I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.`~Palms 77:11
As summertime approaches, for some reason, I find myself thinking about how it was to grow up in my little hometown. Most notably I am reminiscing about how it was living in my small town during the summers. At times there wasn’t much to do.
However, my mother found a way to solve that problem when she help start community programs and activities such as scouting, vacation bible school, and the summer (Feed a Kid Program) as it was called back then.
My boss and I were talking about how Which is a big difference from our day because most kids these days can be found inside playing video games. When I was growing up in my little city there was really nothing to do but my mother was instrumental in changing this. She volunteered her time and our family car the Rambler station wagon. She made many trips to pick up the lunches to ensure the children who participated in the program in our community would receive a daily lunch.
At the time we were renting the house we lived in and little did I know we had property just down the street. Years passed and she was eventually able to build us a new home on that very land. A single mother of six at age 38 in 1970.
THE RAMBLER-My Mother’s Car- Transportation for Our Family, The Day Care Center, The Feed A Kid Program, and most importantly Church.
The Feed A Kid program continued even when at times, the Rambler put us down.
After moving into our new home the program continued with us meeting under a tree not far from the undeveloped area of trees and bushes owned by someone my mother knew.
After determining a playground was needed for us and the community children, my mother went to the landowner and asked if she could use the land as a playground. The landowner granted her permission and the land was cleared. I can still remember the day the land was cleared from the smell of the fresh dirt, and the hills of the pushed-back trees and limbs that we found to be an adventure to explore after the clearing.
There was even a dedication held to declare this day in Keysville and it was the history as I know it of the first playground in the City of Keysville in the years of 1969-70.
This playground went on to host many events but the main event was the Feed A Kid Program. We always looked forward to those hot summer days in this little town. All the children gathered to receive their lunches, play cards under the tree and yes the main event the game of softball. It typically started after a few games of spade and at times ended until late in the evening.
Looking back, you can say the playground had a life of its own and it became not just a haven of fun but memories each one of us cherished. The daily routine consisted of you getting up and doing your chores because you wanted to get to the playground by a certain time. I could always see who arrived first on the playground, whether they were coming from down the street or through the paths, and how many had arrived. Our home was right next door, so it conveniently provided the best source of water from our water hose for all of us.
As I continued my conversation with my boss, we shared the sentiment of how most kids today have no understanding of the joy of playing outside all day during the summer. However, for those kids on the playground that was organized, cleared, created, founded by my mother it was sitting under those trees playing cards, waiting for the lunches to be delivered, playing softball, grazing in the grass, watching the birds going in and out of the trees, until your mom called you home. Yes we thought it was the best of all the worlds. This Video by” Friends of Distinction” pretty much sums it up for my nostalgic feeling of the summers growing up in a little country town.