was about 19 feet above the water... many kids would jump off but only 3 of us would dive.

11. Our 'Thursday night movie"..held weekly in the Jr Mechanics Hall, admission was 15 cents for kids and a quarter for adults.

12. Going to Easton in the summer where we could go to a Wednesday Matinee with a double-feature, two cartoons, a serial (usually Flash Gorden) a movietone news reel and a free comic book....for a quarter.

13. The first time the barber used his straight razor to shave behind my ears to finish off a haircut...he did that only after you turned 16.

14. Going to Sky Lake Methodist Camp in Windsor, NY for a week when I was 11. The age was supposed to be 12 but I had finished 6th grade so I was allowed to attend.

15. The Christmas when my dad handed me his Springfield 30-40 Krag rifle and said "it's yours now"....25 years later I handed it to my son the same way...and I hope that in a couple of years he will pass it on to his boy.

I could go on for hours...but you get the idea, I had one hell-of-a-good childhood. We didn't have a pot to go in or a window to chuck it out but like someone mentioned earlier...we didn't know we were poor.
 
Smitty, we were not poor. We were very rich in things that money does not have a way to buy. We were all the same. We were all equal. We are all much richer for the experiences we had. I truly feel so sorry for the children of today, being raised in so much fear, not being able to actually have a childhood where they can be allowed to run 'wild' to learn responsibility for themselves and whet they do. How can a parent turn a child loose to be independant and learn on his own, to run free and feel the world? Today if your child is out of site for a second, that child stands a very good chance of never being seen again by its parents. Thank God that I and my children did not have to live in that environment.

I hear people bemoaning they were born in the wrong time. I, for one am so glad that my parents were smart enough to have me at the right time for me, even if WW2 was raging at that time. Mom and Dad are not here to hear this but, Mom, Dad, thank you.
Charles
 
This is one of the best threads I've read here at IAP!

I remember my Dad taking our scout troop fishing at a little stream way out in the hills. He knew the game warden, and we went the day after they stocked the stream with fish. We all caught our limits.

I remember when I was younger being allowed to go on a scouting camp-out with my Dad. He was the Scoutmaster, and all the boys in the troop were older than I, and they took me out that evening for a snipe hunt. Yes, even being the subject of a snipe hunt is a good memory for me!

I remember waking up on a Thanksgiving morning, and hearing my Mother sing as she worked preparing the Thanksgiving meal.

When I was a kid the neighbor kids and I would play outside most of the time. There was one evening when it seemed that all the best parts of the universe lined up at the same time - it was quiet except for the birds chirping, the setting sun gave the sky a perfect glow, the air was sweet, and it seemed we could see forever. My friends and I laid on our backs in the grass, gazing up into the sky, just taking it all in. I've had lots of good days, but this is the one perfect day I remember.

I remember my grandmother's chili, which she made every year during the state fair, which was held in our town. I also remember her having the very best "witches laugh" I ever heard!

There's just too much good stuff to remember!

Scott.
 
Just remembered a good night.
I was about 10. A friend and I were allowed to stay in a tent in the yard. About 1:30am we were still up and were seeing flashing. We noticed it was lighting (heat lighting, to far to hear it). We went down to the lake (about 200 acre) and watched the electric show for some 90-120 minutes. We just sat on a stone wall and talked and watched the sky till after 3am. It drizzled once for about 2 minutes. No lighting hit the ground it was all cloud to cloud, real bright, just a really cool memory.
 
One of the best threads I have read.

Memories of the Holidays stand out for me. No school, no worries, playing and the anticipation of presents. No complaints, I have been very fortunate.
 
I'm only 31 and can't think of one good childhood memory. My parents separated when I was young so I never spent much time with my father. My mother raised the four of us on her own.

Scratch that, the one memory I have from when my father was here was one Christmas. My brother and I had asked for cowboy hats and guns with holsters. He had hid them in the attic and mice had eaten holes in the hats. When we got them from under the tree Christmas morning he said Indians must have been shooting at Santa.
 
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Waking up Christmas morning and finding the gift I had been wanting all year long. I ripped open the box to my new SIT-N-SPIN, Jumped on that thing and spun as fast as I could for what seemed like 30 minutes. I think It was actually five min.

Worst Childhood memory was sitting on my new SIT-N-SPIN and spinning as fast as I could, getting so Dizzy I fell over and the SIT-N-SPIN shot out from under me, broke and I lost all my marbles that were inside the dang toy.

Best and Worst childhood memories....All in within 10 minutes.:frown:
 
Great thread! Reading these brought back a lot of similar memories for me.

My best memory was spending time with my Grandpa in his wood shop. He was a carpenter and had an old shop out behind his house. It seemed like such a big place to me, but it could not have been more than 10-12 feet by 16-20 but was always chocked full of wood and tools for projects he was working on. What a treat for a little guy of about 4-5 to get to spend time in Grandpa's shop. We moved away from him when I was 6 and then I only got to see him once or twice a year and he always gave me money when we visited. Real money! Usually a nickel or a dime, but in the 50's and 60's that was real money.
 
keithkarl2007 said:
I'm only 31 and can't think of one good childhood memory. My parents separated when I was young so I never spent much time with my father. My mother raised the four of us on her own.

Scratch that, the one memory I have from when my father was here was one Christmas. My brother and I had asked for cowboy hats and guns with holsters. He had hid them in the attic and mice had eaten holes in the hats. When we got them from under the tree Christmas morning he said Indians must have been shooting at Santa.
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No one has only bad or good memories. I lost my dad when I was 4. He crashed a friends motorcycle and passed away not long after. But I had many good memories.
More: Sleding, making jumps, waterbed, we always had dogs, going to the arcade for the day.
 
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