Everyone has their favorite memory or memories of childhood. One of mine is a lovely carousel in a small, modest park in my hometown.
I was very young when my parents would take me to this park to ride the carousel. I loved the horses with their flared nostrils, wild eyes and manes that seemed to fly in the wind. I would hold on tight as the horses went ’round and ’round. I’d wave at my parents as I passed them, looking immediately for them to come into my sight line so I could wave again. It was like being in another world as the houses passed by faster and faster, and my white steed went up and down. Eventually, the ride would end and we would walk to our car to drive home.
Throughout my growing up years, the park began to look rundown. The horses were not as lovely as the paint faded and someone or thing had broken off quite a few of their ears. The reigns and stirrups dried out and fell apart. Dust collected on everything. The neglect was evident and eventually no one went to the park. It was a sad sight for me.
One day, when I was in my early teens, I passed the park and was surprised to see the carousel missing. My father told me that evening he had heard the carousel was sold to someone building a restaurant in Florida. The horses would be refurbished and placed in various spots in the restaurant. I wanted to go to Florida immediately. The whole family did go sometime later, but we never saw the restaurant or the carousel horses again.
If you’d like to treat yourself and children to a ride on a carousel, drive to The New England Carousel Museum at 95 Riverside Avenue, Rt. 72, in Bristol, Connecticut. Or, visit the historic Bushnell Park Carousel in downtown Hartford’s Bushnell Park, a great place to take a ride on the antique wooden carousel.
Making memories for your children is a gift they will appreciate all their lives. For more information go here.
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