Flashback Friday: Growing up in the Country

Being back home this week brought back a flood of memories from growing up in the mountains. It seemed as though we lived in a different world; it was peaceful, beautiful and fun. Most would imagine San Diego as all city life and the beach, but, I actually didn't live in the "city" until I married and moved to Kansas City.

Four of my six siblings and I were homeschooled and we made the backyard our playground. We owned eight acres that backed up to Cleavland National Forest-beautiful untouched mountains. The only neighbors we had were a good walk down the dirt road, so we explored freely. Dad built our house on a 'pad' cut on the land; on a clear day you could see the ocean. There was a valley to the east with what was named "Boot Hill" just beyond that; when it rained heavily there was a little creek that ran at it's base. What adventures we had out there.

Every morning we would wake up around 6:45am so we could have some time outside before school started. One 'project' that sticks out in my mind was the trail we made to the top of the mountain. We cut at least a three foot wide trail from the base of the tall mountain that sat directly behind or house, all the way up; you could see the world from there. We had pit stops along the way and even deemed one of the sage bushes to be "gum tree". We would attach any chewed gum to its branches in hopes that it would somehow reproduce. I don't recall if we ate the gum again, but it wouldn't surprise me. Day after day we labored on our trail and never did we run into a rattlesnake. That, I now consider a miracle; mom must have been on her knees praying for us. Rattlesnakes were very common in the mountains, especially with all the rock moving we did. As a parent now myself, I can't believe how at ease mom was with us; I probably would have been a nervous wreck!

Another 'project' I recall were our "bomb shelters", we made two. The first was up the hill on flat ground. We dug this huge hole, put a piece of plywood over it and covered it with dirt. This shelter came fully equipped with a living room, bedroom and bathroom facility; home away from home. For the second shelter, we literally dug a hole into the side of the mountain large enough for us to fit in. This one was more unstable and eventually caved in, but oh, we had a blast playing in them!

We often pretended to be early American explorers and always hoped to come across gold in the creek or Indian arrows under rocks. The soil was composed mainly of granite, and we thought there might be some value in it; we never got rich off of it though. We could pass hours playing make believe on that land and we didn't tire doing it-ever.

We may not have discovered gold or any other "amazing" find, but we were wealthy. We had so much freedom to imagine and create with one another; I will keep those cherished moment in my memory banks until my life is through. I can only hope that my kids can share in the adventure and wonder of childhood as I did, with unabandoned passion to make believe.

The moral of the flashback: Enjoy being a kid, it goes by fast.