THAT WEIGHTLESS FEELING

I've mentioned before that we had no TV when I was growing up (though one neighbor did have one). There were also no computers and phones were tacked to the wall by a rather short cord. Party lines were in effect so that several phones on that line would ring your request. Each household had its identifying ring. Two short rings and a long one was our code to pick up.

Sometimes you would pick up the phone to make a call and hear people talking.  You had to excuse yourself then wait your turn as the line was in use. Privacy was unheard of. Often you could hear a tell tale click, then soft breathing during your own conversations.  Perhaps that is one reason I am not all a twitter that NSA spying goes on. I grew up with and was OK with the local version. 

With such primitive lines of communication and entertainment available, the Sunday drive became a pleasant diversion.  Gas was cheap and time was plentiful. The county side was the destination and we actually enjoyed each other's company.

Not my picture but our car looked like this. 

Perhaps the price of gasoline and congested roads but mostly technology have taken it out of the family entertainment category. 

In my youth however, it was something a lot of us enjoyed enormously. As a group we were often referred to as the SSC (Sunday Sightseers Club) sneeringly by those who actually had somewhere to go and were annoyed by our pokey pace.   

Dad drove, Mom looked for dream houses, my brothers made identifying the year, make and model of approaching cars a   competitive game while I looked for farm animals when we weren't talking. Sounds pretty mundane by today's standards but we loved it and so looked forward to those long drives. Even Susie, the little family dog, loved the long rides in my mom's lap. 

Don't know why but we never had those "he's touching me" incidents. We were normal siblings, we just behaved so much better when traveling.  Since there were no seat belts and I was so short, I was allowed to stand on the hump in the back and lean on the front seat so I could see.   Most of my rides were spent on my feet. 

There was also a thrilling part to the county riding. Don't know how Dad knew where they all were but he would, out of the blue, get our attention by accelerating over a steep hump in the road, then letting off the gas briefly as we crested so we all had a startling second of weightlessness with floating tummies. Again and again we would ask him to repeat that thrill. However, twice per ride was about the most we ever got.

I have yet to experience that sensation as an adult except perhaps on a roller coaster. Can one still repeat that tummy float while driving or have our cars and roads eliminated the thrill??  Probably the driver by holding on to the wheel is denied that pleasure. Hum--maybe this afternoon I'll give it a shot. 

The cool thing is that we actually communicated on those drives which wasn't the least bit unusual for we also enjoyed family dinners.   Eye rolling or "attitude" was a grounding offense in those days.   In the car we not only were,  but also had, a captive audience.   We all  took advantage. 

The person in ear and eye sight was whom we talked to with those few party line exceptions. Sigh, that is becoming a lost art. I mean here I am today reaching out thousands of miles to folks I've never met in person with just the touch of a key.  Yes it is amazing and really cool in its own way, but still lacking.  

It is one reason I am sure we don't hesitate to move hundreds of miles away from our families. Distance has shrunken via technology but I do feel the loss of actual contact.  

Is there something from your early days that you mourn the loss of ??