Old photos – old stories
by Penelope Starr on Feb. 24, 2010, under ArtsLooking through a box of old family photos with a friend the other night opened a flood gate of stories about my younger years.
This picture of my ’50 Chevy invoked lots of memories! The car was 17 years old in 1967 when I bought it for $300 from the original owner in Saugerties, N.Y. It had 1700 miles on it - that averaged 100 miles a year. The only thing wrong with it was there was a hole in the muffler so my father fixed it with an orange juice can (the metal kind) and wire from a hanger.
I drove out of Woodstock, NY in 1969 in this car and headed West to the wide open spaces of Colorado. With 4 “new” retread tires for seven dollars apiece, we were good to go.
We weren’t in a rush and it’s a good thing because top speed, going downhill was around 60 miles an hour. Most of the time we cruised along at 50, watching cars whizz by. Gas averaged about 25 cents a gallon and Motel 6 actually cost six bucks a night. OK, the rooms weren’t first class but with all this economy we were able to travel the 1600+ miles on the $100 we had in our pockets and arrive at a friends house with enough to go out for dinner that night.
People of all ages enjoy hearing about the “old days” either because it stirs up their own memories or because they learn a bit of history. I had lots more adventures with the ’50 Chevy including getting Canadian plates on it and finally selling it when the engine died. But the clock still worked!
Next time you open a box of old photos, have someone handy so you have an audience for all the stories that will jump out with the pictures.
