Eight Point Lake:
Christina asked me to be a guest blogger. I'm honored. It seems like so much time has passed, and sometimes it seems like only a day since Micheal and Christina and I were together.
Yesterday my work took me to Eight Point Lake. My Grandfather owned a cottage on the lake there that he sold when I was six. I hadn't been back there since, until yesterday.
I have to imagine that you could count the number of times I was there, but for me it was endless. We rode there in a station wagon that didn't have electronic ignition or fuel injection. There was no phone there, I don't think it mattered. I remember a small TV with rabbit ears, but I don't remember it being on much. I remember my dad and uncles sporting crew cuts. They were younger then than I am now.
I remember in the evenings we would bring the inner tubes into the yard. My cousins and I would roll them with someone inside, or bounce on them. We smelled like OFF. Inside the grown-ups would start a fire in the fireplace, and we'd roast marshmallows.
Yesterday I was at the lake to repair a telephone problem. I tried to find that cottage. Last I heard someone had renovated it and now lives there. As I drove around the lake I got disoriented. I had to go to another trouble call. I got out my PDA and Google mapped my location. Cell signal was weak, but it was there.
So here I am in a place I haven't been in four decades, with a truck full of the latest electronic technology, a PDA in my hand, a bluetooth in my ear, leaving the home of a customer happily surfing the internet. I'm there, wishing I could just bounce on an inner tube or roast a marshmallow. I wiped a couple tears away on my shirt sleeve.
I think often about the kids in my class. What will they long for? The good old days of dropped cell phone calls? Cars with tires? Reality television shows?
Carl (C.J) S. Johnson
This is me, Christina now:
Man, that post brought back many memories of my own childhood (I could go for a marshmallow right now). Carl is huge into being an awesome husband and father. He has provided a link to an fantastic website that can help you become an amazing (or even more amazing!) parent as well. Check it out. They're even offering a FREE conference with lunch and childcare provided. http://www.foundationalparenting.org
As a bonus:
"Today" by Lucy Lusk
today I went to school.then I went to reading class which we don't read .We make videos. But we we're
suposed to make a book. After that I went to Cici's pizza with my mom. I ate pizza and a breadstick. I
even got dessert! that was the best day of my life!
I call my friend Jordan's mealworm poopy because he poop's a lot.
Lucy.
Carl: What a great story! I always love going back to where my grandparents lived and remembering the fun, family times we spent there together. Thank you for sharing your story! Now I think I need to definitely make that s'more I was talking about in my blog. You mention roasting marshmallows, so I think it's a sign. :P
ReplyDeleteLucy: Thank you for sharing your day with us. What a funny name for your friend. You should know though, that pooping a lot means your healthy! :P
Lucy: I meant for your friends mealworm. LOL He's a healthy mealworm. :P
ReplyDelete@ Crystal - HAHAHAHA
ReplyDeleteThanks for stirring up some great memories, Carl. I'm lonesome for my cottage.
ReplyDeleteLucy, great story. Is this your first published work?
I'm lonesome for your cottage too:( I didn't make it up there last year. Miss it a lot.
ReplyDeleteLucy: you are going to be a talented writer like your mom. Great story Carl...memories! Those were the good ole days!! :)
ReplyDeleteCarl: What a great read! Though everyone's story is different, this still stirred up memories of my own childhood and the "good ole' days." It's truly amazing to think about what our kids will consider to be the "good ole' days." I hope I can instill enough wonderful memories now that they will cherish forever. :)
ReplyDeleteLucy: It sounds like you had an amazing day, and pizza with mommy really is the best! And hmmm, Brayden poops alot too, I guess he could be considered poopy as well ;)
Hey, Carl. I enjoyed your post. You have got some great insights. I especially enjoyed the perspective of time when you noted you're older now than what your father was then. Good stuff. Keep it coming! Greetings from Argentina, BTW!
ReplyDeleteVery thought provoking, Carl.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Lucy. ;)