childhood memories
You know something that makes me sad?
Kids always have to sit in the back seat these days. I mean it’s bad enough that they have to be always strapped in and have to be in carseats almost until they hit puberty. My brother and I never wore seat belts when we were little. And we survived. My brother only fell out of the car once, but he wasn’t really hurt; he was more upset about losing his sandwich. But kids now can’t even sit in the front seat, because every car now has airbags and kids might get hurt by these safety devices.
This would have taken a lot of the joy away from my childhood. How many times did my brother and I fight over who got to sit in front. I’m surprised my mom never really implemented a policy. She kind of left it up to us. Once in a while, she would make us take turns and put her foot down. Otherwise, it was a free for all. “All” being my brother and I. I recall that at times, shotgun would go to whoever yelled “I call the front!” first. But it had to be after we were outside of the store or the house. You couldn’t “call it” while we were still inside.
Sometimes we would determine who got to sit in the front by whoever touched the car first. I inevitably lost in this one, because my brother was older and more athletic, and therefore quicker. So, he would tag the car first.
And the other way we would decide who got the front was by arguing over whose turn it was. Of course, we always theought it was our own turn. So, we’d argue about it, until one of us gave in, or my mom got frustrated enough to make one of sit in the back.
Kids nowadays don’t even know what kind of sibling bonding they are missing.
My kids will be sitting in the front seat.
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November 10th, 2004 at 2:06 am
I’m strapping my kids to the roof…nothings more fun than air rushing by you at 90 mph.
November 10th, 2004 at 8:51 am
What about the “tail-gunner” position in the back of the station wagon? That was always my favorite place to sit in the car.
November 10th, 2004 at 5:15 pm
Heck yeah. That’s what I’m talking about, the fold-up seat in the “way back.” hehe.
November 10th, 2004 at 10:29 pm
this line
“My brother only fell out of the car once, but he wasn’t really hurt; he was more upset about losing his sandwich.”
makes me laugh ..
that is hillarious..
November 11th, 2004 at 10:20 pm
When I was a kid, we used to play in the back of the station wagon with the seats folded flat and no seat belts. How any children survived out fo the ’60s I’ll never know
June 27th, 2005 at 8:47 am
Hello -
I work at Cambridge University Press. We are a not-for-profit educational publishing company. We would very much like permission to use this blog “Childhood Memories” in one of our English as a second language Workbooks. It will be used for educational purposes only.
We are seeking the nonexclusive world rights in the English language only for the print run, including any revised editions or adapted version prepared for particular regional markets, and as part of a sample of the work made available online for promotional purposes only.
The source of the material will be fully acknowledged in the usual way.
In accordance with normal publishing practice, any permission fee will be paid on publication of the work.
I would like to send you a copy of the version we would like to print. Please contact me at scole@cambridge.org or at 212.337.5953.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sarah Cole
September 2nd, 2005 at 9:25 am
The Experiment Pays Off
The [rmfo-blogs] experiment, in process for some time, has finally paid off: my friend Rhonda is being paid for the re-print rights of one her Weblog entries about a childhood memory of fighting for the right to sit in the front seat of a car with her…