Skip to main content

The Value Of A Dollar

When I was a tyke growing up in Scarborough, then a bedroom community of Toronto, our neighbour Mrs. Painter used to babysit me while my mom and dad spent the day at work. I think this was before I attended kindergarten so I must have been 4 years old. Now times were different in the mid 50s. Kids had the run of the neighbourhood and weren't overly chaperoned. Parents and guardians trusted the kids they looked after and there was a high sense of safety and security in the neighbourhood. All kids had to worry about was being home by the time the streetlights came on. In hindsight this was a little odd since most of the adults were kind of freaking out at the height of the cold war.


Kids spent a lot of time out of doors and our games of choice were hide-and-seek and Cowboys and Indians. Me and my pals spent most of our time engaging in these games, sneaking through neighbour's yards, climbing fences and hiding behind trees and shrubs.

One day Mrs. Painter told me she was going to make hamburgers for lunch. Ah, one of my favourites, with ketchup, mustard and relish. And Mrs. Painter's devilled eggs were legendary and they were on the menu too. But Mrs. Painter was out of hamburger buns. So, she gave me a quarter and sent me off to the "corner" store to get some, about a five minute walk away.

Now at the corner of our street sat a house with a nicely trimmed little hedge abutting the sidewalk protected by a series of silver lead pipes with a wire strung through them. I'd passed by these pipes every day without a thought. But that day, with a shiny quarter in my hot little hand I paused for some reason. I looked at the hallow pipe and back at the quarter in my hand. It's odd how a four-year old processes things. I felt on the edge of a huge discovery not unlike Alexander Graham Bell or Albert Einstein. I slowly raised my hand until it hovered over the pipe, the quarter clinched tightly between my thumb and forefinger. And then I let go. Son of a gun. It fit! Alas, the result of my successful experiment was that the quarter was lost forever.



Mrs. Painter thought it was funny when I told her how I'd lost the quarter...the first time. You see little Einstein repeated his experiment...two more times. Guess what? Those quarters turned out to be the same size as the first! And those hamburger buns were the most expensive buns Mrs. Painter had ever bought.

Comments

Megan said…
Yep. You are definitely old.
Moooooog35 said…
That's because Canadian quarters are just WRONG.

True story.
nonamedufus said…
Megan: Yep. And the older I get the more I act like a 4 year-old! I don't lose quarters but I sure misplace my keys, my phone, my glasses...
nonamedufus said…
Moooooog: All change is wrong. Canadians have $1 loonies and $2 twonies. For all the change we carry around one has to be sure to have a good belt on one's pants.
Me-Me King said…
Hamburger buns for a quarter. Now, those were the days. Funny story, what a precious memory.

Where you there when they finally removed those pipes to collect those quarters?
nonamedufus said…
Me-Me: You know what? I went on Google street-view and found that house. The pipes are still there! The houses on the street have all been renovated and updated...but those friggin' pipes are still there and, I imagine, so are the quarters!
Anonymous said…
Harumph.

I take offense at your reply to mooooooog35 "All change is wrong. Canadians have $1 loonies..."

Loonies are NOT wrong.

Sincerely,

QuirkyLOON


word veri dersin

hee hee
nonamedufus said…
Quirks: Oh, shit. But of course you're the exception my dear. My bad.
Donnie said…
Weren't those days fun? I too had the same basic experiences at that age and remember well the two "corner" groceries that I went to almost daily for my grandmother or mom.
nonamedufus said…
Don: When my kids were that age I never would have left them unsupervised. Amazing - and sad - how times have changed.
Great story, NoName. Here's the sad thing: I'm still the sort of person who feels compelled to drop quarters into hollow posts. I just feel an urge to know: Will it, or won't it?
nonamedufus said…
Mike: What! You too? I thought I was the only one. (Where have I heard that before?)
Me-Me King said…
Hamburger buns for a quarter. Now, those were the days. Funny story, what a precious memory.

Where you there when they finally removed those pipes to collect those quarters?

Popular posts from this blog

Sunday Funnies

The Polka Dot Door

A long time ago, when I was 22, my first child was born.  That kid grew up on a little Canadian kid's show called Polka Dot Door, produced by the TV Ontario network.  And Dad, more often than not, sat through those shows with his little one. Nine or so years later when a brother, and a year after that when a sister came along number one son was moving on to Knight Rider and The Dukes of Hazzard.  But there was a nice overlap where his siblings picked up where he had left off with Polka Dot Door.  And Dad was right there to welcome them. So you're looking at a Polka Dot Door veteran.  The show began in 1971 and ran to 1993.  I didn't watch the full run but I did get in my fair share.  The formula was pretty simple.  A young male and female host, which seemed to change every week, sang songs, told stories, made crafts and generally did their best stimulate little brains.  The show opened as follows... Imagination Day!  Oh boy!  You know what happens on Imagination D

SuperBowl Ads

Well, the game didn't go my way, but some of the American Super Bowl Ads (found at: http://www.myspace.com/superbowlads ) turned my crank... Diet Pepsi Max Super Bowl Ad: Wake Up People Ginseng & Caffeine Bud Light Wine & Cheese Party Super Bowl Commercial Bridgestone Tire Super Bowl Commercial: Squirrel vs Car Garmin Nuvi Super Bowl Commercial: Napolean Finds His Way w/ GPS Bud Light Super Bowl Ad: Immigrants with Carlos Mencia Planters Nuts Super Bowl Commercial: Woman Attracts Men w/ Nuts Pepsi Stuff Super Bowl Commercial: Justin Timberlake Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial: Cave Man Invents Wheel Coca Cola Super BOwl Commercial: Parade Balloon Victoria's Secret Super Bowl Commercial with Adriana Lima Book: Clapton - The Autobiography by Eric Clapton Music: New Seasons by The Sadies