We Were Never Bored in Braidwood

Small towns make up for their lack of people by having everyone be more interesting.      
Doris “Granny D” Haddock
 

“Weren’t you bored growing up in Braidwood?”  Never.

Growing up in my hometown of Braidwood in the ’40s and ’50s, I cannot recall ever saying anything like “I’m bored” to either one of my parents.  During the school year – walking across town to the East Side School, being on a bus to or from Wilmington or Joliet, and delivering papers – all took up significant time during the weekdays.  On weekends and during vacation in the summer, there were plenty of activities that consumed gobs of our time. 

Depending on the weather conditions, my sister, my brother, and I spent hours outside of the house.  When we were limited to the interior of our house, there were music lessons to prepare for and books to read.  When we got a TV, the viewing options were extremely limited, but our record player could play 45’s and long-playing 33& a 3rd music including Fats Domino as well as classical music. But we seldom, either individually or with the family, had time to spare.

What did we do?

So, what kinds of outdoor activities did we engaged in?  Braidwood folks will resonate with most of the examples below.

• We rode our bikes all over town.  Bikes were our favorite mode of transportation as we peddled our paper routes or cycled to the Braidwood Recreation Club. We might make a stop at the Comet Stop for a cherry coke or to friends’ houses to swap baseball cards. 

• For much of my first 18 years, I seldom missed a Reed-Custer basketball or baseball game. Riding in the fan bus was a thrilling social experience, both in transit and at the event.  Just being with friends from Braidwood or Custer Park made for a great evening.

• Playing sandlot baseball was at its best because we made our own rules and settled almost all arguments without adult interference.  If no one else was around, my baseball was limited to hitting stones or apples for long homeruns with an old bat. 

• Pick-up basketball such as “horse” in Colin Kelly’s backyard or in the high school gym provided more than enough exercise. I even played basketball in my bedroom, shooting ping pong balls into a small garbage can situated on my bed in the corner of the walls. (Right hand vs left hand, off the wall.)

• The only movie theaters were in Wilmington and Coal City.  This required car transportation with my family, usually on a Friday or Saturday night. We especially looked forward to Looney Tunes cartoons before the movie started. 

• The Recreation Club was within a bike ride for swimming in the summer and ice skating in the winter.  Our imagination ran wild as we explored, fished, climbed “mountains,” built huts, or just sat quietly discussing anything that came to mind. It was also a great time to day dream and view nature.

• Watching Rt. #66 traffic.  Ok, not very titillating for most city folks, but it was a time that my sister, brother, and I enjoyed with mom.  We would park our car near the intersection of Main Street and Route #66 (Barnett’s Restaurant) and take turns “owning” a car or truck as it approached the stop sign.  “Ha, Kenny. You got a clunker and my turn was a Cadillac.” We also memorized the brands, models, and years of the vehicles in a time when different cars were identifiable. 

• Euchre games at Dillon’s or Dixon’s taverns. Accompanied by my dad, I could invariably find a suitable partner for a game while dad sat at a different game table. At about age 16, friend Marty Kozlowski and I would play euchre after swimming at the Club or at Dillon’s where would lose to old Matt and Charlie Jurina, two old timers who would cackle after beating us again.

• Family visits to our cousins.  We always had a blast going to Elwood with cousins, the Ginters, and Uncle Nick’s or Aunt June’s two miles from Braidwood. Laughing so loud, I would frequently lose control of my bladder.

• Shooting rats or cans at the dumps.  This is not anything I would advise my grandkids to do, but I was always accompanied by my dad.  He also took me pheasant hunting many times.

• Going for a frozen custard. Keetsie Davito (I believe or, was it Louie Ferrari?) had a stand on the highway on the outskirts of town.  

• Driving to Wilmington on a Saturday night for some shopping or just sitting in the car watching people through our windows while mom made comments about them and dad sat in O’Brien’s tavern drinking beer.  We would also get a copy of the Sunday Herald-News ahead of time. 

Was Braidwood unique?

Perhaps my experience in Braidwood was unique, but I doubt it.  The simplicity of having limited choices and distractions conveyed a sense of confidence, satisfaction, and well-being.  Shopping at Shaughnessy’s meat market, getting the mail downtown, or buying baseball cards at Floyd Nielsen’s confectionary all but eliminated the complications of decision making.  Simplicity never led to boredom.

 I’m considered wise, and sometimes I see myself as knowing. Most of the time, I see myself as wanting to know. And I see myself as a very interested person. I’ve never been bored in my life. 

Maya Angelou