Memories surface of years past

By John Sheda

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August brings out the nostalgia in me. I think it has something to do with school starting soon and, eons ago, realizing that I had actually passed a grade and was entering the next level.

Then it was watching my kids go from third to fourth ... ninth to 10th, and finally (gulp) graduating. Now it's my two grandkids, one entering high school and the other charging into first grade. Where does the time go?

I laugh, I cry, I ponder the good old days and sometimes I wish I could reverse it all and start over. Ok, maybe not!

I remember wash day at the Sheda home. Agh. All the clothes on the kitchen floor; the old washer (with a wringer) and Mom not in the best of moods. Wash day was always Monday. And Tuesday was hang 'em dry day. The long clothesline and those little pegs. Tuesday afternoon, the clothes were taken down to be ironed. Ah, you do remembering ironing, don't you?

Do you remember the language of the '50s and '60s? Groovy, can you dig it, burnin' rubber, chick and being outta bread? Then there's far out, the fuzz, neato, padiddle, peddle-pushers and ridin' shotgun. Do you remember what a church key is (or was)? Ya had to have one, just in case!

How about some of those great TV shows? “Candid Camera,” “American Bandstand,” “Combat,” “Dr. Kildare,” “Ben Casey,” “Have Gun Will Travel,” “Outer Limits,” “The Flying Nun” and “The Red Skelton Show?” There were so many good shows back then. Today, we have “Honey Boo-Boo.”

And what did your medicine cabinet look like back then? Dr. Mom always had a huge supply of Mercurochrome, iodine, rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide on hand. Mom (after treating a scrape) would say, “We'll see what it looks like in the morning. No use bothering the doctor at this hour.” Did it work? I have all my toes and fingers.

Remember Elvis, Marilyn, Ricky Nelson, sock hops, the Twist and Mashed Potato? Connie Francis singing “Who's Sorry Now?” And my favorite, “To Sir With Love” by Lulu.

I especially remember those big Sunday dinners. Mom went to early Mass, came home and commenced cooking. Was today gonna be fried chicken, roast beef or tenderly cooked pork chops? A big bowl of mashed potatoes with the most delicious gravy. Fresh corn, peas, beans or perhaps all three. Fresh tomatoes from the garden, and Mom's salad dressing. Now that was Sunday dinner!

Ahh, the good ol' days. Finally, we had it so rough growing up that if we wanted to change the TV station, we actually had to get up off our cans and manually turn the channel by hand.

That's the way I saw it! Share what you think.

John Sheda is pastor of Living Water Church Independence. Comments: jsheda@indytel.com or (319) 327-4640.