Besides the once-a-year-when-you-get-a-shot bubble gum
there was the rubber band.
I think Florence thought it some form of God or magic elixir. There were many in the house but tucked away in corners reserved for precious things. Even pens were treated more carelessly.
We never bought them. That was unheard of. Rather, on our sightseeing visits to Macy's (sightseeing because we never bought anything there either--I'm not counting that one time my sister and I got a new dress each) Florence would send us off to go collect rubber bands from the nooks and crannies of whatever clothes department we happen to be in.
It was a mission, understood to be taken seriously and to be successful at. So I'd crawl under racks and in and out of empty dressing rooms and collect as many as a child's hand could hold and bring them triumphantly back to Florence who I guess dumped them into her handbag and sent me off again.
What I remember was that on the way home or perhaps one afternoon at home, we'd request a rubber band. pop it into our mouths and chew away, happy for such an approved treat.
3 comments:
Maybe it's a generational thing?
My mom still keeps rubber bands on her wrist.
Finally, one day, I had to ask. Her answer? "You never know when you will need one." Sage advice.
I now have a rubber band ball in my desk drawer that I add to from time to time.
Why? Because you never know when you will need one.
I'm amused/scared at how much I have become like my parents as I have gotten older. :)
In particular I love your Sunday memories. I'm lucky enough to still have my mom, known affectionately to all my friends as Big Edie (you get the reference I'm sure). But I enjoy all of your posts and am only sorry that I missed your reading because I had my head stuck up my own ass with my own "how do I make a living as a writer" that I missed that post until it was too late.
Congrats on the grant.
Thank you both so much for the comments - I completely forgot rubber bands as jewelry, spalding ball replacement, murder instrument and chinese jump rope. I suspect a sequel...
Jodie, struggling to figure out life as a solvent writer trumps readings... will look forward to a meeting another time and if you are doing a reading email me as I"m working right now 12 hour days and always have my head up something so I miss everything.
thank you again for reading and commenting and visiting!
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