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| A great store then and now. |
Two days before Christmas
we shivered in front of Ben Franklin’s Five and Dime. Dad gave us each a five-dollar bill! Five dollars!
That meant $25 in 1960, a tremendous amount for him to dole
out; $25 could buy six bags of feed for the hogs.
Memory says that the store
was packed with people, but with today’s eyes I realize that perhaps twenty
people roamed the aisles, five of which were us. We scattered, trying to be secretive about
our purchases, which was difficult. Mom
roamed a bit herself, listening for arguments and eyeing possible gifts for
family. Mom also guided three-year old
Mary along and chased after five-year old Bill, helping them make choices.
With five dollars clutched
in my red, chapped and cold hands, I was blinded by all the choices. Surely, this was more than I could ever
imagine spending. But, almost every last
penny was spent, leaving a few coins with which to buy a Hershey bar.
Riding home in a crowded
Ford, we glanced at each other and giggled.
In the trunk of the car, five secret-holding paper bags held the magic
of the gifts we each would give.
What a wonderful memory.
ReplyDeleteDid you have fun last night? Are you wearing your curly shoes now?
I don't know how we managed to buy all the presents needed with $5 each.
DeleteNo curly shoes, but some great laughing.
O
The five and dime...I remember it well. Special memories indeed.
ReplyDeleteOne could buy almost anything there. The cashiers knew all the parents and could tell each what other people wanted.
DeleteI have pretty much have the same memories, only it was Woolworth. I started saving up my money ($.25 week + any money I got for returning bottles) in summer and it was no way near $25, but I was able to buy something for everybody in my family. I remember getting that super pretty bottle of purple toilet water for my mom.
ReplyDeleteMy brothers always seemed to have more money from their own resources, but I made do with my $5.
DeleteGreat memories like that are awesome indeed. Wish money still had that worth.
ReplyDeleteWe would need a time machine, I think.
DeleteLove the memories! I remember going to Ben Franklin back in the day. Boy that was a long time ago.♥
ReplyDeleteThat speaks to how old I am. The 1950s were a magical time in some ways, with Ben Franklin, Woolworths, and other such stores.
DeleteAnd the best gift of all was the love and the laughter which wrapped and surrounded each one.
ReplyDeleteWonderful memory - thank you.
Opening presents from siblings was always such a treat.
DeleteWonderful as always.
ReplyDeleteLife and love are the driving force.
DeleteThe kind of Christmas I would have liked to have. As children we never bought gifts for each other, it never even crossed our minds that we could, we didn't have money anyway and such a thing was never suggested by my parents. To us, Christmas was the time when your parents bought you a new toy or some new clothes.
ReplyDeleteDifferent places, different customs. One custom we always had was finding an orange in the toe of the stocking, along with sticky ribbon candy.
ReplyDeleteBrings back wonderful dime store memories! You must have felt like you'd won the lottery!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Oh, yes! $5 was an unbelievable sum!
DeleteI remember those trips too... I specifically remember being very excited that I purchased striped fuzzy footies in a multi-pkg. for my grandmother, lol. I don't remember seeing her ever wear them, but there are plenty of pictures she took where I am!! Maybe I got her the wrong size, hahahaa
ReplyDeleteThe things we bought were based a lot on the budget, but also the person. I bought my g-pa a pack of cigarettes! Can you imagine that?
DeleteYou must have felt so rich and had so much fun. I just remember going to the Christmas Market with my parents. I remember a wooden church they bought that then became a part of our future Christmases.
ReplyDeleteI hope it found a new home eventually. A wooden church, just perfect for the Holy Family.
DeleteI remember those days when $5 seemed like a small fortune and to a child it was in a way.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out
When ten cents could buy a Hershey bar, $5 was indeed a fortune.
DeleteBen Franklin! They had one in the town where I went to college. In fact, I just checked online and it looks like they're still there. I think I had my first vanilla Coke at their lunch counter.
ReplyDeleteI always bought comic books there and candy. I don't know what I would have done with a lunch counter!
DeleteThe magical memories through a child's eyes. The magic of gifts brought back with the reminiscing words. Thank you, Susan.
ReplyDeleteGary
Good to see your name, Gary!! Memories are worldwide.
Delete