Jim’s Bell

We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun. – Winnie the Pooh

As kids growing up on the south side of our fair city of Kenosha, Wisconsin we enjoyed the company of many other kids in our neighborhood. The post WWII baby boom was in full swing, and we lived in a cape cod home similar to many others that were popping up like mushrooms all across America.

After WWII Kenosha was on the grow!

Back then, kids played outside most of the day, only staying in for bad weather or punishment. 😉 While outside, we found all kinds of entertainment and only came home for lunch, supper and nightfall.

Most of us stayed close to the neighborhood during the evenings, playing hide and go seek, street ball, and other such games. Older kids, of course, ventured farther and stayed out later than the “kiddie crowd”. When it came time to “go in”, most of our parents would communicate that by yelling out the door or window. The “come in” call varied by volume, pitch, and intensity depending on the household…and interest. 😊

Some parents would send out a single call;

“Mary!”….

”Dave!”….

”Danny!”

While others would repeat the call a few times or more;

“Tommy”….”Tommy!!”….”Tommy!!!”

  😛

(Some folks could yell louder than others)

Sometimes instructions went along with the shouting;

“Mikey, time to come home and… bring your brother!”

or

“Debbie, come home and don’t forget your bike this time”!

The shout out from my folks was inclusive, since I had a brother who was one year older than me;

“Johnny, Joey…time to come home!”

And it was always “Johnny, Joey”…never “Joey, Johnny”.  😊  We also had a much younger brother, but he wasn’t allowed out alone for a few years, and I don’t recall how he was hailed back in.

Jim was my neighbor and best friend

My best friend Jim lived across the street and two doors down from us. His folks, raised in Central Wisconsin dairy country, mounted a large bell outside the back door. Whenever they wanted Jim and/or his brother home, they yanked the rope attached to the clanger. The bell was loud enough to be heard all through the neighborhood and then some. One bell for Jim, two for the middle son and as the third brother was too young for our crowd (like the case with my little brother) I don’t recall the modus operandi for his retrieval. Possibly back to one bell by the time he was out and about.

Now kids being kids, the “come in call” was another source of amusement. It also provided ammunition for teasing and harassment, inflicted upon one another when the opportunity arose. One of the fathers would call his daughter home with a humorous singsong shout. His pitch would start low, but he worked his way up through the scale until he reached a nice crescendo. The poor girl grimaced every time she was called, knowing she was in for a taunting. Sometimes, she went in early just to avoid the embarrassment.

Thought not quite this big, Jim’s bell did the job!

We all got the business at times regarding our “come in calls”, but the most fun we had involved Jim’s bell. When anyone targeted Jim for harassment, the bell became fair game. Unbeknownst to Jim, the perpetrator would sneak over to his backyard and give the bell a good yank. Everyone else would play dumb, of course. Since Jim’s dad had little tolerance for tardiness, Jim and/or his brother would trot home promptly. Of course, when he became aware of the ruse, he plotted revenge to be carried out at later date.   😉

We had a lot of fun growing up back in our day, with many enjoyable, humorous, and sometimes mischievous experiences that carry pleasant memories for those of us who were there.   😊

How did your folks call you back in?

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