Mother was a cruel beast of a woman who rarely allowed us out of our own yard. I felt so deprived when free-range children passed our house in pursuit of adventure. Sometimes we were able to tempt them in with our tire swing, zip line, or huge barn, but invariably greener pastures called and we were left morosely watching them amble off to Donnie’s or Joey’s house. Sadly, we’d pine as the motley crew and their retinue of dogs disappeared down the dusty road. It wasn’t that we didn’t have wondrous opportunities on our own place;t we just hated being left behind.
Once we accepted our sad abandonment, we didn’t waste time whining to Mother that “We don’t have anything to do.” I only made that mistake once and Mother set me to hanging out diapers, dusting, and washing woodwork. In fact, she was mean enough to assign jobs to break up fights. It’s terrible growing up with a mother who turns human nature against innocent children.
At any rate, a family neighboring us raised their fortunate children with a complete lack of supervision. Those kids roamed long after dark, before daylight, dropped in for meals all over the neighborhood, drank out of from the neighbor’s faucets, rode the neighbor’s cows, and generally led a charmed life. Though their name was Offut, I misunderstood it as Awful. In her frequent dealings with these children Mother reached the conclusion Awful was an excellent name. She was particularly offended when we came home from town and found them in the house making Kool-aid. The Awful’s had little understanding of private property and had often had Kool-aid with us, so of course they felt free to help themselves, even if Mother had been careless enough not to leave it in the refrigerator. Her attitude baffled our uninvited guests. I think the syrupy floor and Jerry’s standing on the counter helping himself to a pack of Daddy’s cigarettes off the top shelf also ruffled her feathers, but she was the crabby type, after all. The loss of cigarettes were of particular concern. A carton cost two dollars and eighty cents, a significant portion of her fifteen dollar grocery budget. At any rate, she took an unreasonable stance and forbade them to enter the house again when we were gone. I don’t think they found it particularly disturbing since a couple more packs of cigarettes went missing before Daddy found a better hiding place for his stash.
so enjoy your writing!! i read a review of your book and now i run across you! appreciate your struggles as a child. thanks for a good read. i am also writing a series of blogs through april on my mother. if you want, take a look. Lightheaded: Retiring at 8300 feet
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Love your blog. Following now.
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thank you!!!
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Thanks.
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There was only one friend ( a few years older than me and ‘sophisticated’ to my impressionable eyes) that my mother disapproved of and after she had egged me into a scrape (harmless compared to most), I was forbidden from associating with her again. I thought my mother was unreasonable at the time but I could understand why in the end.
Another great nostalgic post Linda!
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I loved the adventurous kids.
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Here we go!!!! The Awfuls are going to make a great serial!
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There was certainly plenty of fodder.
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I can sympathize. My mother would have had a fit also and so would I have. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Most people would!
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“Free range” kids win in my book too. Love the term. So colorful yet apt. 😀 😀 😀 Sigh. Kids always want what they can’t have. Even some adults are still that way. 😛
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Something to yearn for.
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Yes, we were free range kids but good ones, 9,7,5 wandered about the railway tracks and the quarry. almost drowning ourselves but – hush don’t let momma know. – Hmn did I say ‘good’? I once changed the points on the railway line – oops no harm done luckily.
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You were good kids.
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You think so – Latchkey they would call us now but both parents worked
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Kids on the own can be very resourceful.
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sure can
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Love your expression ‘free range children’!
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I yearned for that designation. An attentive mother can be a curse!
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Hard to believe that you were not a “free range kid”…lol. Those cigs at $2.80 sounds about right..my dad’s Tareyton’s were 35 cents at the time we went to the corner store.
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Daddy smoked Camels. They were for tough guys.
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We were free to roam on our farm, but not to leave the premises. We had to be home in a minute if Mother blew the car home. We loved on two acres when I was little and moved to 124 acres when I was older. We had plenty of room. We just wanted to run the roads.
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I bet they were fun to hang around with! 🙂
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I never got enough!
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😂😂😂I am bursting reading your story and it started with that phrase: free-range children 😂😂😂 You are hilarious!!
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I loved those kids!! My mother did NOT!
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I totally see the different views 😂😂
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I was just born in the wrong family. I was an Awful inside and out!
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Haha! You keep me laughing. You and your family fit just so perfectly! I am happy I was blessed to meet some of your lovelies!
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You don’t have a bit of trouble with this story, do you?
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Haha, not a bit, Linda!! I feel like coming back home 😄
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Come on! Will definitely see you in August in Chicago!
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Yay!!! I am so excited about it, Linda!!! 😄
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Me, too!
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😊😄
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Boy, my mother would have let their parents have a what for if that ever happened in our house. However we did lock our doors when there was no one at home.☺☺☺☺
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I think they were the only homebreakers we ever had and all they got was Kool-aid and cigarettes.
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Hahaha! I don’t blame your mother!
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I was worried she would mess up my relationship with those delightful kids!
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Haha! Hopefully, she didn’t mess up your relationship with them. 😀
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Not for lack of trying!!
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Hahaha! Like most mothers!
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It rough on a kid having a responsible mother.
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LOL! Yes it is.
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