Trapped In Between. Marilyn Elaine Lundberg Lundberg
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the dilemma myself, because I was a thumb sucker. Socks pinned to my pajamas and ugly tasting ointments couldn’t deter me from the tranquilization that I received from my own thumb. I knew I would quit when the time was right, after all, I only did it in bed, with the covers tucked clear over my head.
Thinking about a happier thought, I have to kind of laugh out loud as I recall one day in the middle of the fourth grade. Our class got the opportunity to go on a field trip to the Shrine Circus. I was very excited to get out of school and see a circus, because I had never been to one before. When we got there I was standing with two other girls, and Alden, a boy from our class, came up to us and asked for a kiss. He said that if he could kiss one of us, he would give them a dime. My little mind was spinning and I think this may have been the beginning of my entrepreneurial spirit, because I thought, wow, I could buy a candy bar, popcorn or pop so I went for it and said, “Yes, I will kiss you.” It wasn’t that bad and I made some money. I strutted around with my treat and was very proud of my endeavor. The circus was terrific, and I was so excited to tell Mom about the ten cents I had made all by myself.
When I got home I spilled out the whole story, and I will never forget the look on Moms’ face. She was not laughing and smiling like me, she had this horrified look on her face. She sat me down for a long time and talked about all kinds of confusing stuff. At the end of the talk I was convinced that I would soon be having a baby, and I had no idea how that all happened. A great time at the circus turned into a long scary lecture, and I was scolded for kissing Alden.
Oh, and I never had that baby, but to this day, I am an entrepreneur.
As a young girl my favorite animal in the whole world was the horse. I can truly say that I had a passion for all animals, but horses topped my personal list. I would daydream frequently of having my own horse so that I could feed him, and brush him, plus learn to ride with excellence.
Weekly, I would watch my favorite Saturday morning television shows, Fury and Roy Rogers. Fury was a chestnut brown horse, and of course Roy Rogers had Trigger. That Palomino horse was the horse of my dreams. I would imagine myself riding Trigger swiftly across the plain with my blonde hair blowing in the wind. Naturally, my horse would be my best friend, and would save me in times of trouble.
My second favorite animal was the dog, and Lassie was my perfect dream dog. That was another television show that I never missed. If I had a dog like Lassie, he would rescue me from any sort of danger that came my way. In my mind, a perfect world would mean living on a farm riding Trigger, with Lassie following close behind.
My third favorite animal in the world were kittens, and I had an all-white cat named Snowball that I loved very much. I had long tassels on my winter hat and she would always jump up and want to smack them. I don’t remember what happened to her, but she was just gone one day.
When I was in the fourth grade a stray kitten found me and I was allowed to keep her for my very own. She had to live in the garage or the greenhouse, but that was all right with me. I named her Tiger because of her beautiful fur markings. She loved to play hide-and-seek with me. No matter where I hid, she could find me. One time I hid in the washing machine, but I could never fool her. She would find me and then meow as if to say, go hide again.
I didn’t have any brothers or sisters because Mom said she was too old, so Tiger was like my baby sister. I remember thinking that when I grow up, get married and have kids, I am going to have at least two children, because it is too lonesome being an only child. Meanwhile I had my kitty and I loved her, and she returned the favor by rubbing against me and purring.
Once in a while, on a special Sunday afternoon, I was allowed to bring the kitten in the house, but we had to play in the kitchen or downstairs. I cherished those moments of indoor play with her that would last for several glorious hours. At Christmas time she would be a stinker and run from the kitchen to the top of the Christmas tree, knocking off assorted ornaments. She just couldn’t help it; the tree was too tempting for her! “Get that cat out of this house” were the words I always heard next.
Animals are wonderful, they never tease you or say mean things like people do. Both my kitties were always lovey-dovey and wanted to spend time with me. I loved looking into their beautiful eyes and stroking their soft fur or rubbing their tummies. If I wasn’t with my two girlfriends, I was with my baby sister Tiger kitty.
Chapter Two – DON’T EVEN WHISPER THE WORDS ORAL BOOK REPORT
Here is a short synopsis regarding my parents. My mom and dad were both from Iowa, they met in Minneapolis, got married in 1949 and there I was two years later, their first and only child, me Marilyn.
Dad was forty years old when he married my mom, and she was thirty. They had both grown up on farms in Iowa during the rough times of the great depression in the 1930s. Their education was limited because they were farm kids, and they were needed to do labor on the homestead. Dad was the oldest of five children, and mom was the youngest of five. There wasn’t a lot of money and times were very tough for both of them growing up, but there was always enough food because they grew their own.
Mom was raised by her older sister Olga, because their parents were so busy milking the cows and plowing the fields. Growing up Mom always wanted to get married and have a family, but as she got closer to thirty, she thought maybe she would be an old maid the rest of her life, but that was not the case. She was very excited when she met my dad and he asked her to be his wife.
Dad was an auto mechanic and Mom was a stay at home housewife and mother to me. When I began the third grade Mom was able to find full-time employment assembling thermostats at Honeywell.
I was sent to the babysitters from the start of third grade until the beginning of fifth grade. I cried every morning as my dad dropped me off at the sitters, I hated it there. I was so thankful when fifth grade came and I didn’t have to go to the babysitter’s house anymore because the oldest daughter would hit me in the head with her hairbrush when her mom wasn’t looking. I was always afraid to say anything to anybody because I felt this girl would increase her bullying tactics toward me if I squealed. For two years I begged my parents to let me stay at home, and I finally got my wish a few weeks before fifth grade began.
I was responsible and mature for my age so I was given permission to stay home by myself, and no longer needed someone to take care of me, I was eleven years old. We practiced a few weeks before school started, to make sure that I was comfortable with the new situation, and to see if I could prepare my own lunch. My mom set up the electric skillet and I made myself a hamburger patty with great success. I enjoyed the peace and quiet of my home so much better than the old babysitters’ house.
The vibrant blonde color of my hair was my best feature when it came to my looks. Most days that I was out and about, adults would give me sweet compliments regarding my hair color. Along with my blonde hair came blonde eyebrows, blue-green eyes and a very light Norwegian complexion. I was one of the tallest in my class and slim. My parents rarely had to scold me because I could see by the look in their eyes that they were upset. I would say I could read body language easily, and was always trying to please adults and my peers. My ugly teeth were my biggest concern as I readied myself for the new school year, which was just around the corner.
My parents and I were fortunate to take a two-week vacation right before school started, which we always looked forward to. We traveled by train and every minute of the trip was planned out so that we could take in as much as possible.
We left Tiger kitty with family friends that were in the neighborhood about three blocks away. When we returned from vacation to pick her up, the cat sitters told us that Tiger had broken out through their garage window and had run away. They said she had been gone for many days. I was distraught.
When we drove the three blocks home, guess who was sitting on our doorstep waiting for me, little Tiger kitty. She was starving and ate two large cans of cat food from me, but physically she was fine. No cuts from the broken window. She had walked three blocks to find me, and all she wanted to do was rub against me, purr and cuddle. I was so relieved that she hadn’t gotten lost or run over and killed.
Dad didn’t seem too happy; I know that he thought my cat was