Sunday, March 02, 2008

More than meets the eye

Our neighbor's old propane tank reminds me of my childhood on the farm. When you are young in the days before multi-station television, computers and cell phones the world is vast with endless possibilities; a place where a little girl's imagination can take flight in any and every direction.

Our propane tank was located out by the large elm tree and ran alongside an old wire fence. I remember vividly trying to climb its slick side and sliding off more often than not. I'd have to resort to climbing the fence then grabbing on as I straddled it with my skinny little legs, pretending it was a beautiful white horse beneath the canopy of rustling green leaves. Its coolness felt good on hot summer days, and I was anybody but a nine-year-old girl on a small Kansas farm.

I cherish those days - another lifetime ago - when the wonders of the world lay before me.......and I could see forever from the top of an old propane tank.

13 comments:

Cheryl said...

I love that shot. It looks kind of like a submarine in seaweed. :)

Lilli & Nevada said...

those were great tanks to ride, i remember doing the same thing, gosh to be a kid again.

John said...

Wasn't life great back before multi-station TV and computers and cell phones?? I'm hoping my kids will be able to find places to let their childish imaginations land on a memory like this.

Daryl said...

What fun .. all I had was the back of a chair as my 'pony'

Mike said...

Ahh the old days of imagination! :-)

I remember them well, and bore my son with stories of it!

TT
MY

Anonymous said...

Sounds great :-) I think the trick is to have both the computers, tv, and mobile phones.

I think that so many people let them rule their lives. They sit watching nothing but TV day in and day out or they are glued to the net or whatever. That's simply existing not living. Do what you want but be sure to love it.

I think you can have both - I like to think that even at 36 I still have just as much as an imagination as I did back then.

I liked the story of the tank! Must give you a nice smile everytime you see it!

david mcmahon said...

I grew up in the tropics and had never seen a propane tank - but are you sure this wasn't a mini-submarine!!

Lovely post, really connected with me.

John-Michael said...

I pray that your Spirit awakens your awareness to the "propane tank" in your present life ... that your eyes will allow a soft-focus on the demands of life, and open a window that spreads before you a vista that will provide a fresh and new opportunity to enjoy "the wonders of the world lay before me.......and I could see forever from the top of."

Anonymous said...

Lori, this post made me smile, because we had a propane tank behind a house in the country where I spent a few years as a child. We do miss a great deal by being too preoccupied or by surrounding ourselves with noise everyday. I happen to believe (as you know) that God steps into the everyday, but we don't always turn down the noise or pay close attention.

That's one of the reasons I've begun a The 30-Day WGSI Challenge over at my book site. Stop by if you have time...people are sharing awesome experiences about their day.

oregoncelticlady said...

Thank you so much for coming by my place! I am such a lazy blogger so I appreciate it!

The picture is wonderful! Childhood memories are so sweet!

Ame said...

When I was around 9 our TV broke and my parents never got it fixed. I was the oldest of four, and my mom said she was tired of us fighting over the TV. I'm not sure how much TV there was to fight over in the early 70's, but they didn't have another TV in the house till I was in college, so I grew up without one. My brother, a year younger, and I got into a lot of trouble, but we also learned to play lots of games, including Bridge and Pinochle.

As a single mom, the TV is sometimes my life-saver, and there are only about 7 channels I've got programmed they are allowed to watch. I've kept basic cable b/c I can get it for just $10 a month, and my girls LOVE cooking and decorating shows! (me, too)

But my girls would still prefer to be outside on a nice day, riding bikes and scooters, shooting hoops, digging in the dirt, creating something, using their imaginations, playing with neighborhood kids. They'll play outside in the rain, too, if it's not a thunderstorm. I often have a lot of mud to clean from clothes and floors, but it's worth it :)

Angie said...

That brings back memories for me. Great pic. Funny, I fantasized about riding a horse today too at my blog. Lovely place here.

Slone said...

I didn’t have a propane tank but we did have a big ol eucalyptus tree in the front yard. It grew at about a 45 degree angle and reached all the way across the street. Because of the angle, you could almost walk up about the first six or seven feet of the trunk. Many a day I would sit on the tree, five or six feet above the ground, and pretend I was Caption Kirk, or riding a flying dragon through the shy! Funny, I never dreamed it was a horse tho…maybe that’s why I have a horse now! To make up for lost time!!
Once again, thank you for the wonderful post!