Star light, star bright

‘Star light, Star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.’

 

Summer was officially here. Hot days and cool nights. Time to grab some blankets and lay out in the front yard to look at the stars and make plans for the next day. That’s what the kids on 28th Terrace did almost every night during the summers of the early 1950s.  Streets lined with streetlights didn’t hamper us because back then there were no streetlights. The celestial show that hung above us was so clear that, at times, we thought we could reach up and touch them. After a long day spent riding bikes, roller-skating, playing tag, jumping rope, playing Badminton or Croquet, a bit of stargazing was needed to top off the day. The neighborhood kids – there were 18 of us – would gather in our front yard. We weren’t loud and rambunctious. We would lay quietly, blankets spread out side-by-side, seeing who could find the big dipper first, then the little dipper, the north star, the Milky Way and the ever-elusive Orion and his belt.  If we were lucky, a shooting star or a falling star would capture our attention and silence would fall temporarily as we each made a wish.  We wondered what it would be like to go to the moon and find that elusive man who lived there. By summer’s end we pretty much decided that that would never happen in our lifetime, but it was fun to imagine. We did indeed have big imaginations. 

 We were a pretty lucky bunch of kids. We laughed a lot enjoying our gang. We felt like we were all one big family. The older kids quietly assumed looking out for the younger ones. The younger ones never questioned the older ones’ authority. They never led us down the wrong path. Though there were times we would fuss with each other like all kids do, we had a connection. We enjoyed each other’s company, respected each other, and we all were blessed with great loving parents who shared the same values of life and were teaching them to us.

Through the years, and to this day, I still enjoy sitting on my patio at night and sometimes find myself unconsciously trying to find the Big Dipper. I find that the unbelievable peace and stillness that we looked forward to in childhood is still there after all these years. When looking at the moon it’s still hard to believe that we did indeed make it there and back. The only thing lacking in that feat of science for the childhood minds of us 28th Terrace kids is that we never got to see that man who lived there. 

I ask how long has it been since you took the time to quietly reflect on the nighttime sky? Why not look and see if you can find the big and little dipper, the north star or harder yet, Orion and his belt. Who knows, if you’re lucky enough, you just may get a glimpse of a shooting or falling star and you can make a wish.  To this day if I see a falling star I can’t help but close my eyes and make a wish. Strangely it’s the same one I made over and over when I was little, ‘that life can always be this good.’

Wishes do come true. 

 

‘Growing Up With My Best Friend’ is Jan’s first book. It’s about the 1950s kids of Independence. If you have story to share please email her at independencekids1950@comcat.net or check out her web site at www.independencekids1950.com.