Jerry Hartnett:  

I miss Mrs. Weinstein and the poor girl who peed on the floor in kindergarten at Armstrong. Our sitting circle rotated as the puddle came at us. Of course, Weinstein embarrassed the hell out of the girl. I miss Sr. Miriam Dolores and coming in late and crawling under the attendance window at St. Margaret Mary's. I miss buckled rubber boots and Lone Ranger metal lunch boxes, and the 'cloak' room. I don't miss plain grape jelly on Wonder Bread everyday in 2nd grade and haven't had one since. I do miss the Blizzard of '67. Playing king of the hill at recess on the snow piles. I miss Mrs. Brice and Mrs. Carpenter. I miss planning my life before kindergarten with my next door neighbor, Mary Noble. I miss another Mary, my first kiss, telling me she only liked me but loved me in God's way. I still don't know what the hell that meant! I remember her dad had a cool Continental with suicide doors. I miss being called (actually yelled) "Charles" every afternoon by the girl who walked home with me after school at Ridge and Jarvis - that bold girl knew how to get under my skin. I miss Bobby Russell, Bobbie Klein (his big sister baby sat us), Pat Sullivan, and getting shot at with BBs at Brogan Ptacin's house by his loving older bothers and friends. I miss the astronaut food snack sticks that tasted and felt like clay. I miss Quisp and Quake cereals. I miss Major Matt Mason astronaut toys, tall GI Joes whose foot always came off with the boot, and dangerous steel trucks and toys before Tonka. I spent hours under my porch playing Audie Murphy with my plastic army men. I miss blocks, my Hot Wheels, and being jealous of the complex block forts my brother would make for his Johnny Lightning cars. I miss Paul Kutkowski and sleep overs on his his enclosed back porch. I remember his little sister and my brother getting into some new boring shows on Channel 11 - Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street. I would later become addicted watching these in high school with my little baby brothers and again as a parent. I miss the Joseph brothers, Len and Glen, and arguing with their dad that I did in fact own one square foot of the moon and had the certificate to prove it. And he wanted me to believe that his German Shepherd could jump over their 3 story apartment building. I was no sucker! I miss Grandpa always swearing at the radio during Bears and Cubs games. I remember meeting Ron Santo at a political fundraiser and was shocked that he was a Republican in Chicago playing for the Cubs. It just didn't compute and made me feel strange about wearing my "Ron Santo" glove. What would Mayor Daley think? Well, it wasn't long before I grew into a "Roberto Clemente" outfielder's glove. I miss that glove - it was magic. I miss watching Bobby Hull and the Hawks on our black & White TV and I don't remember ever having lost sight of the puck. I remember crying when Dad, Grandpa, and my Uncle went to Bears Games at Wrigley and saw Sayers and Butkis without me. I actually cried and was pissed at Kermit Alexander for injuring Sayers, I swore revenge. I miss SMM church with the hat clips on the pews - who didn't get in trouble clicking those things? I miss taking communion from behind the railing and picking up the "Chimes" after Mass and never ever having read one. I remember when IHOP and McDonald's on Howard were big treats. I really miss the hotdog stand behind the IHOP (just north) and being amazed that my little sister could stomach a hot tamale like Dad. I miss Adventureland and the firetruck ride - no seatbelts as I recall, Santa's Village, and Riverview. I miss Hi Neighbor, National, Grocerland and Sandler's Drugstore (Touhy & Damen) where a note from Mom was all you needed to get cigarettes and prescription medicine - for her, of course. I miss milk and eggs being delivered to the back door. I miss t...Expand for more