But I digress

10 years ago

I know I will so might as well put that in the subject line.

I'm guessing the year was either 1931 or 32. How I'm dating it is because most little boys didn't get to wear long dress pants until their 6th birthday. We had to put on the dreaded narrow strap elastic harness over our shoulders and have a strap hang down to our thighs so the hated heavy beige long stockings could fasten on and hold them up. And that is what I wore for this incident. Obviously I wasn't 6 yet. Oh, I had bib overalls and even a pair of long denim pants but for church or when we went anywhere the hated short pants and harness were brought out. Digression #1

Grandma had an aged aunt, I thought impossibly ancient but probably no older than I am now. I never heard her called anything but "auntie". No first or last name, I don,t even know where she lived but it was about an hours drive in our 1928 Whippet since grandad never went over 35 mph, if he happened to get up to 40, grandma would always ask "why are we going so fast?". I guess because they grew up in the horse and buggy days and that was the speed she liked best. Would have been a fast horse at that speed though.

We had to go see "auntie" ttwice a year and I know I wore short pants then. Problem, I was supposed to sit on a straight back chair, not cross my legs or speak or wiggle when we were in "aunties" house. She had never married and apparently was fairly well off. There was a woman that lived with her named Bea. I thought she was nameed after a bug but later found out her name was Beatrice McGlumphy. That kind of ruined it, I liked the bug name better. Anyway, if she was supposed to keep "auntie" bathed and her dresses washed, I didn't think that the house or "auntie" smelled very good. Remember sitting squirming as little as possible , hearing"auntie" complain about everything. I had a brilliant idea, most houses lacked indoor plumbing and a polite way to say I have to go was I have to go outside. Grandad quickly said"I'll go with him". Heard "auntie" say "not very well mannered is he? When grandad and I went out the door he said"you really didn't have to go did you" I agreed and we took a slow walk around the block before going back, hoping grandma was ready to go. She fortunately was ready to leave but she asked us why it took so long outside. She already knew why.I suppose the above is a way to date when I got my first long pants later that year. Grandma didn't believe in zippers so they had to have a button fly but can remember how proud I was wearing my first long dress pants.

Hope the above didn't put you to sleep. Never went to "aunties" again.

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Comments (10)

west_gardener
10 years ago
What a wonderful story and you tell it so well. I can "see" the scenes through your writing.
Thanks so much for sharing.
I hope you are working on some more digressions.
gabriell_gw
10 years ago
Loved reading another of your true stories. Give us more.
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anneliese_32
10 years ago
Love your story, it reminded me of a couple of boys in my neighborhood and that we poor girls did not even have the luck of looking forward to long pants and socks, but had to suffer the long stockings for years to come.
mawheel
10 years ago
George, what a great story; your attention for the 'little' details --or 'digressions', as you call them-- is what give it--and all your stories--such great appeal. As always, thanks for sharing them with us. PLEASE share some more!
lilosophie
10 years ago
Such wonderful memories!
It was really uncomfortable for boys having to put up with the awful short pants-
DH told me that in Long Island NY, where he grew up, boys his age (10) were wearing
short pants. His parents moved to California and he went to school in "proper" school
attire, and all the boys were making fun of him, they all wore long pants. His parents,
thrifty conservative Swiss, tried to get him to not bother, but they finally realized he needed
to conform. Hard lesson, this.
rob333 (zone 7b)
10 years ago
Put me to sleep? Heck no. I love it.

I remember having to clean out Aunt Kitty's house after her husband died (why oh why can't I remember his name even if it was 30+ years ago? Phillip I think). They must've been in bad shape a long time because it smelled horrible! I realize, many years later, it was probably rotting food because that smell can take me back so quickly! She was disabled to the point of being unable to talk or move anything but her arms. It's no wonder it was in such disarray. Funny how much aromas can take you back.

Mine was wearing anything with a heel, not allowed until we were 12. I never really cared about makeup (some girls sneak it out of the house) until much later. But the first pair of "heels", oh my. Probably a whole inch high.
sweet_betsy No AL Z7
10 years ago
Digressions most welcome! I love hearing how life was for my parents and grandparents. Thank you for taking the time to write.
Janis_G
10 years ago
George, love your stories.
You are a treasure.
surya55_gw
10 years ago
Always like to read your stories, George. Keep them coming:-)
shilty
10 years ago
What a great memory you have!

If you can find the census records on line, and know the last name of your grandmother before she married, most likely you can find who you aunt was.

Your grandmother's aunt would have been the generation of her mother and father.. Their obituaries or a family bible might provide the names of their parents.

The 1890 census burned before it got published, but the 1880 and the 1900 census might show your grand parents living in their parent's homes, and tracing them back might give you your great grands in their homes and name their siblings.

But I digress

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