I have said this so many times, but my memories of childhood are so blurred and clouded, and some are just pure blocked. So I have very few. I have a fragment of a memory but then I call my mother.. and as she starts to fill me in on the missing parts, memories begin. Part of me is thrilled with this, this is good for me.. it's opening up my childhood again. It's also opening dark places I never wanted to return to, refused to in therapy. Maybe it's time to allow the healing. But I digress:
The trip downtown that I remember is sort of embarrassing... Most of my stories are, good thing embarrassment is a fun feeling for me, it's good to laugh at ourselves. I was probably 3 and would not give up that baby bottle at night. Yes, I'm telling you I loved the bottle!! It would be longer yet till I gave up my blankie. hehe. Anyway, my mother decided to bribe me. She told me we would go downtown and I could pick out anything I wanted but I had to trade the bottle for it. A trip downtown! Of coarse I was excited, not really thinking it meant no more bottle. So we went from store to store, I do remember having that bottle in my hand, my mother had me bring it with because when I got the new toy the trade was going to happen. She was picking out beautiful dolls and stuffed animals. (we didn't have a lot of money but I think she was willing to give up her savings to get me away from that bottle) I remember just being in awe of the whole thing, the stores, the people, the lights, and my mother offering me toys (FOR NO REASON! so I believed what can I say I was 3 and didn't think beyond the present moment.) Finally I found him, my new friend. He was this rubbery plastic bear... why I loved him so much is beyond me, but that was it I wanted him. He was my new best friend. I don't remember much about the trade. She said you can have him but you have to hand over the bottle.... It must not have been to traumatic. I'm thinking even at 3 I was probably just trying to get on my mother's nerves by hanging on to that bottle anyway :). I had that bear for years. Even poked my sister in the eye with him (HE must have been mad at her) I don't have him anymore... I can't even remember his name, it was a silly name like yuddy or something. But that was my trip downtown. The day I gave up my bottle in front of a bunch of shoppers who probably wondered what a 3 year old was still doing with a bottle anyway. I love going downtown, then and now. Bright lights - big city!
There are a lot of new journals and if I haven't gotten to yours yet, know that I'll be there. Lots of catching up to do. Thanks for participating!
** You know the drill... you can answer in the comment sections, or your own journal. If you are answering in your own journal please link your entry below so everyone can enjoy your writing! **
** Update: Upon talking to my mother about this she said she couldn't really remember this. She called me back about 5 minutes later to report her memory ISN'T going after all. His name was Berry Bear lol. I have to say these journal questions have me and my mom walking down memory lane a lot lately!
24 comments:
And She had Fun Fun Fun.......
http://journals.aol.com/demandnlilchit/LifeasIliveit/entries/866
Hmmm, our city's "downtown" area was called "uptown" and anyone referring to "downtown" meant downtown Detroit. I liked going to both. As a kid, my friends and I were allowed to go "uptown" and we'd go to Kresge's or McDonald's then maybe head over to the record store or arcade, then over to Sander's for a hot fudge creme puff. As for downtown Detroit, I only remember going there once as a kid for an ethnic festival. Every summer, there would be a different nationality represented on the weekends. Crime was so bad then (you have to know that for a long time, Detroit couldn't shake its "Murder City" reputation) that mostly we just avoided going there. After high school, my friend and I would go to Canada and the only way to get there was by going through downtoan Detroit. At night it was like watching a scene from "Sex and the City" - people lined up down the block to get into the latest club or restaurant but having a good time doing so. When in Detroit, I do recommend trying to ride the glass elevator on the outside of the Renaissance Center. I got sent there to deliver something for the company I worked for. The elevators face out so that you can see the whole city while going up. Take care and nice to see you back! Sheila
http://journals.aol.com/gailmb/Classyof68/entries/1358
My favorite town as a child was Dunoon, Scotland. It was right on the riverside, and the cobblestone streets were lined with wonderful stores... bakeries that filled the air with heavenly yeasty scents, bustling tea shops, the Butcher that smelled but not unpleasantly so of raw meat, the tailor shop, the Tartan shop, with the bright colorful kilts that I deamt of owning, there was the Wool Shop, where my mom bought her yarn for knitting, and the Pubs where all the tall Scots would met, morning, noon and night. My family, although we were foreigners with the US Navy, were considered regulars the shopkeepers spoiled us with sweets every time we entered their stores. Just as we were leaving there was a huge controversy about the American's Nuclear Subs being stationed there in Holy Loch and the Scots took to the streets in protest with 'Yankees Go Home' signs. It broke my heart to see our neighbors speak bad about my country, and it was a bittersweet parting when we left to return to the US.
I don`t really remember any specific trips to downtown as a child. I do remember things seeming much bigger then though. Buildings that may be 3 stories high used to seem like the Empire State Building back then. Now objects don`t seem as big, but life itself seems much bigger, the carefree days of childhood are gone.
Downtown, wow where I was from, the downtown was almost as country as where I was from, Only one caution light, and cows all the way into the city. But I do remember visiting a big city when I was little, I loved elevators, never seen anything like them, I loved them so much until, as my mother put it, she said one would open, and I would jump on, well, I jumped on but mom and dad weren't quite quick enough. We were in one of those highrise condo's and I scared them to death, me on the other hand, I was found chatting with a maid on the top floor when they found me.
Derek
http://journals.aol.com/deveil/PictureoftheDay/
http://journals.aol.com/deveil/CelebrationofMyExhistance/
This one brought back good memories :)
http://www.blogigo.co.uk/MattelMichele/
Mucho Hugs!
-Michele
not much, but here...Annie :)
http://journals.aol.com/neemom1977/MyJournalJar/entries/1236
When I was a kid, in my city there were no shopping malls.
Most of the commercial business was downtown.
So we would go down there on saturdays to do our shopping.
I dont remember alot of it, byt what I do remember is it being busy,busy,
busy with people and cars and buses.
Even the old movie theatres were downtown.
It was pretty magical.
I have posted answers in my journal..This is fun.
wow!! Is it bad for a child to have abottle until there three?lol
I did the same thing with my children They gave the bottle up willinly so I guess I just let them do it at there pace .
The dont have any nervouse habbits or any sucurty things so I guess it worked out well.
Its a blurr about down town .
My mother didnt take us anywhere so all I can think of was me and my brother playing around main street I was 3 he was 2 my parents were know where in site (that was normal cant even tell you if they were even home).
My big experence in town was cruisin the gut..I never relly went shoppping but the cut was were I could cruise and walk up and down the drag .
They had a pool hall that I spent alot of my time to .
I guess this question isnt to easy to answer for me.
(id leave my link but I still cant figure that out .lol
Oh, go ahead and sing that song. I always liked Pet Clark's "Downtown". Thank you for acknowledging me as a newcomer to The Journal Jar in your recent entry. This is lots of fun and exactly what I needed at this point of my journal experience. It will be a little while until I get to this question because I want to do this in the proper order but I already know which experience I will share.
Berry Bear sounds like a wonderful reason to give up the bottle!! It's very cool that you and your mom are sharing stories of your childhood. Oh and thanks alot::eyes rolling:: I can't get that song out of my head now....downtown, where all the lights are bright...blah...:) Penny
You never added me to your list of new comers!! Ill be back w/ a link to my journal later! :)
~Tarah
I grew up on the Southside of Chicago. Every year my Mom would take my brother and I Downtown by train to see the store windows. Every Year Marshall Fields told a Christmas story in their windows. Half the fun of going was seeing the windows on State Street. I remember one year a photographer from the Chicago Tribune took my picture in front of the main window at Fields. The next day, my Mom bought five or six copies of the paper so she could pass it around and show me off. I remember one year, I was really small, she bought a candy bar for each of us, one for me, one for my brother, Mike, and one for her. She handed them to me to hold as we made our way from the train station to..... Lord, I don't remember where we were headed... Anyway, I ate all three. Then I threw up all over her shoes. She was so mad at me. Another time Mom and I went Downtown, probably just to shop. We got separated in Marshall Fields. She found me two hours later sitting on the floor in the book department. I was so wrapped up in my reading I forgot about her. Boy, was she mad. Later when I went to work, I headed Downtown. She worked there as well. We'd meet for lunch or dinner and go shopping together. Good memories. Thank you for this. I love this journal and all the questions. I remember things I have forgotten so long ago with each question you write.
Jude http://journals.aol.com/jmorancoyle/MyWay
my aunt took me and my three sisters downtown chicago for christmas shopping- we rode in on the train- i couldnt believe all the men and women in their fur coats and blue jeans- we went to water tower place shopping- i think my favorite purchase was mrs fields cookies!!! we went to lunch at marshall fields- enjoyed watching the lights and seeing the couples in the carriage rides- it was a pretty magical day. someday i want to do the same with my daughter when she gets bigger.
I grew up in a small town between Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio. I remember going to Dayton to visit the art museum. We used to go to Cincinnati every Christmas to see the Nutcracker ballet. Going to see the Nutcracker was always a big deal, as we would spend the day in downtown Cincinnati window shopping and eating lunch or dinner in a nice restaurant.
This question brought back so many memories!
http://journals.aol.com/csandhollow/CelestesJournalJar/entries/382
Nope, can't do it, never went until I was a teen. My mother partied downtown she couldn't possibly take her children with her, lol. They had this place Circle in the Square that was this huge party area that they all went and got messed up in, I think it was a combination of bars or something and our downtown was in decline at that time. They are just now rebuilding it and trying to draw in business and residences sooo. Of course I don't take my kids downtown either as it is too close to the casino boats, bars, strip clubs, etc.
I had completely forgotten about this until I was getting ready to write a comment saying I couldn't think of any memories from trips down town. Check it out.
~Stephanie~
http://journals.aol.com/unicornsteph80/Welcometomylife/entries/344
Vernor's Ginger Ale
Fountain drinks at the drug store counter!
Lori
http://journals.aol.com/helmswondermom/LorisJournalJar/entries/354
http://journals.aol.com/quartrlyfecrysis/andthensome/entries/304
xoxo~Bernadette
http://journals.aol.com/devilletteinme/the-devilettes-journal-jar/entries/2006/11/18/downtown/549
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