More and more in recent times Don seems to like to reminisce about his childhood, and share stories about his boyhood. I love those stories. It makes me want to know that resourceful little guy, and to keep him company.
It seems he must have spent a lot of time entertaining himself. His mother was only a teenager when Don was born, and then divorced when he was just a baby. She always worked, and Don spent most of his childhood at his grandparents' house. They were good people, and had their own boys, Don's uncles, who were only a few years older. But, I guess, there was enough age difference that Don created a lot of his own entertainment.
Don loved any kind of sports. He loved baseball, softball, football, and basketball. But mostly basketball. He played a lot of basketball at the Cunningham house down the street where they had the only full double basketball court in town. But mostly he created his own games that he could play by the hours by himself.
He was telling me yesterday that he would bounce a baseball hard against the back step so that it bounced unpredictably into the yard. Then he would race to field the ball. He actually pretended there were two teams, kept score, named the teams, had tournaments.
At high school basketball tourney time, he would play out the entire state brackets by using playing cards to draw for quarter by quarter scores. He would play out the entire state tournament in this way. I can just picture it.
And, of course, there were always wiffle ball games, games of "Horse", and who knows what else.
I'll bet the sound of a ball hitting the side of the house over and over drove the grown- ups crazy.
He also talks about some very dangerous things he did. He would hop on a slow moving train beside the grocery where his mom worked, and ride across town to baseball practice! And when his grandparents managed a little theatre in the south part of town, Don and his uncles would stay late and sweep the theatre after it closed. If it was snowy when they left. They would wait for a bus to stop in front of the theatre, then grab the back bumper, and slide home on the ice.
Scares me to think about it. It is a wonder he survived his childhood.
But the resourceful, busy boy grew up to be a resourceful busy man. And he always made up fun games and contests for his own kids to play. And then he entertained the grandkids in much the same way. And he still keeps himself very busy. He gets up in the mornings with an agenda - at least a half day of little jobs, errands, and places to go - people to care for. The neighbors ask, "Where does he go so early every morning?"
Oh, and the little boy who loved to listen to The Grand Ole Opry and The Hit Parade on the radio? He's this grown up man who loves to listen to music on his satellite radio, or our favorite CD's. He can still name a the artists, and looks up lyrics and artists' names on the internet.
Still happy entertaining himself and keeping busy. One of his coaches in college, talking about Don's resourcefulness and drive, said, "I don't know where you got it, but don't ever lose it."
He hasn't - only maybe a little slower version of himself. But, I would love to have known the little boy.
It seems he must have spent a lot of time entertaining himself. His mother was only a teenager when Don was born, and then divorced when he was just a baby. She always worked, and Don spent most of his childhood at his grandparents' house. They were good people, and had their own boys, Don's uncles, who were only a few years older. But, I guess, there was enough age difference that Don created a lot of his own entertainment.
Don loved any kind of sports. He loved baseball, softball, football, and basketball. But mostly basketball. He played a lot of basketball at the Cunningham house down the street where they had the only full double basketball court in town. But mostly he created his own games that he could play by the hours by himself.
He was telling me yesterday that he would bounce a baseball hard against the back step so that it bounced unpredictably into the yard. Then he would race to field the ball. He actually pretended there were two teams, kept score, named the teams, had tournaments.
At high school basketball tourney time, he would play out the entire state brackets by using playing cards to draw for quarter by quarter scores. He would play out the entire state tournament in this way. I can just picture it.
And, of course, there were always wiffle ball games, games of "Horse", and who knows what else.
I'll bet the sound of a ball hitting the side of the house over and over drove the grown- ups crazy.
He also talks about some very dangerous things he did. He would hop on a slow moving train beside the grocery where his mom worked, and ride across town to baseball practice! And when his grandparents managed a little theatre in the south part of town, Don and his uncles would stay late and sweep the theatre after it closed. If it was snowy when they left. They would wait for a bus to stop in front of the theatre, then grab the back bumper, and slide home on the ice.
Scares me to think about it. It is a wonder he survived his childhood.
But the resourceful, busy boy grew up to be a resourceful busy man. And he always made up fun games and contests for his own kids to play. And then he entertained the grandkids in much the same way. And he still keeps himself very busy. He gets up in the mornings with an agenda - at least a half day of little jobs, errands, and places to go - people to care for. The neighbors ask, "Where does he go so early every morning?"
Oh, and the little boy who loved to listen to The Grand Ole Opry and The Hit Parade on the radio? He's this grown up man who loves to listen to music on his satellite radio, or our favorite CD's. He can still name a the artists, and looks up lyrics and artists' names on the internet.
Still happy entertaining himself and keeping busy. One of his coaches in college, talking about Don's resourcefulness and drive, said, "I don't know where you got it, but don't ever lose it."
He hasn't - only maybe a little slower version of himself. But, I would love to have known the little boy.
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