Ice Cubes, Pot Holders, and a Squirt Gun!
We had a dime store in our small town. My brother and I would wander through the store and look at all the 'goodies.' We didn’t have any money to buy anything, but it was fun looking. One day I saw a pretty yellow squirt gun. I really fell in love with it. I looked to see how much it cost and it was 39 cents without tax.
As we walked up the town hill to our home, I couldn’t help but think how I would love to have that gun. My father never had a gun in the house so I didn’t get the idea from him. However, I was a fan of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry and perhaps that influenced me. I became fixated on buying that pretty yellow squirt gun.
When we got home I told my mother what I had seen and wanted. She became quite serious and told me that if I could earn the money I could buy it. She said she would help me. Together we began to think of ways we could make that money. It wasn’t too long until she suggested that she could make pot holders and I could sell them for a nickel a piece. Then she got the coolest idea ever. We were one of the first in the neighborhood to have a real refrigerator. This came about because my grandmother had passed away and left some money to my father. This refrigerator had a very small freezer which was big enough for only a tray of ice cubes and maybe a pound or two of meat. Mom suggested that I sell ice cubes for a penny apiece to the neighborhood kids!
That afternoon mom quickly sewed some pot holders and then made a sign for me to put out on our corner lot saying, “Ice Cubes for sale! One penny apiece”!” We put out our old card table and I waited for the customers! Now most of the kids in our neighborhood never saw an ice cube before, and it wasn’t long before I had my first customers. Of course, it was a warm day, and the ice cubes began to melt, so I was running back and forth in the house, trying to get the frozen ones to sell. Mom graciously kept a supply in the freezer. Before long I had sold eleven ice cubes and that was it! All the rest had melted. I looked in my little money cup and saw that I had eleven cents that I didn’t have before. I was so excited.
Now mother sent me out in the neighborhood with around ten potholders. I was scared to knock on the doors as I was quite shy, but I became brave when I visualized that yellow squirt gun in my hands. I actually sold some of the potholders for a nickel a piece. With the money I made selling the pot holders and ice cubes, I had enough to buy my gun.
The next morning I headed downtown to the store. I had hoped that no one had purchased my pretty yellow gun. I hurried to where I had seen it and there is was! It was just waiting for me. I picked it up, paid for it and headed up the town hill.
When I got home I showed mother my gun, and quickly filled it with water. I admired it as I held on to it tightly. I had no idea what I was going to shoot, but whatever it was I was ready for it!
My brother, Jim, had his own idea what he was going to do. He innocently asked me if he could see it, and I innocently handed him my gun. He had this little mischievous smile on his face and then it all began. First he squirted me and then ran around the house. He was three years older than I and I couldn’t catch him. I screamed for him to stop and he just laughed, turned and squirted me some more.
My mother heard me and came out the door to see what was going on. She immediately told Jim to get in the house. Well – he went in alright. He took my squirt gun with him. I became so outraged that I took a rock and threw it through the glass pane of our front door. Whoops! A big mistake!
After mother finally figured out why I was so upset, she had Jim give me the gun and said he was never to touch it again. She scolded me for what I had done, and when dad got home, she explained to him what had happened. Dad went down to the hardware store, got a piece of glass and fixed the broken pane. That door was a constant reminder to me what I did just because of my desire for a beautiful yellow squirt gun.
To this day I have no idea why I wanted that gun!
As we walked up the town hill to our home, I couldn’t help but think how I would love to have that gun. My father never had a gun in the house so I didn’t get the idea from him. However, I was a fan of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry and perhaps that influenced me. I became fixated on buying that pretty yellow squirt gun.
When we got home I told my mother what I had seen and wanted. She became quite serious and told me that if I could earn the money I could buy it. She said she would help me. Together we began to think of ways we could make that money. It wasn’t too long until she suggested that she could make pot holders and I could sell them for a nickel a piece. Then she got the coolest idea ever. We were one of the first in the neighborhood to have a real refrigerator. This came about because my grandmother had passed away and left some money to my father. This refrigerator had a very small freezer which was big enough for only a tray of ice cubes and maybe a pound or two of meat. Mom suggested that I sell ice cubes for a penny apiece to the neighborhood kids!
That afternoon mom quickly sewed some pot holders and then made a sign for me to put out on our corner lot saying, “Ice Cubes for sale! One penny apiece”!” We put out our old card table and I waited for the customers! Now most of the kids in our neighborhood never saw an ice cube before, and it wasn’t long before I had my first customers. Of course, it was a warm day, and the ice cubes began to melt, so I was running back and forth in the house, trying to get the frozen ones to sell. Mom graciously kept a supply in the freezer. Before long I had sold eleven ice cubes and that was it! All the rest had melted. I looked in my little money cup and saw that I had eleven cents that I didn’t have before. I was so excited.
Now mother sent me out in the neighborhood with around ten potholders. I was scared to knock on the doors as I was quite shy, but I became brave when I visualized that yellow squirt gun in my hands. I actually sold some of the potholders for a nickel a piece. With the money I made selling the pot holders and ice cubes, I had enough to buy my gun.
The next morning I headed downtown to the store. I had hoped that no one had purchased my pretty yellow gun. I hurried to where I had seen it and there is was! It was just waiting for me. I picked it up, paid for it and headed up the town hill.
When I got home I showed mother my gun, and quickly filled it with water. I admired it as I held on to it tightly. I had no idea what I was going to shoot, but whatever it was I was ready for it!
My brother, Jim, had his own idea what he was going to do. He innocently asked me if he could see it, and I innocently handed him my gun. He had this little mischievous smile on his face and then it all began. First he squirted me and then ran around the house. He was three years older than I and I couldn’t catch him. I screamed for him to stop and he just laughed, turned and squirted me some more.
My mother heard me and came out the door to see what was going on. She immediately told Jim to get in the house. Well – he went in alright. He took my squirt gun with him. I became so outraged that I took a rock and threw it through the glass pane of our front door. Whoops! A big mistake!
After mother finally figured out why I was so upset, she had Jim give me the gun and said he was never to touch it again. She scolded me for what I had done, and when dad got home, she explained to him what had happened. Dad went down to the hardware store, got a piece of glass and fixed the broken pane. That door was a constant reminder to me what I did just because of my desire for a beautiful yellow squirt gun.
To this day I have no idea why I wanted that gun!
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