El Reno, a Hidden Memory.

     My mom is 90 years old. I remember when my grandpa was 90 and when my grandma was 90 - she lived to be 99, actually, and I hope Mom does as well. My mom lives in a city not too far from me, but circumstances keep us from seeing each other in person. I won't go into that, but I do have a chance to call her. She calls me too, and we try to have good talks. She enjoys it when I ask her questions about things, which makes her recall specific stories. 

    Today, I called her to ask her about where all of our animals came from because I knew a lot of them were in our house, because I brought them home, but before I started doing that, around the age of 9 or 10, we had a few dogs, so I asked her where they came from. To my surprise, and I really mean that, one of my dogs, a big, beautiful, full-blooded German Shepherd whom we called Lady Wayne, came from the same adoption center where I bought one of my dogs after I grew up! That was really cool. The center wasn't the town pound, it was an adoption place then, in 1970!

    Well, she liked talking about the old stuff, so I asked her if she had been out to El Reno much, because I love that city. I have a deep love for it, and she said, "Well, I think I know why." Tell me! She said that twice, when I was a kid, really young, under the age of 6 or 7, she and my dad took us kids out to the lake in that city, and once she and I went to the city itself to get groceries to take to the lake. She said I loved the city streets, the brick streets, the old buildings, and that I wanted to live there.

    I don't for the life of me remember the day itself. All of our lake stories seem to blend into one another. We swam in the same lakes we fished in, and we ate what we caught. I remember opening my eyes under water, and yes, it was red, dirty, muddy water, but I didn't care. One of my swimsuits, I recall, changed from pink to a red-brick color after a few trips to one or the other lakes. Lakes were free to swim in, and my parents couldn't afford to send all four of us to the public pools.

    We went to all the lakes and bigger ponds all over the central and southern parts of Oklahoma, and into Arkansas, where my daddy's family was from.  You really can't do that sort of thing now, not with all the pollution and craziness surrounding the lakes. Homeless camps have sprung up around them, and rangers can't always force people to obey the rules. There were transient people in the 60s and 70s, sure, but they weren't like they are now. It was a completely different time.

    I bet you anything that my mind drifts back to El Reno and Lake El Reno, and I remember more than I remember that I know. I can see that being the case, because when I sold insurance out that way years ago, it was as if I knew the downtown area, the streets, and the landmarks. I never knew how I knew, but now I do know. I had been there before. There was an old corner burger joint that we used to go to, and the one thing I remember was that it was down the street from where an old train depot was; I loved listening to the trains coming and going. We could hear them whistle at the lake, but we could see them in town.

    I don't believe there were any passengers riding the trains in my youth because if there had been, my mom would have found a way to take us on the train now and again. She loved trains. I remember that, and have no memory of her actually riding one. She and my sister were able to do it when we got older, but it was to Watonga, because I remember they got off the train and bought Watonga cheese! How fun. 

    So, it stands to reason, and it all makes sense, that my love for the city I may (hopefully) end up in came from a time when I was forming my life memories. Mom told me today that she and Dad considered moving us there, but they were concerned that the school system lacked a well-developed program for students with special needs, particularly for one of my siblings. That's another interesting thing; we never knew they considered it. As kids, we didn't know, so we never talked about it later. It was a parent thing - and since we didn't move, we didn't talk about it. When I mentioned El Reno today, and that I am looking at homes there, it clicked! 

    Well, do what you need to do, and what you want to do. Remember to love one another, and to ask questions. The old folks won't be with us forever -- but while they're here, squeeze all the love out of them that you can.

Photo Credit: Linda McKinney (my sister) - Mom, Becky Stringfellow, born in Thrift, Texas, but raised in OKC.