REFLECTIONSOF A SMALL TOWN GIRL

The Early Years

To My Children, seventeen months after thedeath of your father

Calling – “Red Rover, Red Rover send Karen right over”

Biking – over hill and dale

Camping – watched over from above

Batting and hitting – thrown out at first, again

Exploring – your spirit at a lake in July

Selling – cookies and magazines to neighbors and friends

Telephoning and listening – on a party line, oh my

Drawing – a hop scotch on the sidewalk, ready for a challenge

Playing – jacks and mumblety-peg by the hours

Mothering and nurturing – dolls under the willow and on Grandma’s backporch

Tobogganing – down the hill and unto the long slippery street, danger

Drumming and clarineting – at pep fests, contests, and parades

Fishing – for suckers off Pete Hanson’s bridge

Gathering and rolling – crepe paper streamers found after Homecomingparades

Discovering – “The Creek” in summer, spring, winter and fall

Creating and decorating – a float for Farmers’ Day Parade, FAMOUS WOMENIN HISTORY, featuring The Statue of Liberty, Pocahontas, Betsy Ross, FlorenceNightingale and Clara Barton

Building – a prefabricated clubhouse, using “borrowed” lumber from thealley

Marching – for Memorial Day, veterans, scouts, and band

Hiking – to the old cemeteries in the country. Wondering – why arethere so many graves for young children?

Running – down the street after delivering a May basket

Returning – to “The Store” each day after school, Grandpa often found anickel in his pocket for his special little girl

Walking, walking, walking –

to school, thirteenyears all in the same place

to thefootball field, at the other end of town, savoring the smell of burning leaves

to the ice rink,possibly freezing off your fingers and toes

up “The Hill” to pick May flowers,violets, Dutchmen’s breeches, and snow drops

to the river and creeks, after the flood siren sounded: for the kids –excitement, for adults – dread

to church and Sunday school. Wondering – how could they build it nextto a smelly chicken produce building?

to girl birthdayparties, all over town

to the auditorium for a basketball game, snow falling, hoping for NOSCHOOL the following day

to the new theater, popping corn, singing cowboys and scary underwaterscenes, always an octopus lurking in the shadowy caves. In later years, hopinga certain boy might sit by you and maybe hold your hand

to Brownie and GirlScout meetings, what dedication those leaders had

to catch the swimming lesson bus, leaving town for the day - suit,towel, lunch, singing for an hour each way

Rosemary Meier

1/30/00

Playa de Carmen, Mexico