Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Flippin' Like a Pancake, Poppin' Like a Cork

Sometimes there are things you miss. When you are sitting at your desk in an overly beige cubicle, under florescent lights listening to some internet radio station or other, you long for those things that you don't have any more.

You remember a pair of brown hip hugger bell bottoms that you wore - always with the same gold button up the front shirt with the HUGE collar. You donned that same outfit every day when you could get away with it. When your mom left too early for work to catch you putting it on for a second or third day in a row. You did a lot of things in those clothes. You fought wars with the boys down the street. Riding your red, white and blue Liberty Bell bike with the kick-ass banana seat, loaded with rotten lemons you got under your neighbor's tree. You and your girlfriend would both ride on your bike - one to steer and peddle and the other to throw the lemons masquerading as hand grenades.

Once when the boys chased you down on their bikes, your friend peddled and you rode in back. You were barefoot, of course. It didn't seem like a bad idea until your heel got caught in the spokes of the back wheel of your bike. The Liberty Bell couldn't take the strain of your foot and you and your friend crashed in front of what you called the Harley house down the street. The bikers thought the boys were to blame and threatened them as they rode quickly back home. You limped home with your war injury anticipating the attention you would receive from your mom and waiting to cry until right when you saw her. Your brown hip huggers were torn and had oil from your bike smeared all over the bell part. You would miss wearing them. Your gold shirt would never really go with anything else.

Sometimes, even now you think about those things you used to have. In the afternoons when it is slow at work, you imagine how great it would be to go home at three, like you did when you were in grade school. You would ride the Liberty Bell as fast as you were able, so you could lie on your couch and watch The Banana Splits, and Spiderman and Submariner, one right after the other, until your mom came home and made you get up and put your back pack away and get ready for dinner. Sometimes those are the things you miss.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I miss many things. Most of all my brown hip hugger bell bottoms.

AlienCG said...

I never had a pair of brown hip-hugger bell bottoms. I couldn't be happier about that either.

Anonymous said...

I was trying to think what color my hip-hugger bell bottoms were...I can't remember!!! Let's say they were brown, K?

Mrs. Hairy Woman said...

I had a pair of grey cord bell bottoms.. they fit like a glove.. way back when I was a skinny girl.. I wore them out I suppose.. But they were my favorite....I didnd't throw lemons.. no lemon tree.. those were the good old days...

Tara said...

Aw that was a great post! Made me think back to childhood. I had a pair of pink short shorts that I wore all the time. I sadly grew out of them and I think I may have given them away or sometimes my mom would take old clothes and make them into rags for when she'd need to dust the furniture.

fringes said...

Mine were light-colored denim. Fifth grade. Temporary building classroom behind the school. Garden Villas Elem. I was in the band.

booda baby said...

Excellent! Your bell bottoms went out in glory and, probably, had an anthem to go along. Those are some of the coolest weapons/ammunition - rotting lemons.

Most of my beloved clothes were ruined in domestic ineptitude.

rel said...

Churlita,
Yes! Me too.
I love this story.
rel

P.S. I threw my bell bottoms out two years ago. ;-)

Churlita said...

mark,

I thought you'd miss your smock top the most.

AlienCG,

It's good that you rejoice in the little things.

Not,

Sure. Brown works.

I had grey Movin' On jeans in high school. I love them.

Tara,

I can't imagine wearing pink short shorts anymore. I probably would have loved them at one time, though.

Fringes,

I had some light colored denim shorts with bumble bees embroidered on them.

Booda Baby,

Who can I find to write a pants anthem for me?

Rel,

Wow. You must be a real pack rat.

Anonymous said...

I have caught myself remembering childhood stuff while bored at work. It starts with, "how the hell did I end up here, doing this?" and ends with, "boy I wish life were that easy again". Good post by the way.

egan said...

Man, I loved the Banana Splits. Now I'm going to have the jingle in my head all day. So here it goes, "one banana, two bananas, three bananas, four...."

Poptart said...

I remember weird clothing items too - with oddly strong fondness - flowered shoes, sparkly rainbow decal shirt, brown cord overalls - wasn't it funny how things were more in "outfits" as kids? - and I wonder what actually happened to them.

But I never remember the stories of things I did in them. Churl, you are amazing with the memories...

Churlita said...

Evil-E,

That's exactly where it starts for me too.

Egan,

The Banana Splits rocked. I wish I could watch it right now.

Poptart,

Maybe we can find some Garanimal outfits for adults.

Rachel said...

My best friend when I was really little had this pair of gold jelly sandals that I LOVED. I wore those suckers until my feet just couldn't be squished into them anymore.
I still think about them sometimes.

Killer said...

I don't recall any cool clothes from my youth. My parents kept me pretty uncool until I was well through High School.

I need therapy for this.

Churlita said...

Rachel,

Jellies!

Killer,

I don't think my clothes were cool. I just liked to wear that same thing over and over.

Anonymous said...

for me, instead of rotten lemons, it was unripe pears stolen from my neighbor's tree. we'd eat them until we got sick.

i just love this story. :)