Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Lullabies of Childhood

It's that time of the week again.  What time of the week, you ask?   Why, it's Two Shoes Tuesday!

As I was sitting here waiting for the light to go off in my head, I was brought back to my childhood.  I grew up in a nice neighborhood in Southern California.   Well, it was nice to me, even though the grownups on our street probably had another word for it.   You see, the Santa Ana Freeway abutted our backyard.   Yes, three lanes of northbound traffic on the 5 freeway was my lullaby every night.  People traveling from San Diego through Orange County and on to Los Angeles and who knows how far north . . . San Francisco, perhaps, or even Seattle.   The swooshing of the 65 mph cars, the occasional honking and squealing of brakes . . . all sweet sounds to a little girl.    Not exactly Brahms Lullaby, but it worked.  

Anyway, we had a street light in front of our house.   It was really tall, and when you banged it with a baseball bat it made a loud hollow sound.  The sound reverberated . . . forever.   You would touch it after banging it and your hands would feel really weird.  It was awesome. 

That street light played a very big role in my childhood.  It was homebase when we played tag.  It was the drum when we made our music.   And, maybe most importantly . . . it was the reminder to us that it was time to go in.   Yes, as soon as the street light went on, we knew it was time to go into the house.   It was getting dark, and it was time to stop playing.

That light was our protector and our reminder to do what was right.   And it occurs to me that we have a light with us today as well.   And always will.   A light to remind us to do what is right.    Call it the light of Christ.  Call it our conscience.   Call it whatever you like.   We all have it.  And, like the street light of my childhood, I know if we heed the light and its warnings and beckonings, we will always be okay!

By the way . . . a few years ago my husband and I took our children to my old neighborhood, to show them where I grew up.   The whole street was demolished so they could widen the freeway!    Bigger  and louder lullabies for the neighborhood children.

29 comments:

  1. Oh that makes me sad they tore down your neighborhood! But I agree, we all do have that light within ourselves.

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  2. That would make me sad, too. My parents are trying to sell my childhood home, and I know that when it does sell, I'll cry. How much sadder to find that your home is no longer there...

    I love what you said about heeding the light of Christ.

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    1. Well, I guess I hold the memories of my childhood, not the house, so I got over it pretty quickly! I just had wished my children could have seen my childhood home.

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  3. Major bummer! It stinks when a place full of memories is taken down!

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    1. It was a major bummer, but I got over it pretty quickly!

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  4. Memories! And yes, we all have the light if we will just pay attention to it.

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    1. Paying attention to it is the key, isn't it?!

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  5. Judy: Thanks for posting on my blog. I am now your newest follower.

    The same thing happened to my childhood home. I was quite shocked to see the results. I know change is necessary, but it would be nice if it were always for the better.

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    1. Boy, isn't that the truth! If change were always good, we'd all be a lot happier! Thanks for commenting and following!!

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  6. I am from a small town and I can't even image all the lights and cars.
    Within the next 5 or 10 years, my childhood home will probably be out of the family. That will seem weird and the thought makes me sad. Time goes on, things change, and not always in the ways we like.

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    1. I loved where I grew up, Ruth! But since I've moved to a small town, I cannot imagine ever going back!!

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  7. Isn't it interesting -- what we would find annoying as adults can be a source of comfort to kids.

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    1. So true! I know my mom HATED that freeway!

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  8. Good ol' I-5. It literally ends once you cross the Canadian border. Strangest thing to see. Where I grew up in E. Sandwich there were no streetlights on my rural road. It was pitch black at night unless someone had on a porch or barn light. It's still that way to this day too.

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    1. I think E. Sandwich sounds wonderful! What was your childhood like there??

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  9. I loved the reminder of the street light it was time to go in and that if we went 2 streets over they had no lights so there was lots of lightening bugs to catch ahh the wonderful childhood things we kids got to do and ahh sad how are kids now will never get to do. Great post Judy and maybe I will make amixed tape of traffic sounds for you to use when sleep doesn't want to lull you!! LOL (I know wish it was so easy huh).

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    1. I appreciate the thought!! haha we also had a railroad track on the other side of the freeway so occasionally the train would go through and blow its whistle!!

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  10. I would be so sad if my old neighborhood disappeared. It could happen. Excellent post.

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    1. I was astonished! But nothing I could do about it :)

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  11. What a satisfying trip down memory lane. Curiously when you grow up with change it is not so bad as returning some years later and finding your past has been obliterated. How well you have tackled this prompt.

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    1. Fortunately I didn't feel obliterated! haha. Just wish my children had been able to see the house I grew up in.

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  12. What a great post! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you. I am following you now.

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    1. Thanks, Ann! Happy to have you along for the ride!

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  13. Great white noise unless the horns started!

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    1. And sometimes the symphony of metal on metal :)

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  14. I loved your shared memories of childhood because the are so similar to mine. We were outside rain or shine summer or winter, and played until it got dark. Then it was time to come in for supper and no one had to call us we knew. I think it was a much healthier way of living than the kids holed up in their rooms with electronics nowdays, balance is always good. It must be strange to go home and see the neighborhood has changed. The large three story school building I attended in my elementary years, isn't there anymore either, it's been replaced by something modern and not nearly as imposing and grand. I love how the light in this case was a streetlight, and I also recalled all the various lights that marked our neighborhood. A truly wonderful post, Judy... thank you!

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    1. We played outside all.the.time. it was a great way to grow up!!

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  15. Holy Cow Judy... I grew up in the wake of the 5 freeway too.... and then when I got older I moved even closer to it! NOthing like the sounds of traffic and sirens to lull a kid to sleep!

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