There were only few things I was afraid of as kid, the casha tree at night being one of them.
My parents seldom went anywhere without Erva and me being towed along in their wake. There was no one babysit us. Consequently everyone knew if they invited Mom and Dad to a party it was likely "the grils" would be coming too. Occasional though, once Erva reached the ripe old age of 11 or 12, we got left behind. It was a BIG deal. I would follow one or the other of my parents as they got ready and ask the same series of questions over and over in a voice approaching high whiny. (Separation anxiety I think it's called.)
Me: Where you going?
Dad: We're going to Alaska.
Me: When are you coming back?
Dad: Next year.
Me: Can I come too?
Dad: Not this time.
Me: Why not?
Dad: We'll be gone too long. In fact we'll be gone so long we've decided to put you in the freezer and defrost you when we get back.
We had one of those big chest freezers and I had a tendency to take things very literally. Although it never happened, I was sure I was going to get put in the freezer. I knew what went in there and what happened to it so I developed a fear of falling into it and having the lid slam closed on me. I had mini panic attacks whenever Mom asked me to get something out of the freezer or when they were getting to ready to go out without us.
Somehow I managed to survive the living nightmare of that big white box of frozen food.
It wasn't until much later (well into my teens) that I told anyone how afraid I'd been of the freezer. As it was going to Alaska and/or being put in the freezer, became family metaphors for going out, particularly if it was going to be for a while.
"I'm going to Alaska, time to get put you all in the freezer."
Oh my goodness! It's amazing how a little joke like that can scare the daylights out of a kid. I'm sure your parents never thought you'd take it seriously and yet look how traumatized you were.
ReplyDeleteI, as a parent, thought it was funny, but the little kid inside me shuddered.
At least you can joke about it now . . . but are you still a little bit scared of the big freezers? ;-)
Joan
Have no idea when I'll be able to take another "Alaska trip," but hope to see you on one of yours when you "Come Back to the Virgin Isles!"
ReplyDeleteReferring to the freezer was also Mom and Dad's way of saying, "Right now, this is really none of your business," as parents do have the right to maintain silence around their children from time to time. Over all, though, we were almost always filled in on anything that affected the family, including finance issues!
Joan, I think it's all very funny now! And I'm not the least bit afraid of freezers.
ReplyDeleteIt's true! Mom and Dad were usually very open about what was up. I'll just never forget following one of them around..."Where you goin?"
Oh no! At least you can look back on it now. :)
ReplyDeleteWow...funny how we say things off the cuff never thinking how literally they might be taken.
ReplyDeleteOoh...the thought of falling in makes me shiver...
ReplyDeleteI love your stories...you had such a fantastic childhood...Thanks for sharing your childhood with us...
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