I was just remembering when we were children and I was about eight and my brother about seven years old. We were spending a week with mom at my Uncle Frank's cottage on Runkle Lake.
Uncle Frank was actually mom's uncle but we called him ours. He was a big man with a livid imagination who enjoyed talking to us children and sharing stories about his life. His world evolved around immediate family and his summer cottage where he could feel at home. Because of a mining accident with explosives in his younger days, he was blind so activities were a matter of routine.
Across the lake from the cottage, was a small store in the park that sold ice cream cones and candy treats to campers and visitors. One day, my brother and I persuaded Uncle Frank to take us across the lake in the row boat so we could have an ice cream cone. How our mom let us get in the boat with a blind man, I do not know but off we went, with uncle rowing and following our childish directions. At one point, I remember, we were going in circles because of our poor directions yet we found it something to giggle about. Of course there was no such things as life jackets then nor was there even the tiniest bit of concern for safety in our little heads.
Needless to say..we made the trip there and back safely and our ice cream treat was delicious.
Times have changed so much over the years but people are basically the same. We all were more trusting then and accepted life as it presented itself. We were innocent and lacked knowledge of the possible dangers that could possibly occur and we believed that nothing bad could ever happen to us with parents and family to guide us.
It is true that memories unite us when shared with loved ones, but sometimes the facts are mellowed over time and each person remembers different things, because we are different. However, on the pages of our lives, the stories that are written enable us to become the people that we are. Sometimes they are our strength and other times, perhaps, they prevent us from realizing our full potential.
The wonderful thing about remembering incidents in our lives is that usually the bad parts sink into shadows and the happy and good events only grow more memorable with time. How lucky we are to wander down memory lane, every now and then, and know that our journey has taken us on many pathways leading us to the safe haven of the here and now.
