First Things First...
First High Heels by Amos Sewell
Hello! It's a new week and another installment of Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. I debated over the word episode and ended up with installment but I am still not satisfied. Oh well, here is is whatever it is and I do hope you enjoy joining in.
Let's talk about firsts in your life.
1. Do you remember your first pair of grown up style shoes, maybe high heels? How did that go?
I honestly cannot remember the first time I wore high heels, but I know I did at some point! I guess it wasn't too dramatic if I can't remember it! LOL.
2. When was your first date and do you recall their name and where you went and what you did? Well, I was thinking about this and trying to remember if that is when I first wore high heels too, because it was a formal banquet at the Baptist Church...a "Sweetheart Banquet" on Valentine's Day. I was in 8th grade. I probably didn't wear high heels, because the boy I went with wasn't any taller than I was. What I wore was my older sister's beautiful aqua colored formal dress, with a "strapless" lace covered bodice. The problem with that was I had to wear a strapless you know what under it, and I was not really quite "developed" enough to wear either that dress or that strapless you know what! Consequently, the dress kept slipping all evening, and I was constantly trying to pull it back up. Thankfully I was also wearing a little lace bolero style jacket over the dress so I was able to stay modest. Also thankfully this was a church banquet, and there was no dancing. We mostly stayed seated at the table and ate food, so I didn't have any further embarrassment in front of everyone! That's really all I can remember. My date's name was Butch...well that's what he went by, but his real name was Ellis, named after his father, and no one dared to call him that. He was very fun loving and cute, the younger brother of one of my dearest friends. Sadly, Butch died of cancer quite a few years ago now. We had fun on that "date", which really wasn't what you'd call a real date but a church party with a LOT of chaperones! LOL.
2. When was your first date and do you recall their name and where you went and what you did? Well, I was thinking about this and trying to remember if that is when I first wore high heels too, because it was a formal banquet at the Baptist Church...a "Sweetheart Banquet" on Valentine's Day. I was in 8th grade. I probably didn't wear high heels, because the boy I went with wasn't any taller than I was. What I wore was my older sister's beautiful aqua colored formal dress, with a "strapless" lace covered bodice. The problem with that was I had to wear a strapless you know what under it, and I was not really quite "developed" enough to wear either that dress or that strapless you know what! Consequently, the dress kept slipping all evening, and I was constantly trying to pull it back up. Thankfully I was also wearing a little lace bolero style jacket over the dress so I was able to stay modest. Also thankfully this was a church banquet, and there was no dancing. We mostly stayed seated at the table and ate food, so I didn't have any further embarrassment in front of everyone! That's really all I can remember. My date's name was Butch...well that's what he went by, but his real name was Ellis, named after his father, and no one dared to call him that. He was very fun loving and cute, the younger brother of one of my dearest friends. Sadly, Butch died of cancer quite a few years ago now. We had fun on that "date", which really wasn't what you'd call a real date but a church party with a LOT of chaperones! LOL.
Oh, here is a picture of me wearing that dress a couple of years later for Homecoming. I was one of the Homecoming attendants for our sophomore class, and that dress fit me better then than it did in 8th grade. I am the first one on the left. I am the only one wearing a lace bolero jacket too. Probably wasn't really as much in style as the other girls dresses since this was still my older sister's dress and she was 4 years older than me. But that is how it was, and I was thankful to be a part of this lovely event.
3. Do you have any memories of your first job?
3. Do you have any memories of your first job?
Well, let's see...the summer I was almost 15 my cousin Becky and I got a job at Zellwood Farms, sorting green peppers. We stood at a conveyor belt and watched hundreds of green peppers come bouncing along toward us all day while we quickly sorted them for size and whether or not they were good or bad, etc. I remember dreaming about green peppers, like Martians, marching after me all night long! LOL. We did that for about a week and probably made about $40.00, and we thought we were so rich! LOL. The only other thing I remember about that was there were a lot of Spanish speaking migrants working there, and one man asked me if I could help him learn to speak English because I was taking Spanish in high school. We had several conversations with me trying to use what little Spanish I knew. It was an interesting experience. However, I was thankful that I didn't have to do that job for the rest of my life!
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| Internet photo |
4. What do you remember about your first home away from Mom and Dad?
My first home away from Mom and Dad was when I got married and hubby and I had a sweet little upstairs apartment over another apartment where a lady named Mrs. Mildred Bell lived. I wrote about that apartment quite extensively HERE, last year on our anniversary. You might enjoy reading that again...I did! LOL.
The only other time I was away from home for any length of time was the summer after I graduated high school, I worked as a counselor at the Methodist Youth Camp. But I really wouldn't call that a "first home". It was a rustic cabin full of teen aged girls, a different group each week, all summer long. It was very HOT (in Florida) with no air conditioning, and we had to go to a shower house for the bathroom, and eat our meals in a large dining hall. As a camp counselor we had many duties besides just watching over our campers in the cabin. We had KP duties, we had to clean the bathrooms each week, supervise activities like crafts or outdoor recreation time, you name it, we did it! But it was the best experience of my life!
I am in this photo...back row, about 1/4 of the way over from the left, between two boys. See if you can find me! LOL. This was our staff of counselors for that summer. I guess this could really count for my first real job too, but we actually were volunteers and were only paid $.10 a week to use for a bag of popcorn on the weekends between camps, when the staff would be treated to a movie night! LOL. But we had free room and board and lots of great experiences!!
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| Warren W. Willis Methodist Youth Camp, 1968 |
Happy Tuesday everyone!
Those are fun firsts! It brought to mind my own firsts in those topics. A good trip down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteYou looked beautiful in that dress!
I think my own children would readily tell you that their first "jobs" were their best, as they were camp counselors, too. Yes, I did find you in that photo!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Pamela!
Hi Pamela, I loved the pictures. I loved going to Methodist church camp every year and it was hot in So CA too! I was a camp counselor too, except is was a day camp, new kids each week for 6 weeks. It was a great experience!
ReplyDeleteFirst pair of high heels: I tried to walk to church in them after I practiced in our living room. Some people from church passed me and might have picked me up. The wife/mother told her daughter that it took practice to learn to walk in them.
ReplyDeleteFirst date: A boy that had liked me in grade school moved to the outskirts of town. Two years later, he called me and asked me to go to a swim party at the country club his parents belonged to.
First job: My very first job was working for my dad at racetracks. I sold programs.
First placed I lived NOT with mom and dad: I wasn't going back to college. There were issues between my dad and me. I chose to get an apartment across town. I was in that apartment for almost a year. I learned a lot about myself in that year.
I love that dress that was your sister's. Sorting the green peppers would have been hard for me. Hard and boring.
Peace and blessings to you and yours.
Gosh, this one made me dig deep for remembering things like "first pair of high heels". Hope that doesn't include the guys who may have filled this out. *giggle* I think my first pair were when I was 18 or so (1974). Couldn't be more specific then that. I was a business woman for many, many years. It had to be sometime during that time.
ReplyDeleteFirst date was a bicycle ride with a male friend who is now no longer remembered. I was 15.
First job I was also 15. I had a summer job at a local kennel in Mims.
First place of my own was an apartment at Peppertree Lane Apartments in Jax in 1974 when I married my first husband.
Fun post. Sorry I missed it. Been busy getting this yard whipped into shape for Spring.
Blessings. xx
What memories you've awakened, Pam! You made such a pretty Queen contestant, and yes. I think I found you among all the 'cool' camp counselors.
ReplyDeleteI think my first pair of 'heels' were MAYBE 1/2" for (church) confirmation ... one would have guessed by the way I wobbled that a fall and fracture was in my immediate future. I still remember my first date with Gordon to the movie theater; I couldn't tell you what we watched, but we're actually still in touch -- on birthdays and anniversaries. Besides baby-sitting the neighbor's 4 littles, I didn't have a 'real' job until college, typing file notes from an insurance adjustor's Dictaphone. How I loathed that thing! That, and the carbon and onion skin paper. Thankfully, we agreed to part ways shortly thereafter.
I like the dress you wore as being in the home coming Queen contest. I enjoyed the dress I got when I was married in England 46 years ago. I did donate it to get it out of my closet. I did got to college for a year in a city 1.5 hours away from where I lived in OR. Two years later I went into the US Air Force. I rarely wore high heels. One I could handle was 1.5".
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your day!!
Becky
One of my early boyfriends died from cancer in his 20's right after his child was born. I found out online when I got internet and was looking him up. I was so sad. He was the nicest guy. We did not go on dates, we were both too young. Such a shame about the cancer. Loved your answers! Have a nice week. ♥
ReplyDeletehttps://lorisbusylife.blogspot.com/
Great memories, Pam, and you always have the best photos to go along with your memories!! My family didn't take photos much and I really miss having more pictures from the past. What a blessing!! I did find you in the camp photo and your dress looks fabulous! How fun!
ReplyDeleteNice memories! Your dressed up photo is neat with the homecoming queen and court, classy . I dont remember when I had high heels the first time but Im sure I loved them because I am so short! I still do but my feet hurt more now. My first job was McDonalds when I was 16 and second I was a waitress, the waitress job helped me because I had to talk to people and I was shy.
ReplyDeleteYour dress with bolero was so pretty. You look lovely. My first apartment was when I married too and I had just turned 21, an official adult! I felt so at home in that little apartment too.
ReplyDeleteI can remember my first high heels, they were a shiny bronze colour and I loved them and wore them all the time. As an older person I'm a bit wobbly even on my flatties so no more high heels for me, I wonder now how I wore them all the time!
ReplyDeleteThat was a fun read. I love the pictures of you in your homecoming dress. They remind of times long ago. My mom's younger sister would be your age and I remember her in those types of dresses. I too don't remember specifically my first heels. Obviously they didn't seem all that grand. I do remember a pair I had in college that I wore to work in at Revco Drugs. I would never be able to do that now. Maybe that is why I have feet problems now. :)
ReplyDelete