Memories of an innocent childhood

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/10/2017 (2998 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I think it is normal that the past takes on a greater significance as you age. My last article about my childhood home in St. Vital triggered so many memories for me as well readers who emailed to say how that article touched them.

How much has our culture changed since my childhood? Not only were computers, video games, and smart phones not around, — we had a rotary dial phone hanging on the wall. Early on, we actually had a party line, with several homes used the same line. Really! It was a big deal when we received our own private line.

St. Vital back in the ’60s was a different place. Children played outside every weekday after dinner and all day on weekends, with virtually no supervision. No one seemed overly concerned about safety.

“Move out of the way when a car comes” and “don’t get in the car of a stranger” were about all the safety tips I remember getting.

Almost everyone walked just a few blocks to and from their local schools, so we knew who lived in the neighbourhood. In my case, I attended St. George Elementary School and then Norberry Junior High.

I walked the grounds at St. George the other day for another trip down memory lane.

My favourite memory is of the Saturday we held a rag drive. I don’t remember where the rags were to go but I do remember the huge pile of rags. I teamed with a neighbour and together we collected the most rags. Our prize was a new bicycle which we somehow managed to share.

During the winter, huge snow piles were created from clearing the parking lot at the school. We use to play on these piles and one day I fell off and chipped my front tooth. Mom was not very pleased but that chip in my tooth allowed me to whistle really loud from that day forward.

If you have ever read my heart attack story, you will know that my chipped tooth likely saved my life as I whistled for help. I know mom would have been happy that it turned out to be so valuable!

Yes, the neighbourhood has changed but as I look at our old house, it still feels good. I think the front cement steps are original. That is where I crafted my hand-eye coordination and developed my throwing and catching skills. I would throw a rubber ball against those steps for hours and catch the rebounds. No doubt this helped when I started to play baseball.

I’m sure many of you will have your favourite memories of your childhood home or neighbourhood. If you grew up in St. Vital, you will have witnessed the dramatic changes. I hope your memories are as pleasant as mine.

John Hindle is a community correspondent for St. Vital. Email him at john@johnhindle.com