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When TV was young Growing up in the 1950s on the coast of North Carolina, there was one thing we could be sure of every summer: hurricanes would come and we would lose power. When word came of a hurricane approaching, Mama would get out the old oil lamps, fill them with kerosene and have them ready. She would start cooking and would prepare enough food to last a couple of days. We ate really well during those storms: fried chicken, biscuits, fried ham and lots of vegetables. Daddy would go down to the country store and buy a loaf of bread, a package of bologna and a large can of pork and beans. Without TV to watch, we would play games like “I Spy” or checkers. At night we would tell ghost stories. It was exciting to sit in the near darkness of the oil lamp and listen to ghost stories. Daddy would always tell us stories about how it was when he was growing up and all the mischief he got into as a boy. But we were really glad when the power came back on so we could watch our favorite TV shows, such as “Howdy Doody” and “The Lone Ranger.” Connie Morton |
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