Sharing memories

One of the things I like about writing a blog is that it will give Biscuit a running account of the first years of his life. I have similar memories in a baby book my Mama made for me. And I have Jeff's baby book, too. So I hope Biscuit enjoys looking back and seeing some of the fun and funny things he did.

But I also want to share my own childhood memories with Biscuit.

It seems like every time I have to memorize a new password or PIN, a memory I'd like to keep floats out of my head. So I've been thinking about writing down some stories for Biscuit and also my brothers kids.

One of these memories came back to me this afternoon.

While I was out for lunch, I was stopped at a red light. To my left, there was a taxi cab. There was a driver and one passenger. Nothing unusual except that the passenger was in the front seat.

When I was a kid, my brother and I got to spend a couple of weeks each summer with our Granny and Grandaddy, who lived a whole state away. That was big adventure for us.

While we were there, we'd usually get to spend a couple of nights with our great aunt and great uncle. They never got to have kids of their own, and I always thought that was a waste. I think they would've been great parents.

Anyway, our great aunt didn't drive, so one day when our great uncle wasn't home and our great aunt needed to go to the grocery store, she called a cab. Saying she was going to call a cab was as foreign to my brother and me as saying she was going to call a UFO to take us to town.

But sure enough, she called a cab, and about 10 minutes later, the taxi showed up in her driveway.

My brother and I got in the back seat, but my aunt, who clearly knew the cab driver, got in the front seat. I was completely flustered for two reasons. First of all, the cab driver was a woman. And secondly, in all the TV shows and movies I had seen, nobody EVER got in the front seat of a cab. I didn't even know you could do that.

We got to the grocery store (the Red & White), and Aunt Loney (not her real name, but that's what we called her) told the cab driver to come back in an hour. We went into the five and dime that was next door to the grocery store. Aunt Loney always let us buy some kind of toy or puzzle or book. Then we went in to get groceries.

Just as we were heading out the door, we spotted the cab waiting for us in front of the store. I was so impressed that Aunt Loney figured out the timing so closely. And I also thought we were big and fancy, for getting to ride in a cab. As far as I knew, that was something people in big cities and movies did. But not that day.

If the cab driver I saw today had looked over at me this afternoon, he probably would've wondered about the silly grin on my face. Hopefully, this story will one day put a smile on Biscuit's face.