I am amazed at how thought provoking
some of these topics can be....Each week they make me dig deep into
the memories of things I have not thought of in a long time. Each
phase of your life presents you with moments of embarrassment and
eventually amusement. There is the moment when the little girl in
church farted so loudly that everyone around her hear it. At an age
when you don't understand how your body works, it's hard to know if
it will be silent or loud! I hoped that the people seated around us
thought that it must have come from someone else but I think they
knew it was me! Or when my baby brother belched like a sailor during
a prayer...and my case of the uncontrollable giggles which followed.
Or the time when you were trying to sit quietly in church but your
sister kept pestering you until you hit her....and of course that is
when your Mom noticed the commotion but not all the pestering which
lead up to it.
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| Janet, Spice being held by Sharon, Andrew and Mark - 1963 |
I remember one morning standing in
front of our school by the door waiting for the bell to ring so we
could enter the school. It was at the elementary school in
Washington, Michigan and I was waiting with the other kids from my
bus. I must have gotten impatient. I began to kick the metal door
jam. It made an interest noise and I discovered that if I varied the
tempo, the sound changed...so for a few loud and crazy moments...I
did just that! I made a music of sorts with this loud banging noise.
I can only imagine the sound as it echoed in the empty halls of the
school. Well, all the noise brought the ladies from the front office
running to find out what was happening. I got scolded like I had
never been scolded before! I wanted to crawl in a hole for the rest
of the day. I was positive that everyone was looking at me for the
rest of the day because I had started my day by getting in trouble !
I was afraid that they would call my mother! I honestly can not
remember if they did or not. Just being afraid that they would was
bad enough.
Or the time when you went to the movies
in Romeo with all your new friends from Jr High school. After the first few minutes, I realize that all
they wanted to do was to hook up with the boys and maybe sneak a kiss
or two. But I really wanted to see the movie! I got stuck sitting
next to a boy I did not know. Some boy from Romeo who just happened to come along with the other boys. I made it perfectly
clear to him that I was not interested in him or kissing.
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| My birthday sleepover in 1967 with my friends. |
Or the time when you were dragged along
on a “date” with your older sister because your parents thought
that there was some “sense of safety” when the little sister came
along. Well, it wasn't really a date...It was more hanging out and
cruising in the car with boys who could drive.... but you get the
idea! “ You can go but you have to take Janet with you!” I
remember them telling Sue! Was I the witness or the deterrent ...I
never figured it out. I was not too sure what the boys thought of
it. Not that it mattered because if they wanted to spend time with
Sue, I came with the package! I learned early to keep my mouth
shut. It was along the line of “what happens in Vegas, stays in
Vegas” only it was what “happens while cruising, stays in the
car”. Eventually Sue protested loudly, “ Do Janet and I have to
do everything together? “, and Mom and Dad relented.
Or years later when my young son, Shawn
was helping Grandpa Smith on his day off. The project of the day was
to replace the old leaky window in the family room. They worked
diligently together all day, side by side. They tore out the old
window leaving a gaping hole in the family room for part of the day.
They re-enforced the wall, added some insulation, a little drywall,
measure this and that.., make a cut here then there... ”Shawn,
Grandpa needs a pencil, please...” “How about a tape measure?”
They were working buddies! Grandma made them sandwiches at lunch
time. And back on the job they went trying to get the window in
before dinner time. Shawn was Grandpa's little helper all day. They
made quite a mess in the family room. There was saw dust, dirt, old
plaster, a bit of old and new insulation laying on the floor. As
the project was completed, Grandpa took a step back to admire the
day's work. And Shawn, following his Grandpa's lead, did the same.
After a moment of surveying the mess, Shawn tugged on Grandpa shirt
to get his attention. And in the most grown voice that a three year
old could muster, he proclaimed “ You know what Grandpa, you know
how to make one hell of a mess!” It took every ounce of restraint
that Mom and Dad had to to keep from laughing. After a moment or two
of recovery, Grandpa said, “yep so we better clean it up, huh!”
When I arrived to pick him up that day, they could not wait to tell
me what he had said. I was more than a little embarrassed that I had
not realized that the language that I used regularly when my children
were around was under constant scrutiny by my children.
All phases of life bring you moments of
embarrassment. As you age, these moments often are rapidly followed
by a good laugh for all who were a witness to them. Hopefully I will
always be able to see the humor in them. Life would be no fun with
out humor.
Sharing memories...
Love, Jan
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