Flashbacks

Flashback Moments
Do you remember when Memphis, especially downtown Memphis had real traffic cops directing the flow of traffic at all major intersections wearing white gloves, garrison hats and whistles in their mouths? It was an art form for sure. Those were the days!! I don't know what made me think about it but is was a flash back moment. Of course, kids today couldn't Image such a thing along with pay telephones, rabbit ears and black n white TV with no remote. Remember when we were marveled with the Invention of the blender? And what about the escalators at Sears & Robuck Crosstown? Sears was the first building in Memphis to have escalators.

A Real Escalator Story
I can remember getting into trouble when I was just 6 years old because of them brand new escalators. My two oldest brothers, James and John (alas Junior and Bubba) wanted to go to the movies to see Walt Disney's new release "The Littlest Outlaw" playing at the Crosstown Theater saturday matinee. My mother made them take me with them. I soon learned that James and John had no intentions on seeing the movie and was using me as an excuse or an assurance to get to go. I remember being all excited about seeing the movie. My Mom had let us out in front of the Crosstown theater and took off. Then James informed me that we were not going to see the movie but we were going to Sears & Roebuck to ride the new escalators and made me promise not to tell Mom. He even drilled me about the plot of the movie in case our Mom asked (he had already seen it).

So, off we went, James, John and myself walked down to Sears and sure enough found what all the kids at school were taking about, the escalators. We got on them and rode them for about 30 minutes(you would thought we were at the Mid-South Fair), up and down, back and forth, up and down we all went, having the time of our lives UNTIL we were caught by the store detective.(Oh well, all good things comes to an end).

He called our Mom and detained us until she got there. To say the least, James and John got it when we got home as it was there fault and not mine since I was just 6 years old. The sad part was, I NEVER saw the movie "The Littlest Outlaw" but until this day, I can tell you what it's all about.

Now, as I see it, the above story was as good as any of the "Little Rascals" episodes and it was real.

Below picture is of my Mom who was a traffic cop (crossing guard).
(*Photo taken in 1959)