Author: Donald Guenther
Uploaded: October 25th, 2013
The living room was about a 14X16 room. One of my first memories is the removal of an old pump organ out through the front porch onto a truck. The organ was large and heavy and we need space as the family grew. Following the removal left the piano, library table, davenport, dad’s chair and a Radio, soon replaced with a television set. In the corner stood an old wood stove that heated the entire house. A 9X12 ft. rug, wall and ceiling paper, lit by a two tube fluorescent light made for a warm and welcoming ambiance. The warmth would get hot when a mouse would run along the wall and hide behind the piano or we’d put too much wood in the stove and the metal turn red hot.
My most enjoyable memory in life is when I had finished doing my business in the bathroom; I would go and warm my buns by backing up to the hot wood stove. These new heating systems are nice because no one has to mess with wood but not near as enjoyable. Living in a house a person gets used to smells that someone from another home notices. I always remember the smell of other people’s homes. Our home had smells we were unaware of. The house had a few too many openings so it could have been considered very healthy with plenty of fresh air and a smell of the fresh outdoors. In my bedroom when a cold spell hit a glass of water would freeze if left on the window seal.
On Davy’s first birthday he got a large balloon and as the balloon took flight the bare light bulbs finished off his birthday present. I guess the room had some short comings, noise being one of them. We all thought we lived better than anyone else on the planet. As a whole the family stayed mostly at home and we never knew how others lived. With the advent of the TV the younger portion of the family felt embarrassed with our living conditions but the older members weren’t aware of just how poor we were.
Evenings would see dad pulling the piano bench over in front of his chair for a card game. He couldn’t pronounce piano. Early in my life I served as a scout for the big guns as they played cards. A scout would sneak around and look at everyone’s hand and single back as to whether the person should bid or not. Scouts were allowed and not considered cheating because it brought the little guys into the game. A victory celebration included the scouts. Ronny and the other big guns never learned to play cards straight up. As the little guns replaced the big guns they learned to play without scouts and were better players. Playing with a big gun is now considered less than desirable.
On a summer Richy would be called upon to beat the dust out of the rug. The family had been used to hardwood floors and sweeping with a broom, a vacuum cleaner was a welcome addition especially when the boys would stay up late, laying on the rug watching scary movies on the TV.
When the family members get back together we remember the old radio shows and different wall paper patterns in the living room. The family lived in the “Living Room”. The idea of each family member having their own space and privacy is something this new generation seeks. I think they should be seeking a living room to share life with others.