Friday, March 3, 2006

JUST A HIPPIE GYPSY

"There was a star danced, and under that was I born."
                                                                          William Shakespeare

Happy Birthday to Me (one day early)

I am the first child of six. My parents laugh about my Grandfather saying, "Have the girls first, make all the mistakes". There was barely time to make mistakes as two of my three brothers were born within two years two months of my beginning.

I barely had enough time to be the only child. Forever I shall be the eldest as this fact lies in constant remarks from my mother, "You are the oldest.....(fill in the blank)..."

I was born in a town in New York. My parents moved to a small village called Jefferson Valley where I have my first memories. Memories of cold long winters with lots of snow. Hunters hanging a deer above my sand box. My "can do no wrong" brother knocking over a yard jockey and I getting the blame, falling down stairs, the sunlight spilling through the window into my bassinet.

If I try hard, I am certain I can squeeze out several more, but these memories are burned into my memory as real events. There are dozens of other memories, mainly stories that have been repeated so often that they are almost memories but I can't be certain. Each once deserving of its own entry complete with embellishments from the years following.

When I was four or five we moved to Kentucky due to my father's employment with IBM. I am certain this is the beginning of my love affair with traveling to places unknown just for the thrill of traveling.

My mother bordered the train with my two younger brothers for the trip.

I was given the honor of traveling with my father in the car!! I was wearing a hat. It blew out the window.

That is all I remember about the trip.

Perhaps it is family legend about the hat and not really a memory. I wonder if I had my head sticking out the window. Or if I innocently rolled the window down and the naughty hat caught flight and began a journey of its own.

I wonder if I innocently (or not) allowed the hat to fly out and escape.

That was  the beginning of my love affair with getting from here to there. The anticipation of packing, of arriving at the airport, or leaving the outskirts of town.

It all began way back when, when I was born a second time, as a Southerner.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Two beautiful smiles from the past and a wonderful story!
Tess
http://journals.aol.com/tc01hm/FirstDigitalPhotos

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to you for tomorrow ~ I think you let the hat fly out of the window because you didn't like it LOL.....Ally

Anonymous said...

I so enjoyed a glimpse of your history.  Love the William Shakespeare quote too.  I can just see your hat flying out the window.  Wow... I can't remember anything in my bassinet.  Vague recollections of my crib.  But I think it's more that I saw it in a picture than that I remembered.  Hugs and have a Happy and Wonderful Birthday!  Hugs,
Lisa

Anonymous said...

love this story o fyou r life. HEY thats all you remember of KY you probably lived very near me. !!!!!!!! Lexington is my neighbor. But gosh ky and all your memories of a hat i know we arent that borning lOL Just kidding I undersrand its strange what we remember as a child. lol

Anonymous said...

I have a picture of my husband holding my daughter that looks almost exactly like that one. You must have been born in the early 60's. I liked your memories. I too have gypsy blood. Have just moved to Baton Rouge for a year.Got to go to a Mardi Gras parade.

Anonymous said...

Early sixties?  LOL!  We won't tell her, will we?

Happy Birthday, Mar!  Go out and tip a few..oh, that's right, you gave that up for Lent.  Well, um....Happy Birthday anyway!  

Lisa  :-]  

Anonymous said...

Those are nice memories.
Lori

Anonymous said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! BELATED :o

Anonymous said...

Have I ever told you that I love the way you write? You are such a pro.
Angela

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday!!!!!!
http://searchthesea.blogpsot.com/

Anonymous said...

I am racking my feeble brain...hippie gypsy...where did that come from?
Marti

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday!!

I hope stories are to follow!

xoxo

Anonymous said...

Since I'm replying on March 4, a very happy birthday today!  I can't think of anyone who has more joie de vivre, so I'm certain you are reveling.  I have so many of those black and white photos with the scalloped edge and, yes, even a crease.   And like another response, one of them of me and my dad is almost identical to yours.  Party like there's no tomorrow (except I know you want to be around for St. Pat's).  
Debbi

Anonymous said...

Wishing you a great HB.    My accent changed having lived in N. IL until 18 (having been born in Peoria IL which I have no memory of and moving to Joliet IL at age 5) and now approaching 54 living in S. IL.  However it all depends on who I am talking to.   Still at heart I have da "Joliet" or "Checago" accent.   Da way i talkd up der makes people sound pretty ignorant sometimes, but we understand da words jus fine.   Anyway it is a slower pace living in the country which was always my dream growing up to live way out in da country.  Wishing you many more years of fulfillment, happiness, success, and traveling to your heart's content on board an aircraft or jus da trane!    mark

Anonymous said...

I had no idea you were born in NYS!  Happy (belated) birthday! - Karen
(playing catch-up)