A Trip East When I Was Young

When I was five years old, my parents, my little sister, and I took a trip to the East Coast. We traveled by train in those days as we did not have a car. There are many things I remember about that trip even though it was many years ago. Definitely it made quite an impression on my young mind which was no doubt less cluttered than it is by now. I may forget what happened only last night, but these events have stayed with me rather clearly over the years.

I remember looking out endlessly at the scenery, taking in all I could from the train windows. When it turned dark, I would cup my hands around my eyes so I could still look outside, as the inside of the car was lighted up. This was especially helpful as we traveled through cities and towns. I wanted to see all I could. I don't know who showed me that you can see more that way, or if I discovered it by myself.

I also remember on that train ride that I learned where to get a drink of water- up the aisle and to a water fountain, using a strange little paper cup. No doubt I was often bored and thirsty so my mother was pleased when I could go and get a drink by myself as well as for my two year old little sister. I remember how she asked me if I could go by myself and also take the little girl along. No doubt it helped her on that long trip which took many hours, even days. I was happy to do that even as a five year old kid. ( That was when kids were called children and only goats had kids.)

In Pennsylvania, probably in Lancaster County I recall riding in a two seat buggy with our host. We went across some hilly fields rather than the longer route around on the road. It seems my mother had some anxiety about the buggy leaning on the side of those hills. So Dad gamely got off the buggy and walked along side with his hand on the buggy, assuring my mother that she was in safe hands and that we would not fall out of that leaning buggy.

It was also likely in Lancaster County that we were at an Amish home where they had some strange food: soda crackers stacked in a dish and hot milk poured over it. Apparently I was not impressed with the appearance of that food. When the host noticed that, he asked me if I did not like it. I gave an honest answer in the negative. Somewhat embarrassed, my father tried to cover for me and soften my comments with something like, "Maybe you do not like it as much as some other foods." I don't remember whether I then ate it boldly or was given an alternative by my father or the host. Likely my mother was also embarrassed a little that she had not yet trained me to eat everything as the rule was at our house. It seems I was forgiven rather easily for my social blunder and nothing was ever said about that again. But it stayed in my mind to this day.

We went across the Chesapeake Bay twice, but between what cities, I have no idea. The first time it was just like driving into a big building with the bus we were on, along with other vehicles and then this whole thing moved across the Bay. The return trip, however, was more fascinating. We were on a three story ship with the passengers on the upper deck. At least that is where they were supposed to be. But my Dad took me around to see the ship, probably as curious as I was. We went down stairs and around some places and finally came to a storage hold that was right at the level of the water. I remember going over to a kind of side door that came up from the floor about 3 feet. It seems then my father was holding me there in his arms With some feelings of anxiety or trepidation, he commented that if a child fell in the water we would not know if he could be rescued because of the depth of the water and the ship would be moving away from where you fell in. I just remember that moment of fear. Perhaps he was warning me or just expressing his fear. It seemed more than just ordinary concern.

I remember how my mother would introduce me to people. When they asked my name, I could have answered, but she would say, "His name is Noah." However, she would pronounce my name in German which is closer to the Spanish Noe. It seemed almost with a little sense of pride when she would say the name with me standing there by her knee or in front of her with her hand on my hip or somewhat around my waist. Such was my introduction to various persons of respect. I did not know that the way we said my name was German until I was well into primary grades. I still called myself Noe and never knew why people smiled a bit embarrassingly, or perhaps in pity at my ignorance of language. I only later learned my English name.

On that trip we traveled through 6 states, so that I could claim to have been in 7 states so far in my short life: Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland. I am not sure if I figured that our on that trip or soon after. That was a little matter of pride for this young traveler.

Well, these are some things that have lingered in my mind over seven decades. Now that they are on paper, I will no longer need to store them in my diminished capacity of memory. And may be able to remember more of recent happenings.