Repetitive Old People

I live in a community of, shall we say, people who are past their prime. While my community is not designed as an over-55 community, those of use who fit in that category certainly rejoice when a new seasoned citizen moves in. I've noticed that at gatherings of our neighbors, we tend to tell the same stories over and over and over. No one complains, because after all, along with repeating the same stories, which we may or may not remember, we are forgetting a lot of what we're telling, as we're telling it.


Thoroughly confused? Let's just say, the old mind doesn't work like the young mind. You youngsters remember what happened yesterday, We oldsters have a hard time remembering what happened five minutes ago. However, when we think back to when we were two, memories seem to be vivied. Or are they memories? Perhaps they're dreams of what we wish it had been like and we've thought about those dreams so many times, that at this point in our lives we actually believe the dream.


So what has this to do with growing up in Runnemede? Well, I pulled up an article I wrote for the 100th anniversary of Mt. Calvary Union Church -- which is in 2010 -- the year my sister and I are going to Italy. Back to the issue at hand -- see how we tend to drift onto other things?


Where was I? Oh, yes, the article. In that article I went through every picture I had of the church and church activities -- there were over a hundred. I wish I had more. I look at those photos and vaguely remember the children I played with for so many years. But in writing those captions for the photo album, and the article for the anniversary, I came across more remembrances of my growing up in Runnemede. Since I've posted over 200 BLOGs, some of this information may be a repeat -- remember the title of this particular BLOG -- Repetitive Old People -- and bear with me, or just log off.


I've posted this picture of the church several times and you'll notice that it is white clapboard. Well, it was not always white clapboard. It started out as white clapboard, but during the early 50s a very popular siding -- asbestos -- was introduced and since it was costing a small fortune in time and money to keep the church pristinely painted, it was decided to side the building with a gray, ugly, asbestos siding. It actually looked more like roofing material to me.


I wonder how much of my memory losses are because of my being in such close contact with that asbestos siding? You can see it in this picture taken of the back of the church, from our back door.

I mean, as I skated along the walk that bordered the outside of the church, I would at times drag my hand along the side of the church as I flew around corners, then, being a normal child, I'm certain I would eat an apple or something with small flakes of asbestos on my hands because I hadn't washed my hands before eating. There were times when I would lean against the side of the church. So wouldn't the flakes of asbestos come off on my clothes and wouldn't I then inhale those flakes? See, I'm remembering things, even though I can't remember things. And, I'm being repetitive, right? But then, isn't asbestos supposed to be bad for the lungs, not the mind?


About that time, the church was also changed on the inside and the small back part of the basement that was finished was stretched until the basement under the entire church building was finished. The church had so grown in people attending that they needed space for Sunday school classrooms. With that interior construction, they put another door in the basement at the front of the church. It was in a well or pit at the side of the church, and every time it rained a lot the basement flooded. Finally, after many floods, they put a roof over the well, and raised the doorway to ground level, instead of having it as basement level. When I say "well" I mean like a window well, but it was a door well. You had to be there.

So there were changes to the church over the years, but it has now been restored (with the addition of a ramp for handicapped parishioners) to the way it was. I'm looking forward to going back in 2010 (on my way home from Italy?) and taking part in the 100th anniversary celebration of a church that has upheld the literal Word of God for so long.