You can go back home again

Ever since my cousin Danny and I got reacquainted last year, we have tried to keep up with each other. We often email and we have gotten together a couple of times now for dinner. This last time was over at his house where we were treated to a nice dinner of grilled burgers and hot dogs. We got to spend some great time just sitting around talking about old times and discussing life in general. It is so great to be able to share time together like this with my childhood hero. I found out just exactly how much of a hero he was to me on this visit too. Read on...

When I was a boy growing up in the '70's, we didn't have a whole lot. I've mentioned that many times before and if you are a regular reader you are probably sick to death of hearing about it. When we were able to buy something it meant a lot to us. We treasured those things because we felt lucky to have them. I had a passion for comic books back then. My favorite superhero was Shazam. I also liked Iron Man a lot and I had a big fascination with Tarzan. Of course Tarzan movies used to be on pretty regular back then before the world became "politically correct." So, naturally, I collected comics of the things I liked. I would gladly spend my 25 cents on a nice colored comic book so I could identify with my hero's. I could read their adventures and feel like I was part of the action. If you tried to take one of my comics I would've probably torn your head off.

Despite THIS evil deed, my affection for my older cousin, Danny, was more important to me than my comics. The other night when we were at his house, he went to a closet and retrieved a large bag of items. He reached into the bag and pulled out a whole stack of old comic books, most having my name written, by me, on the back of them! To say I was shocked is the understatement of the year. I was able to keep my composure and didn't cry in front of everyone, but it was difficult. I had given all of these comics to my older cousin, I'm sure in an attempt to gain his favor and attention and to show him how much I thought of him. I can't believe that he still had them after all of these years. They are all dated in the early 1970's. I don't know if they are worth anything in a collectors sense but to me they are worth more than all the money in the world.

Not only did he have all of those comics, he also had a whole shoebox full of trading cards; Planet of the Apes, Baseball, Football, and Motorcycle cards. I used to collect those things like crazy. Also inside of the large bag was some old metal cars. The kind that we used to play with. Not this cheap plastic junk that they sell today. You could tell that the old cars had really been played with. I could just see myself or Danny pushing that old metal truck through the driveway, rolling it down the hill behind his house, crashing it into trees and other cars.

After the bag full of old memories was empty, Danny reached into the closet and pulled out two old guns. The first a Daisy BB gun that we used to carry around all of the time and shoot at birds and tin cans and such. It was old and rusted but when I held it in my hands I felt like I was 9-years old again, walking around on a cold winter morning looking up in a cedar tree for an old blackbird to shoot or if I was really lucky, a squirrel. I remember how these old guns used to get jammed up and you would have to turn the magazine on the end to get it unjammed and one time I did that and shot myself in the palm of the hand. Also, if you didn't lock the lever into position and fired the gun, the lever would fly up and smash your fingers, leaving them severely bruised. I only did that once! Not only did he have the old Daisy, he pulled out a Crossman 760 Pellet rifle! I was ecstatic. If I had a dollar for every pellet I have shot from one of those guns, I would be a filthy rich man. I've written before about my old Crossman rifle, you can read about it HERE.

While all of the wonderful possessions of my past was thrilling to receive, I've got to say that reviving the friendship with my hero cousin is the best thing of all. I guess it's true, you can go back home again!