There's a picture I come across from time to time of my mom and I that seems to sum up my childhood. It seems a strange thing to me when I think about it though. I was raised in a bakery. That in itself brings back so many wonderful memories, but this photo wasn't taken there. It's a picture of my mom and I when I was about 10 years old. My mom is sitting on the ground leaning sideways against a building and I'm laying on the ground with my head propped up on her legs. My mom's eyes are closed and she has this look on her face of pure happiness. She's relaxed and has the most beautiful grin on her face. She's still in her work clothes from being at the bakery. I remember my dad taking the picture - which is strange because there weren't a ton of pictures taken outside of special occasions at our house. To think we even had a camera with us is strange now that I think about it.
We were at the fair. It was just my parents and I. My sister and brothers were off being cool teenagers, and I was still young enough that my folks could take me to the fair without me being embarassed to be seen with them. We were resting from our excitement in the picture and listening to whatever the band was on stage that evening.
It's not the greatest, most flattering picture of either of us, but it's one that I hold dear. That was my childhood. No matter how busy my parents were, no matter what was going on, we were a family and we made time to enjoy each other. My parents did cool things with all of us together and individually too, but I like to think it was a little different with me.
There were four of us kids, and none of us have anywhere close to the same personality. We all have enough in common that we get along, but are all four very, very different people. I seemed to have gotten the artsy side of both of my parents. My mom had more to offer in this area, but it was my dad that really educated me about music. Mom taught me to dance like a fool and have fun no matter who was looking, and to sing out loud even if you don't know all of the words. Dad just liked to sit and appreciate the music, tap his foot and bob his head. He taught me things likw why Roy Orbison wore black glasses all the time, and why Elvis was laughing through "Are You Lonesome Tonight" while Cici Houston sang backup. One thing they both loved was a live band. We went to every concert in the park there was no matter what the music was. My parents loved music - in every sense of the word.
It wasn't just music though. My parents made me read books that weren't required reading for school. I went to the Akron Art Museum and Stan Hywet without them being school field trips. We went to art shows, craft shows, dance shows, symphonies concerts and plays just for the pure enjoyment. We didn't have a lot of money and most of the things we did were free. It's a combination of all these things that make up some of the most wonderful parts of my childhood.
That picture captures all of this. It's just me all by myself with Mom and Dad enjoying life. My parents were tired. They owned a bakery. That old Dunkin Donuts commercial about being "time to make the donuts" it dead on. They were up at 2 or 3 in the morning to go into work and the doors didn't close until 5 or 6 in the evening, and they were there the whole time. It would have been so easy for my parents to say they were too tired to go out to hear a band or see the ballet, but they didn't. Yeah, there were times that my mom would fall asleep on a blanket in the grass while listening to the music, but we didn't care. She would still rather be sleeping on the ground outside in the fresh air on a warm summer evening than stuck inside with the television on.
When I think of my childhood, that image Dad captured of Mom and I is what pops into my head. Sure there are others- many others - but that one is one of my favorites. It's images like this that I hope my children will conjure up someday. I can only hope.
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