"I'm opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the positon."
- Mark Twain, American author (1835 - 1910)
While sipping on a jigger of Bushmill's Irish whiskey, I cruised over to Forbes.com and ran across a photo-accompanied article featuring the most expensive homes in the U.S. Prices start at $38 million and go up to $75 million. Think about that! If I took my entire lifetime earnings, I wouldn't even be able to make a down payment on the cheapest of these shanties! You need to check out the slide show.
As I scanned the photos of these homes, I thought about some of the places I lived during my youth and young adulthood. I scrounged around, found pictures of them, and inserted an album at the top of this post if you care to see them.
The most vivid memory I have from the home in the second shot is when my Dad was drafted to fight in WW II. I remember watching him walk up the road to catch a bus to Fort Bragg, N.C., as my Mom, holding one of my twin brothers on each arm, sobbed her good-byes. I was three years old at the time.
The home in the third shot was not as ramshackledy when I lived there as it is in this photo. It was in one of the southern "mill villages" where most of the employees of the nearby textile plant lived. There was never a problem finding someone to play with for there were at least 20 to 30 kids my age living in the area. Sandlot baseball was our choice of sports.
The fourth photo is where I lived until I finished college. I began my higher education at age 21 after working in a textile mill until I had enough saved for my first year's tuition. Mom and Dad charged me $40 a month room and board while I lived there full time. I never resented this even though my monthly earnings were only $210 a month. The rent was suspended when I began college in 1962. I wasn't drinking any Irish whiskey back then...only an occasional Schlitz.
4 comments:
I read your journal today, thanks to top picks, & found a kindred spirit. I also grew up on a mill village in the South and have wonderful memories, some of which I share in my journal, Southern Porches. I will be back often. Go Yankees!
its awesome that homes are so alike across the land..a replica of #1is in woodruff sc and serves as a boarding house for singles..also #3in greer sc that i lived in for 4 years minus the car shed,its an exat duplicate.keep writting
Thanks, truely enjoy reading your journal. My aunt and uncle, as newlyweds, bought a house on a couple acres in the 30's for $500. They had a wonderful garden and a small pond with
@%*# geese. She died this year at the age of 97still owning this 'cheap' (luxurious) little home where she and her husband raised five children.Thanks for reminding me of those wonderful visits there.
Enjoyed, very much the photos of the houses of your childhood. Most touching to me is your comment about paying rent to your Mom and Dad...and NEVER resenting the responsibility.
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