On a recent walk I was passed by a man on a bicycle. I waved and said "Good Morning!' . Rather than reply, he rang the bell perched on his handlebars. It had a nice cheerful "Briing-ring-ring" sound. That got me to thinking about bicycle bells I had as a child. I remember having a bright, shiny, new one (on my used, refurbished bike) and having fun ringing it, just for the fun of ringing it. At time passed the bell eventually rusted out (our bikes were stored on the side porch, out of the weather, but not the humidity!) and the lever was hard to pull. When I could manage to pull it, the bell gave out a sort of "Bri-unk!" sound. Not pleasing at all.
Then I got to thinking about all the bells, whistles, chimes and chirps we hear today in comparison with the relatively few we heard back then.
Then: bicycle bell, school bell, doorbell, life-guard whistle, gym teacher whistle, telephone.
Now: All of those, plus elevator doors, train doors, trucks backing up, cell phones, wind chimes, digital clocks. I'm sure there are lots more. Our lives are much noisier than they used to be!
But I will always remember that shiny new bicycle bell!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Magic of Home
Today as I walked (4 miles!) in my development, I enjoyed, as I always do, the beauty of the sights and sounds around me. As I walked and breathed in the smells of the blooming jasmine and sun-baked pine straw, and listened to the raucus cries of the bluejays and the other more cheerful birdsong, and the bullfrongs croaking in the pond, and watched from a distance a cat carrying a kitten in it's mouth, I felt comfortable and at home. I had time to ponder why I felt that way, and realized that most likely it was because these were the sights and sounds I expericenced (but didn't appreciate then) as a child.
As most of those who will read this already know, I grew up "just up the road" from Aiken in Florence, S. C. . Like Aiken, Florence was gorgeous in the spring -- they even had a driving "Beauty Trail" that took you through streets where the most beautiful gardens were! So, as you can see, I grew up with beautiful and bountiful growing things. The sounds of blue jays and doves awakened me on summer mornings, when the humidity was so high the bedsheets were slightly damp -- this in the days before air conditioning. Thanks goodness I don't have to suffer that now! My walk recalled to me memories almost too many to mention, but here are a few -- see if you can identify:
-- Bare feet and sunsuits
-- Eating ripe figs, just picked (with blue jays protesting loudly) from the fig tree outside the back door.
-- Eating homemade popsicles that melted and ran down your arms and got you all sticky.
-- Easter Sunday with new dotted swiss dresses and patent leather shoes.
-- Catching lightning bugs on summer nights (I don't see them much anymore. Wonder why...)
-- My grandmother watering the azaleas with the hose, at night.
-- Drinking from the hose, the first taste sort of stale and hot.
-- Crossing an asphalt street barefooted on a hot summer day - tiptoe! hurry!
-- Walking downtown to the movies with 15 cents on Saturday mornings. That got you into the movie with a nickel left for candy.
-- Walking to the swimming pool at the park and stopping at Aunt Tee's house on the way back for cookies. Or, if we were lucky enough to have a few pennies, stopping at the general store for penny candy. You could buy just one piece, then. Though a penny often got you two!
-- Walking to the library and feeling so grown up to choose and check out books.
-- Mother worrying about her Sesanquas (camellias) and Crape Myrtles and azaleas.
-- Waking up to the sound of the farmers in their horse-drawn wagons rolling down the street crying their wares: Butter beans! Blueberries! Blackberries! String Beans! Roastin' Ears! (that's corn, do anyone who may not know. :) )
Isn't it amazing that one short walk and few sounds and smells can evoke all that! I have to say that I enjoyed my stroll this morning, along with my stroll down memory lane.
As most of those who will read this already know, I grew up "just up the road" from Aiken in Florence, S. C. . Like Aiken, Florence was gorgeous in the spring -- they even had a driving "Beauty Trail" that took you through streets where the most beautiful gardens were! So, as you can see, I grew up with beautiful and bountiful growing things. The sounds of blue jays and doves awakened me on summer mornings, when the humidity was so high the bedsheets were slightly damp -- this in the days before air conditioning. Thanks goodness I don't have to suffer that now! My walk recalled to me memories almost too many to mention, but here are a few -- see if you can identify:
-- Bare feet and sunsuits
-- Eating ripe figs, just picked (with blue jays protesting loudly) from the fig tree outside the back door.
-- Eating homemade popsicles that melted and ran down your arms and got you all sticky.
-- Easter Sunday with new dotted swiss dresses and patent leather shoes.
-- Catching lightning bugs on summer nights (I don't see them much anymore. Wonder why...)
-- My grandmother watering the azaleas with the hose, at night.
-- Drinking from the hose, the first taste sort of stale and hot.
-- Crossing an asphalt street barefooted on a hot summer day - tiptoe! hurry!
-- Walking downtown to the movies with 15 cents on Saturday mornings. That got you into the movie with a nickel left for candy.
-- Walking to the swimming pool at the park and stopping at Aunt Tee's house on the way back for cookies. Or, if we were lucky enough to have a few pennies, stopping at the general store for penny candy. You could buy just one piece, then. Though a penny often got you two!
-- Walking to the library and feeling so grown up to choose and check out books.
-- Mother worrying about her Sesanquas (camellias) and Crape Myrtles and azaleas.
-- Waking up to the sound of the farmers in their horse-drawn wagons rolling down the street crying their wares: Butter beans! Blueberries! Blackberries! String Beans! Roastin' Ears! (that's corn, do anyone who may not know. :) )
Isn't it amazing that one short walk and few sounds and smells can evoke all that! I have to say that I enjoyed my stroll this morning, along with my stroll down memory lane.
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