Abbie on: Those things we all miss from childhood. Alternate Headline: Abbie on smurfing a smurf with a smurf list (good thing we scratched that one)

She Makes the Lists the Whole World Reads
Abbie Berry

The top five things I miss most from my childhood:

1. My LiteBrite.

When I was a little girl, I could sit for hours in front of the TV with my LiteBrite. It was Fonzie, Richie, Joannie, Chachi and me with my LiteBrite. The 1980’s version was a white and black uniquely shaped box. I plugged the multi-colored pegs into the small wholes in the front of the box to make my colorful creation. A light bulb was housed in the middle and my creation could be lit up by plugging in the box. I loved this toy. I even begged my parents for extra pegs.

I was a single child at the time and I was absorbed in my own world as I sat on the carpeted floor in my mother’s apartment. I made shapes and designs and kept myself busy for long periods of time.

You can make your own LiteBrite creation here:

http://www.sfpg.com/animation/liteBrite.html

Apparently, Hasbro still makes LiteBrite but the look of the toy has changed. This children’s toy is great for any child with a creative mind.


2. Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour.

According to my research, there are only three locations that still exist. The one in Mira Mesa closed in 2006.

I grew up in Los Angeles and I remember many birthday parties at Farrell’s. We had ice cream sundaes and we played games. The employees wore red and white striped uniforms, sang songs to us and rang a bell for special occasions. Farrell’s was the place to be on your birthday.

3. Saturday morning cartoons.

I watched cartoons while I played with my LiteBrite. I miss these cartoons. There’s something very different about the cartoons they create these days. I suppose it’s the way that the animation has become so advanced that makes it look so unlike our “old school” cartoons. There is something almost innocent about the cartoons we grew up with. I especially loved: Superfriends, Scooby Doo, Flintstones and The Smurfs.

4. Girl scouts.

I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout and I’m very proud to say that I am still close friends with a few of the girls I grew up with during that time in my childhood. We sold cookies and calendars. We went camping. Our moms were our leaders and ran our weekly meetings. We did projects for the community and earned badges. I remember going to a nearby assisted home for the elderly during the holidays and singing songs for them.

I miss being a little girl. I miss my little green uniform. (My mom kept my sash with all of my badges on it).

5. Sleepovers.

They just aren’t the same. Imagine eight sleeping bags decorated all over the carpeted floor. Teddy bears, blankets and little girls in pony tails. We watched Grease over and over until we couldn’t stay awake. We ate pizza. We talked about boys and told each other secrets.

Sleepovers were the best.

Now, we hurt the next day if we sleep on the floor. No more Teddy bears. We still watch Grease over and over. We still eat pizza. We still talk about boys.

But it’s still not the same.

For me.