RUNNEMEDE REMEMBERED

Growing up in a small town in Southern New Jersey


Friday, September 30, 2011

Reminiscing again.

Today I was once again thinking about Fall in Runnemede in the 40s and 50s and very early 60s.

I recall going down to the pike and crossing over at Third Avenue from the east side to the west side, with the help of a policeman who was there at 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. and then from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. That was before they put a light at Third Avenue -- LONG before they put a light there.

While I was on the west side of the pike I would take my pennies and dimes into Joe's and see what was new that I could afford and if there was something I really liked I'd save up until I could buy it.

Then I learned about bottle returns and walked all over town looking for empties (my early bag-lady days I call them) so that I could get more money for 5 & 10 items at Joe's or on the east side at Jake's, when Jake was on the pike. He did move to 1st Avenue when the optometrist took over the space.

And Fall, as I recall, was the time when I collected as many bottles as possible. Too cold in the winter, and too wet in the spring. During the summer I was doing other things and not thinking about going down to the Pike to buy trinkets at either Joe's or Jake's.

So, that's what I was thinking about today as I look out my windows and see the Fall colors on the trees, and enjoy the perfectly cool "football weather."

ttfn

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