There is a commercial that comes on television every now and again. It begins with the line, " imagine, as a child, never having a summer vacation ? " My first thought is ,well I never did have a summer vacation. Vacations were for the rich folks. I did know one family that was very well off though. They went one summer to Yellowstone National Park ! They had a trailer, what we now call a camper, and actually drove out there and stayed. I was impressed ! Takes money to do something like that.
I would say my own family was pretty well off. We weren't poor folks or anything like that. We had everything we needed and most of what we wanted. We had extras. We never went on any family vacations though. About as close to that as we came was a trip to Riverhead on a Friday night. Riverhead had a large department store, Billy Blakes, and had a concession stand in the front of the store. You could get a hot dog ,chips and a drink and eat them, all the while shopping ! Now that was a vacation thing.
Vacations were something we heard about. Other people , mostly those on tv took them. They usually went to a beach somewhere. We had many beaches just down the road, so no need to go there. Others flew to far away destinations. We stood about as much chance as flying anywhere as the proverbial snowball in , you know where. That is not to say we didn't have vacation. We certainly did. It is just our vacation was spent doing stuff around home. Maybe those chores you didn't have time for while working or going to school. There were times when Mom let us kids sleep in too. That was vacation.
When I joined the Navy I got to fly on an airplane. Went from New York to Illinois. I was the first in my family to do so except for Dad who had flown in the war. After I was married and had children I took them on vacations. Yes they were very small vacations, no more than day trips really, but it was a start. Over the years my own kids have taken their children on vacations. Real vacations, like the ones I had heard about and seen on television. I have even been on these vacations ! The entire family, at least a large part of it, traveling together and staying in hotels. Growing up I would never have believed that possible.
Another thing we saw and heard about was families eating out. The whole family going to a restaurant together and having a meal. Never happened in my family. I can honestly say I never went to dinner with Mom and Dad, ever. Had a beer with Dad once down to Maggies place. Took my Mother to a Pizza hut after my father passed away. Within the last ten years I have had dinner,at a restaurant, with one brother and my sister. Oh we went individually, at least all us kids did, but never as a family.
Funny how those things are expected today. I would guess from that commercial I should feel deprived if I do not get a summer vacation. Imagine ,as a child never having a summer vacation ? " Not hard to imagine that. Guess I missed out but I wasn't aware of it. Well, Mom always gave us this advice, " expect nothing, that way you don't get disappointed ! " Good advice and words to live by. Not just with summer vacations either, but in general.
I would say my own family was pretty well off. We weren't poor folks or anything like that. We had everything we needed and most of what we wanted. We had extras. We never went on any family vacations though. About as close to that as we came was a trip to Riverhead on a Friday night. Riverhead had a large department store, Billy Blakes, and had a concession stand in the front of the store. You could get a hot dog ,chips and a drink and eat them, all the while shopping ! Now that was a vacation thing.
Vacations were something we heard about. Other people , mostly those on tv took them. They usually went to a beach somewhere. We had many beaches just down the road, so no need to go there. Others flew to far away destinations. We stood about as much chance as flying anywhere as the proverbial snowball in , you know where. That is not to say we didn't have vacation. We certainly did. It is just our vacation was spent doing stuff around home. Maybe those chores you didn't have time for while working or going to school. There were times when Mom let us kids sleep in too. That was vacation.
When I joined the Navy I got to fly on an airplane. Went from New York to Illinois. I was the first in my family to do so except for Dad who had flown in the war. After I was married and had children I took them on vacations. Yes they were very small vacations, no more than day trips really, but it was a start. Over the years my own kids have taken their children on vacations. Real vacations, like the ones I had heard about and seen on television. I have even been on these vacations ! The entire family, at least a large part of it, traveling together and staying in hotels. Growing up I would never have believed that possible.
Another thing we saw and heard about was families eating out. The whole family going to a restaurant together and having a meal. Never happened in my family. I can honestly say I never went to dinner with Mom and Dad, ever. Had a beer with Dad once down to Maggies place. Took my Mother to a Pizza hut after my father passed away. Within the last ten years I have had dinner,at a restaurant, with one brother and my sister. Oh we went individually, at least all us kids did, but never as a family.
Funny how those things are expected today. I would guess from that commercial I should feel deprived if I do not get a summer vacation. Imagine ,as a child never having a summer vacation ? " Not hard to imagine that. Guess I missed out but I wasn't aware of it. Well, Mom always gave us this advice, " expect nothing, that way you don't get disappointed ! " Good advice and words to live by. Not just with summer vacations either, but in general.
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