Goodbye Captain

Goodbye Captain
January 23, 2004

Childhood memories of carefree times and sweet innocence flooded my mind this afternoon when I saw the awful news....Captain Kangaroo, Dead at age 76! Nooooo, it can't be, not my beloved Captain with the Dutch Boy haircut and his red jacket with the huge pockets! Gone?

There I was in 1955, the happy big sister to newborn Kim, when the Captain first appeared in our modest living room on our black and white television. I am certain I watched him right from the beginning, after all, my mom was just a kid herself back then and she probably sat right there with me. If she introduced me to Rock and Roll, why not the Captain and Mr. Green Jeans!

I am sure that she also appreciated the Captain's ability to keep her toddler entranced for a short period of time, so she could take care of our newborn Kim, the beautiful baby with skin that looked like peaches and cream.

Fast forward to my earliest memories....There I am, probably about 5 years old, with "dishwater dirty blond hair" as my momma called it. My hap-hazardly cut bangs rested at an angle about 3 inches up from the tops of my eyebrows! Obviously they resulted from my inability to sit still while mom had scissors in her hand. I am sitting "Indian" style; cross-legged on our slick and shiny hardwood floor, in a crisply starched dress probably obtained from the Sears and Roebuck catalog order department. I am proudly wearing my day-of-the-week embrodiered panties with my scuffed saddle shoes.....elbows resting on my knees, and my tiny hands propping up my chin, while I stared at that boxy television with fixed green eyes......Captain, Mr. Green Jeans, Bunnnnneeeeey Rabbit and his carrots, Mr. Moose, Dancing Bear and my favorite; Grandfather Clock.

They were MY friends, each Monday through Friday and I watched without fail. It never occurred to me that they weren't there for my education and entertainment or talking to me directly.

Continued in next entry.............