It’s great to see old friends and catch up on their latest news but what’s just as fun is remembering those “good old days” when you were young. Ask anyone about some of their firsts and you will get a trip down memory lane!
We think we know all about our beloved elders but I bet you haven’t talked to them about when they were very young. I love to hear stories from my parents especially about their teenage years. My parents grew up in the ’50s in Oklahoma and mama said it must have been the perfect time to be a teenager. She said she loved to hang out at the drug store where her and her friends would sip on cokes and eat cashews. The small town of Konawa, Oklahoma where she was raised had a skating rink, a big park and even a swimming pool.
Mama said on Saturdays, she and her twin sister would spend most of the day washing their hair, ironing their full skirts and looking forward to spending the evening with all their friends.
“Back then we all hung out in a big crowd,” said Mama, who is now 81. “Someone would come around to pick us up and we’d pile in the car with those full skirts. There must have been about eight of us in the car so by the time we got to where we were going those skirts were half the size and boy were they wrinkled.”
Great topics on “Firsts”
- First kiss
- First car
- First dance
- First boyfriend or girlfriend
- First date
- First job
- First home as an adult
These are just topics to start a conversation. What’s fun are the follow-up questions. Where did you go when you could first drive alone? Were you a good dancer? What did you do and where did you go on your first date? Did your parents have to meet your date before you could go out? How much did it cost for rent in your first home? What music was playing at the first dance you went to?
I’ve learned to give my parents plenty of time to answer questions like these. The wait has always been worth it. It also helps if you can sit close so you can look them in the eye. I try to have these conversations without too many distractions.
Don’t forget to ask them how they felt on these important firsts!
First Visit to the Big City
I know I’ll never forget getting into my little yellow car and taking off for the big city of San Francisco with just a friend. On top of being a new driver, my car was a stick shift. I don’t know how many of you have driven in San Francisco but it’s quite the adventure! The worst part was when I had to stop holding the brake with one foot and the clutch with another and praying I wouldn’t roll back into another car when it was my turn to go. Then there was that crazy Lombard Street! I managed to come home in one piece and didn’t have one dent in my car. That trip somehow changed me forever! Freedom is very addictive!
Don’t forget the newlywed years!
It’s so fun to listen to your parents talk about their first years together. My mama has told me about going to get her haircut when she was first married. The beautician had cut it too short and gave her a permanent. When daddy came to get her she hid!
Our time is limited with our older loved ones. Take the time to know all the stories of their lives while you can. Our world has changed so much but what we have in common is the things we feel and have felt in our lifetimes.
