CJ sent me back to January 1977 with this post on Crayons.
Bad memories of the ones I got for my 5th Birthday in a children´s home. Other kids got presents from their parents (I was there to gain weight - hahaha) - it was against the rule and only my parents stuck to that so I only got the coloring book and those crayons from the children´s home. I felt so lonely and "thrown away".
And I didn´t gain any weight as I befriended a "fat boy", LOL.
One row for the thinnies, one for the fatties - boy, I got SO.MUCH.BUTTER - ewwww.
We joined at one table and switched our food always. We were happy and stayed the same.
Sadly I cannot remember his name, but the crayons I do.
Not as fancy as those in the pic, we talk the 70´s.
It was cold, we were on an island. Actually beautiful with the strong wind and the waves.
But apart from that boy I made no friends. The kid in the bunk bed above me peed it´s pants at night and when we arrived back in Hanover all parents were there.
But mine.
Now I was sure they don´t want me back.
December 1976, not even a month ago... Dad left me in the woods, kinda.
He insisted on going skiing - it was getting dark cause he was working so long, it snowed blablabla, he needed help and told me to get off the car cause I am "too heavy".
Not explaining anything I stood there with a stranger (the one who helped) and.. his dog (I´m afraid of dogs) - I ran after the car, yelling, crying. Cried all the way home and got a reason for that, too!! (Spanking).
And then Hanover. My parents got a new car that broke down. They needed emergency - there were no cellphones back then!!! - and called a male friend to pick me up.
1970´s: "Don´t go with a male stranger" - I threw a fit. He had a baby-pic of me - could be any baby!
I never used those crayons.
I never told my parents how much they hurt me, either.
I mean: Buy a new car without me choosing, too?!!!!!
But Dad taught me at age 14 to drive it (5er BMW, manual) and when I took off Mum did not blame me but him 🤣
I hurt no one, there was not one scratch, Dad taught me well.
Above a sticker with my kid-Bro and a note from him as an adult.
The German language is beautiful (at times).
He wrote "Herzliche, liebe Grüße" - translated it´s but "warm greetings".
"Cordial" does not come close to "herzlich" - which means "by heart" and "liebe", well, "lovingly"!
It ends with "Dein Brüderchen" - which is actually from Grimm´s fairy tales - which I just got thanks to River!
Title? I wanted to show you loos.
But we are a community, right, and thoughts and plans can change.
I also was allowed to drive "Dad´s" Mercedes Cabrio - my Mum wanted me to drive, she took the pic, too, it was just Mum and I on a rare trip. Think they never wanted to give me away after all 😅
My home-town is but 60km away and has the same coat of arms. So...
Addendum @if you are from Australia/Great Britain: I´m in the driver´s seat :-)
It
was 5 years we did not visit Perth and when our maintenance guy -
seesh, he had a complicated name!!! - wanted to take me to our cabin
when we lost power I nearly hopped behind the wheel. Hups. No,I don´t
wanna drive... He laughed his head off, not understanding our steering
wheel is on the left... Henry 🦁
And, yes.... I should be be sound asleep, but I can´t.
Ingo.... Bro.... I miss them both.
12 comments:
Those are pretty cool crayons though they look a little bit like the plague masks worn by doctors during the Black Plague. Ah, childhood memories. We all have them, good and bad. At some point you realize parents just did the best they could.
Yes, I do think they did the best they could, my parents - I thank you for the memories, CJ.
I miss them.
When you say you grew up in a home do you mean an orphanage? I would be very lonely if were me. The crayons remind me of birds. Funny now that I have my own children over the years I too have realized I think my parents did their best with what they new at the time.
It's nice that you don't think negatively about your parents. But I think it's a horrible story and I still feel sorry for little Iris.
I understand parents buying a new car without asking you to help choose, it's a thing adults do unless the child is old enough to have money and help pay for the car maybe. But leaving you alone in the woods with a stranger?? and sending you off with a stranger when the car broke down?? NO and NO for both of those.
Why were you sent to a home to gain weight? Had you been ill and lost too much weight? Were they told by a doctor you needed to go there? Surely your mum could have fed you a bit extra for a while to gain weight?
I am sure your parents always did what they thought was the right thing and did the best they could.
Where is Ingo that you are missing him?
Amy, no, I was sent there to gain weight - other I grew up in my parent´s shop, not that nice, either ;-)
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Bertiebo, thank you, I came out well!
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River, noooo.... as kid you have to be in the car so you want to chose it as well! It becomes a family member (for Germans).
It wa just minutes with the stranger but I got SO scared! Dad should´ve explained he needs to drive as far that the car is free on the road and he did not. I thought he´s driving home without me.
And, no I was not sick, I was just skinny. Not the person you met as adult ;-)
Or it was just making money for the doc!
Ingo... well. I used to fight. Now I am but sad when he does not sleep in the bed and avoids me. Just sad. He needs a time out and I have to accept that, that I have learned.
That is such a sad story of the little Iris sent away to gain weight. Kids are so hurt by things they don't understand.
I had a difficult childhood too. Don't we all??? But here we are. We survived.
Sorry to learn of this piece of your childhood-Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
Your story about the weight change at the children's home is horrifying. Oh Iris. I can feel your pain, even though I never went through that experience. It sounds like some bad moments from your childhood have been surfaced over a post on crayons. I hope they go away so you'll have a nice week. hugs-Erika
RedPat, yes, I did not understand... first I´m "too heavy" and then...? But all good now! :-)
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gigi, we survived. And we remember...
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Christine, it just came up, all OK now.
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Erika, all good, thanks to the "big boy" (fat is mean, right, chubby is OK?)
The concept still makes me laugh. Two lines but we sit side by side - MUST go wrong!
He was nice. An introvert like me, shy. Cute.
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