A Ride Down Memory Lane

Are stupid things that were done years ago making a comeback?

After all, stupidity never goes out of style.

Case in point, China. I realize the Chinese are short on space. They have to crowd things together to make room for everything and everyone. I just saw a photo of a train going through an apartment building. Why, to save space or people’s sanity? So… if you need to hop on a train you can just walk out your apartment door?

Reminds me of what comes first, the chicken or the egg. Oops, the apartment or the train?

After all, how much sleep can you get with a train going through your apartment building? I’d like to meet with the engineer or architect that designed that one. He probably lives in the woods somewhere surrounded by trees.

When I was very young my parents, my brother, my aunt and uncle, and I squeezed into a four passenger sedan to drive to Florida. Now can you imagine six people in a four passenger sedan? Of course, in those days, they didn’t have safety belts so we just crowded together like sardines. One of those cars even had a running board. It would’ve been perfect for us as a surfboard, but I don’t think they even had them back then.

In full disclosure, my brother stood all the way in the front seat situated between my uncle and my dad. He had a great time.

I, on the other hand, got car sick before they even knew what that was. Fortunately for my mom and aunt I didn’t throw up. I was just a teenager sleeping in the backseat of a four person sedan stretched out between my mom and aunt. Or on top of them. Every 15 minutes or so my aunt would say how can you let your daughter get away with this type of behavior. Like I had a choice. She was lucky I didn’t throw up on her.

This would’ve made a great segment on Saturday Night Live or Carol Burnett. Let’s see, mom would be Carol’s sidekick. Why you ask? Because my aunt was definitely the funnier of the two. Of course she didn’t know that then. She could bring a child to tears with her stare.

My aunt was not blessed with kids and I think there was a reason. At least one time every day she would say to my mother, “If I had a daughter like that I wouldn’t let her get away with it.” I thank God every day that she wasn’t blessed with a child. I had enough harassment from her to last a lifetime.

My aunt did love us all. She was one of those relatives that pinched your cheeks so hard you had tears in her eyes and permanent rouge on your face for a week or more. She had a great laugh. I can hear it today. And she loved my uncle dearly. They were each other‘s children.

So back in the day it took three, 10-12 hour days to drive to Florida. A lot of that time was spent trying to read a map. No AAA maps or assistance in those days. No cell phones either. If you had car trouble you were out of luck.

The trip was long, very long and seemed longer. The car was not air conditioned. No radio or music either as the signal was lost once we left St. Louis.  My family was not in to playing games or singing in the car. There were no CDs, laptops, iPods or anything back then. What was a teenage girl to do?

I do remember that on one of those trips, somewhere around Mississippi or Alabama, I saw those beautiful hanging Spanish moss trees. I remember those like it was yesterday. They were so beautiful. If I was an artist I would’ve drawn them. Too bad I didn’t have a camera then to even take a photo.

So I digress. Back then you didn’t make reservations to stay at hotels, or should I say motels, or should I say dumps along the way. You might get lucky and a motel of sorts might pop up when you were ready to go to sleep. Of course you didn’t have to worry about being robbed or murdered in your car.

So one night, when we were somewhere in the south and it was really dark, we found this little dumpy motel. I don’t even remember if they had a place to eat, we were all very tired and just fell into our beds. I think I slept on the couch and my brother slept between my parents. I’m not sure. Two hours later my parents’ bed collapsed and fell on the floor. What a commotion that was. I think I must’ve laughed my head off. I don’t know if they fixed the bed or slept on the floor. I was just a kid. I can’t remember everything.

The same night though there was even more uproar. Little did we know the motel was located close to some railroad tracks. About 5am or 6am I, who can usually sleep through just about anything, woke up and thought the world was surely coming to an end. I heard a loud roaring noise. Well my mom told me not to worry. It’s just a freight train going by next to the motel. Not to worry? It was so loud I thought it was coming through the place not next to it. Back then I don’t believe they had laws that said you couldn’t build a hotel five inches from a train track.

Now this was in the 1950s. Things have progressed since then.  That’s why I can’t imagine why China would build an apartment building with a train running through it. If you tell me to save space that’s ridiculous.

I’ll have to write Donald Trump and see what kind of an idea he may have to solve this problem. No boos please. Trying to remain non-political. I don’t think Hillary or Obama ever built anything, but I’m not sure. I’ll do the research and get back to you on that.