There are an abundance of places I
want to see and experience. So many in fact I doubt I’ll get to do them all.
But as a kid I never had the gumption to go anywhere except the swimming pool,
an amusement park or a friend’s house. But every now and then during the summer
months my mother would get the family together and my cousins and I would all
head to the drive-in. For a five year old in the early eighties this was more
than exciting, this was planned out for a week in advance. It was all I could
talk about.
My
best friend at the time was my cousin. He would come over and we’d discuss what
movie we were going to see. At the time it was Fox and the Hound. We’d stay up
for hours wondering what was going to happen to Copper and Tod.
The
day of the big event I would get everything ready. First I’d pick out some
pillows, always the good kind; never too soft, never too hard. It was going to
be a long night and I wanted to make sure I was going to be comfortable. Next
I’d get my blankets; one to lie on and one to use as a cover. My mother would
be in the kitchen getting our snacks together. Popcorn was first on the list. A
lot of popcorn. We also brought along Middleswarth bbq potato chips in a
barrel. My favorite chips made in
We got
there a few hours early. My aunt would get our dinner ready while we played on
the swing set under the big screen. All the kids who came would be there. When
it started to get dark I’d get out a jar with holes and catch lightning bugs.
Once I saw the screen light up, I’d run back to my mom’s van, hop on top of the
roof and settle in for a fun filled night.
As
I’ve gotten older I’ve had less chance to go to a movie theater and rarely ever
think about going to the drive-in. Let’s face it. It’s a dying tradition.
Everything being high-tech and gadget filled, it’s rare you’ll find a drive-in.
You might see one as you pass by, an old screen left over from a time before
but usually not in operation.
On my
days off, I like to travel as much as possible. Whether it’s a day trip or a
few days at a bed and breakfast to a place I’ve never been before. A few days
ago I opted instead to visit a place closer to home. I decided once again to
visit a vintage movie house. It was almost the same. I got there a half hour
early to wait until it opened. It’s always better to be first in line than last
to get the best spot. You never want to be behind the person with the bigger
vehicle. I made my way into the open area and found the perfect spot. The first
thing I noticed that was missing was the speaker for the movie. Now the car
radio serves as the speaker. It takes away from the vintage feel but I was o.k.
with this. There was still a food stand filled with all same kind of goodies as
before from hamburgers, sundaes, popcorn and cotton candy. I still saw children
passing a football and families with their lawn chairs, setting up for the
evening.
As I
did when I was younger, I packed some snacks and a cooler and watched as the
screen lit up. The same type of ads made from years ago came on and I was
reminded once again of a time gone by. I stayed into the night watching two
movies and reminiscing about my childhood.
The
drive-in has become as familiar with the
