Thursday, February 27, 2014

A Muncie Boyhood-10 of My Favorite Memories from Muncie, Indiana


10 of My Favorite Memories from Muncie, Indiana



  1. Sitting on the front porch in July at 2am, while sipping a Coke from Cantrell’s Barber Shop, and watching the cars go by.
  2. Walking to Heekin Park with my dad on a warm summer day.
  3. Running through the middle of the clothing racks at the downtown Ball Stores or Sears Department stores.
  4. Playing army with all the neighborhood kids…across every yard in the area…hiding behind or in or on any tree, garage, or house that seemed to provide good cover.
  5. Going on my first date to see the fireworks on the 4th of July at Prairie Creek Reservoir.  (1978)
  6. Seeing Halloween…at the Rivoli Theater…at night…alone.  Then, checking the backseat of my car before getting in for the ride home.
  7. Going fishing in Stoney Creek with my dad, and catching bluegill and catfish with a cane pole.
  8. The New Year’s Eve Sing at the Fairlawn Church of Christ, followed by all-night bowling at the Village Bowl, followed by breakfast at the Big Wheel Restaurant.
  9. Sledding down the big hill on the west side of the reservoir.  (I went back recently, and that hill looks tiny now.  What happened?  Also, where did it come from?  It seems so random.  I sure hope it wasn’t a Native American mound that we’ve destroyed over the years.)
  10. Sharing all of my inner thoughts and feelings…all of my fears and hurts…with my therapist….my little white dog with the brown ears named Sugar.  I had her from the time I was one until I was seventeen years old.
  11. Okay...so, I had to add one more...seeing the woman who would become my wife for the first time.  It was at church...she was a BSU student...I was home from college for the weekend.  Man!  The long, curly brown hair and the exotic eyes!  Whew!

Obviously, this list isn’t exhaustive, and I’ll probably think of a dozen more that I cherish in the next hour, but I’ve enjoyed remembering these as they came to mind.

What about you?  What are some of your favorite memories from your childhood in your hometown…especially if you’re from Muncie?

3 comments:

  1. Nice List Mike. Playing army and racing bikes as Indy 500 drivers here. Living in 'the cheesebox' and the smell of the renderings from Marhofers. The home shows at the fairgrounds where mot of the displays were how to build bomb shelters...Basketball at the fieldhouse and traveling to New Castle and Indy for tourney games....cheerleader girlfriend in high school (the vain stuff)...working at Riteway Shoe shop as an apprentice at 13 and friends long out of touch that formed who we are today...many more.

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    1. Thanks for sharing Tony. I almost added jumping ramps with my bike in the alley behind the house....but, that brought back the memory of my broken collarbone I got while racing a friend down that same alley. The memories go on...

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  2. I just wanted to respond to your remembrance of the Reservoir. I use to drive in that area for relaxation--before it was a Reservoir. When they decided to buy up on the land to build it, I drove around the area and felt so sad. I know it has brought enjoyment to many, but I enjoyed it before. There were some wonderful red raspberry bushes there that I wished I could have had. Oh, the memories.

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