In celebration of my1st donation @ $justtellthetru
Intro to Short Story Anthology
Mom and dad got a divorce, suddenly I found new freedom. That year 11 to 12 yrs old and I was free, mom worked, two siblings married and gone. My brother was starting a journey that would change my family forever, leaving me and my older sister on our own basically.
That was the best time of my life for almost a decade, but that’s another story.
1974 I loved music, found girls delightfully frustrating and wonderful, and competition with older guys started heating up. My friends were oddly all capricorns except for a couple, so we numbered seven.
A new neighborhood and my introduction to my new friends cliche, jumping trains! Yes, running down railroad tracks alongside a train grabbing the ladder you jump up and pray like hell you’re feet hit the ladders bottom rung. Yes, it’s crazy! But the rush of adrenaline is hard to ignore once you experience it! The spotter yells “TRAIN,” all hide waiting for the engine to pass, then all of us break from cover and pick the coal car we’re going to jump.
The rumble of the engine starts to sync with heartbeats, the thrumming droning sound fills you with energy and excitement as you start running till you’re perfect lined up and in sync with the speed, reaching out for the ladder, suddenly there’s a gentle pull you increase running till there’s no pull..then you pull yourself up and leap as you come off the ground gravity pulls your feet to either wheels or rung, your mind blanks out suddenly your feet hit the rung and your ride to the swimming hole secured.
Now comes securing a comfortable place to ride, climb up the ladder of the coal car. Climb in and sit it’ll be about 20 minutes and you jumped off, and for me that was the dangerous part because the trains sped up considerably and presented a challenge. We abandoned that method of transportation when two from the neighborhood crashed and burned so to speak, one broken leg and nasty scars from a running into a railroad marker.
The ways of the hobo, gave way to Wild Wild West methods of escape and spy life. The woods we played in bordered an oil refinery and the holding tanks, had steel cable ties, to the ground, and a couple from the roof of the refiner. We would climb to the top of the tanks and purposely make them rock, the we would jump between the four tanks. That got boring but the view was awesome so we’d sit on top get high and cut up and laugh. If we weren’t smoking pot (love older sibs) we’d be drinking beer or whatever we could scrounge money to buy.
Well I was into building my own pedal bikes then, chopper look alikes, extended fork, so I’m heading for the refinery on my bike when the darn handle bars popped off. After the wreck I was disgusted and cursing like the soon to be step-dad. Suddenly an idea sprouted and I took the handlebars up to join the guys. Popeye asked what I was going to do with the handlebars, so I told him to watch as I climbed up. Once on top, I jumped over to the refinery roof, all the guys joined me. I walked over to the cable that went from roof to bottom of one on the tanks, through the handlebars over it and yelled I’m James West from “The Wild Wild West,” jumped up, grabbed on to the grips and my god the adrenaline rush was exhilarating, 10 seconds of pure bliss sliding down that cable. I landed safely to whoops and yells throw it up, my turn!
This lasted about four days until the older guys caught wind, then horned in on the fun! Until Pigpen smashed into the tank full speed, it was funny, nasty, and the way that tank rang after the crash was talked about for weeks!
We made swings that swung out over cliffs, used trains for shelter and challenges. We roamed all the trails along the river, snuck into the fair, and played baseball. Funny I look back now, those friends, one died old of heart failure, another had a bad drunk driving accident, two went to prison, three of us managed to stay on the right side of the law.
That Summer I lost my fear and that would factor into where and how my life would be shaped.
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In this article, I reflect on my childhood experiences after my parents' divorce, which offered me a newfound sense of freedom. Growing up in the 1970s, I embraced music and the thrill of childhood adventures. One of my favorite pastimes was jumping onto freight trains with friends, a reckless yet exhilarating pursuit that forged deep bonds among us. We faced challenges, from climbing railroad tankers to swinging over cliffs, all while navigating the ups and downs of adolescence in a new neighborhood. The thrill of adrenaline rushes during those carefree summers shaped not only my character but also my perspective on life. However, the innocence of youth sometimes led to unfortunate incidents, reminding us of life’s unpredictability. As I navigate through these memories, I encourage readers to appreciate the bonds formed during their own childhood and embrace the spirit of adventure that often accompanies the journey of growing up. These stories are not just about the past but serve as a testament to how those early experiences inform who we become as adults, highlighting the importance of friendship, courage, and resilience. As I recount these thrilling moments, I invite readers to reflect on their own childhood adventures and the memories that have shaped them.