Bobbing For Memories...

Bobbing For Memories...

Written by Gloria Faye Brown Bates/ aka Granny Gee

This morning as I laid in bed rubbing my feet together to warm them... I began thinking that soon!  the fall weather will be here.  Soon, Halloween and the holidays will roll around....

My mind stayed on Halloween for a time, I began thinking of bobbing for apples.  Bobbing for apples ... it's something I never had opportunity to do.  I began thinking ... as a child there were many things taken for granted by others... that I never experienced.

My mind moved on to writing this morning when the 'title' came to me.  I can't bob for apples... but, I'm good at 'bobbing for memories'.

I am in a life jacket with a big metal loop on the back of it.  My jacket is neon orange, yellow with a little green.  I have on a long nightgown (yes, I'm still in bed!  :)))

I see a mental big, strong fishing rod that's anchored down safely 'over there'.  I think I feel safe enough to let myself be connected to it by the hook on the end of the fishing line.

I walk over to it, examine the hook to be sure :)))  and see that 'this hook' has a safety feature on it... it couldn't come loose if it wanted to on 'this fishing pole'.  After all... we are in 'my mind... I control all of this :)))

I hook up the fishing line to my life jacket without further hesitation.  I'm ready to go out over that water now... I'm ready to go ... bobbing for memories.

I'll only stay several seconds on each unless, I happen to come across a pleasant one I want to 'feel, see, hold in my hands' for a short time.

Oh, how nice the breeze feels as I swing across the clear water.  I have no idea how deep this water is, but.. I am so thankful it's clear water.  I have a fear of water that is dark, scary....

Oh my... with my hands I just grabbed a memory... it's shaped like a round, crystal ball that isn't heavy in weight.  I hold on to it until the fishing pole 'swings' me back to 'shore'...

I begin slowly turning it as I look into the crystal clear ball... it's filled with a clear liquid ...it moves inside as I turn it.  There's a memory in the shape of post-it note, it's a 'memory slip'... I 'know once I read it... a memory will appear'.........

I'm alittle apprehensive as my eyes focus on the words... the first word I read is 'colors'..... it can't be so bad if it's colors!  I love happy colors!

I see the words 'hot air balloons'!  I love this happy memory... instantly I see 'off to my left as I sit at the steering wheel.... hundreds of hot air balloons, hundreds of colors in the air level with me!'

I see people waving, smiling at me!  I'm feeling very excited, happy... I wave back as I smiled so big!  I'm driving the big, eighteen wheeler truck... I'm on Interstate 10 west... in California!

I look at this wonderful memory... can you imagine being on a mountain in California, driving a tractor-trailer at an even level with hundreds of hot air balloons?!!!  I did!  The hot air balloons were over a deep valley ... floating as high as I was on the top of the mountains that surrounded it.

I was a novelty to them... a young, pretty blonde-headed woman with lots of hair ....driving a huge tractor-trailer... they were waving, smiling.  They were a novelty to me.... how many people get to 'ride along in the air with hot air balloons!'  I waved and smiled back ... feeling free as the wind... happy!

This is a wonderful memory to peep at!  I gently toss the crystal clear ball back into the water... it's time to 'bob' again.... instead of picking up the 'apples with my mouth'.... my hands will do the job....

The fishing pole began to slowly swing me back over the water... goodness, there are many 'memory balls' to choose from.  I look at one in particular... there's nothing to tell me what the memory will be until... I look at it.  They are all the same... just like when bobbing for apples... what makes one choose one apple over the other?

I just reach down and grab a memory ball up... the fishing pole swings me back to shore.  I turn the ball over in my hands, seeing the clear liquid inside move ... I see the memory slip...

I see the words... 'Wizard Of Oz, Grandma Alma, George, old wooden floor'... my mind instantly goes back to being a child sitting on the old wooden floor in 'Hell'.... that at times was happy.

This memory in 'Hell' was a happy one... special because I remember this is where I learned about the movie 'Wizard Of Oz'.  Grandma Alma and George fueled my excitement making me look forward to seeing the Wizard Of Oz!  It was coming on that night!

That night, I sat on the old wooden floor cross-legged near George and Grandma Alma.  George sat on his old wooden cane chair beside Grandma Alma, while she sat in her recliner.

I was a happy little girl, Grandma Alma and George were happy... we all were smiling.  The wonderful theme music came on ... I began to move my head to the music.

We are off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard Of Oz!  It was truly fun to watch that movie... I described to George what was happening to help him to 'see' as he was blind.  All three of us enjoyed the movie.....

It's time to throw the memory ball back.... I see a 'dark cloud' looming .... 'something was about to break out in Hell'.  I threw that ball back into the water as fast as I could!

I think for now, I will stop bobbing for memories.  I will do this again later in time.  For now, I'm glad to have remembered two special events in my life.

In reality, I think as I write each day I'm basically 'bobbing for memories' to write my stories.... just without the fishing rod and life jacket.

I like the idea of the life jacket... it can keep me from drowning in the pool of memories just in case I slip into deep water while 'bobbing for memories'.