by Cindy Walker Burton

I was shuffling through old photographs recently. Yes, actual photos, not digital prints. There was a black and white photo of my young mother clad in capris hanging laundry on the clothesline on what must have been a delightfully sunny day. The full white sheets looked to be gently whipped by a breeze. Our beloved family sheep dog was lounging nearby in the lush grass, his eyes obscured by furry bangs. That poignant photo brought back wonderful childhood memories. In its silence, it spoke volumes. Thus began my nostalgic journey of things that are gone but not forgotten.

Note: I have purposefully excluded electronics, media, and technology from my list because there have been seismic advances in those categories too numerous to mention.

Clotheslines used to be visible in every neighborhood backyard. They were great to play on, dangle from, and made instant sheet forts. Nothing compares to the natural fragrance of a fresh load of laundry that’s been sun dried on outdoor breezes. Though often imitated for detergents and dryer sheets, mother nature’s linen breeze simply cannot be duplicated.

Phone booths used to be common. Remember the game of “how many people can you stuff into a phone booth?” There’s a lonely phone booth remaining on a corner of Main Street in Rock Port. We’re lucky to have an iconic remnant of history still standing. By the way, do you think Superman misses changing from Clark Kent to Superman in a phone booth?

Next down my memory lane is a milk box. Yes, back in the day we had a metal box (with a lid) kept outside our back door specifically for fresh milk delivery from the friendly neighborhood milkman. Our box had Meadow Gold emblazoned on it. Young and old loved Meadow Gold.

In the early 1970s, I won a set of Funk & Wagnall’s encyclopedias. Although they were an excellent educational asset, my family already owned a set of World Book encyclopedias replete with a dictionary, atlas, and thesaurus. Encyclopedias were essential multimedia because there was no internet. My love of spelling, reading, and writing was fostered by reading encyclopedias. They enriched my way to the 1976 National Spelling Bee, bolstered my love of reading, and anchored my writing career which exceeds 55 years.

Lastly, I remember miniature toys in Cracker Jack boxes. I had decoder rings, compasses, plastic figurines, whistles, ball player cards, stickers, booklets, and temporary tattoos to name a few. I wish I’d kept them because a substantial vintage collector’s market now exists. Today’s Cracker Jacks have stickers that unlock digital games on the Cracker Jack website. Incidentally, Cracker Jill was introduced in 2022. I salute Jack and Jill.

Classic clotheslines, metal milk boxes, educational encyclopedias, and collectible Cracker Jack toys. Their memories unwind in the pages of my mind. Gone but not forgotten.