Recollections

Every so often I lose myself in my past. I remember my years as a young teenager. The long lost days of riding my bicycle along the riverside that led from my house to the forest are still fresh in my mind.  I would ride along the river that would change elevation and turn in sporadically this way and that. At the highest point of the river I could make out the lake it emptied into.  I recall my dad taking me fishing at the lake. Whenever I go there it brings tears to my eyes.  We would sit and talk about sports, the news, and make jokes that I laugh at even now.  Then deeper in the forest was the climbing tree.  My mom always objected climbing it saying it was a terrible hazard.

One of my fondest memories was my fifteenth birthday.  I invited only a few of my closest friends.  The odd thing about me is that I did not like all the hoopla, and decorations.  I was content with a nice chocolate cake, some presents, and an at-home movie. My favorite birthday activity, however, was exploring with my friends in the forest.  We would have all sorts of fun. At one point, I and four friends of mine wanted to build a tree house. It was a desire that never came to pass though. A birthday tradition of mine was going grasshopper hunting where we would gather them in an empty ice cream container.  I and my friends loved animals of the forest.  At one time we spotted a real live deer that we wanted to capture.  As soon as we got fifteen yards close to it, the beautiful creature frolicked away into the denser thicket. 

Now I call to memory my life as a freshman in high school. I was a shy kid who was well liked by all my teachers and I felt the same way towards them.  I made friends one by one to those who were as I was. The first friend I had was named Timothy. He was slender fellow with bright blond hair and brown eyes who loved to wear jeans and long sleeve shirts.  A lot of girls liked him but he was oblivious to his good looks which was a good thing is suppose.  My other friend Rick was more on the social side. He loved to make jokes every so often but he was not a class clown.  My next two friends were brothers actually.  Like any two siblings, they got on each other’s nerves even when we were all together. I still remember, John, the older, teasing his brother Don calling him a dorky nerd.  The way Don got worked up was quite a show. Once, though, he got John back with a cruel prank that I will never forget.  It happened when he put a powerful laxative in John’s chocolate milk. He almost soiled his pants! 

Growing up in a family of three there was little privacy and nothing stayed secret for long. The good side is that we were closer knit and I felt like we had a stronger bond.  I can bring to recollection our many holidays.  I especially liked Christmas because a smaller family meant more presents. 

There are countless other situations and feeling associated with my past but they are too numerous to effectively divulge.  So I am brought to the present. Although my parents have passed away and I have lost touch with my friends I am still warmed by my precious past. I can only hope that years in the future I will look back with the same warmth.