Posted this earlier today over on TradTalk. But thought a couple you ole geezers might get a giggle or 3 if posted here as well ............
The Wife and I strolled through the local flea market today. Looking for nothing special (welllll, maybe I was on lookout for curved drawknife). Just out for early Sunday snooping to be followed by a fav breakfast place.
Just the 4th or 5th vendor we walked by had an old Pearson laminated recurve and an even older Shakespeare fiberglass. I looked, but we walked on. Not 10 vendors away is another of those Shakepeare fiberglass Rockets. Green with white rubbery handle ... some of you ancient ones likely know the model. Memories came flooding back.
It was 1959 or '60. Upheavals of the '60's far in the future. I was, what, 11 or 12? Been lusting for months for one of those fiberglass bows seen at the local hardware store. Remember riding my bike up to that store after school couple times a week just to make sure it was still there on the shelf. I dreamed of owning that bow.
As was Mom's habit, in early December she asked us kids what we'd like most for Christmas. By then the Sears Christmas Catalog would be getting a bit dog-eared. For me, for that Christmas, it was that green fiberglass bow! Christmas morning arrived and there were a number of packages under our tree with my name on them. Some were obviously clothes ... you know the box shape/weight. But there were 2 that got my immediate attention! One was longish with a bit of heft to it and the other only half as long and light. Could it be possible?
Ya'll know which gifts were the 1st opened. Yep, a green fiberglass bow with white rubbery handle and 6 of the most beautiful arrows I'd ever seen! Can ya believe my utter joy? And after us kids had opened all our gifts, Dad motioned to me and we walked out to his garage shop. There standing in the middle of his shop was a wood tripod with big circular colorful target sitting on it!! Dad made the tripod and I can still see in my mind the grain of the red oak it was made from. And can smell the odor of that target. I remember shooting that bow so much that my fingers were about to bleed and wrist had the biggest welts you can imagine ... no glove and no arm guard. But who cared??!!
In later years I cam to realize that my folks were, in those years, not well off. And Dad was very busy back then with his milkman job during the day and kitchen remodels he did at night. So where they found the $$$ for that archery gear and where he found the time to make the most perfect target tripod I'll never know. But they made possible memories that I carry with me to today.
Needless to say, I paid the man what he was asking for that Shakespeare fiberglass Rocket bow and walked away with a small tear in my eye.
Thanks for taking the time to join me on this trip down memory lane.
Michael
