Today, as I was leaving her…. my Mom said…. “Write a good story tonight.”
“About what, Mom?”
“Your childhood. Write a good story about your childhood and read it to me tomorrow.”
Now, all my life, I’ve been a pretty obedient kid, I’ll tell you.  When Mom or Dad would tell me to do something, for the most part, I would hop to.  So tonight…. a story about my childhood.

There are great feelings in my heart about growing up.  I was a pretty happy kid… or so I am told… and so I remember.

I have a bunch of “pieces” of memories about my youth.  As with most kids…. I had my favorite things…..  I loved to go out and play in the neighborhood.  I loved meal time.  Amusement parks, snow days, the swimming pool, Saturday morning cartoons, Christmas… all the usual suspects.

The world always seemed like it was two ways at the same time, though.   It seemed like a big and happy place… but in the same breath… a big and scary place.   Yet.  I always felt like I could do anything.  My Mom and Dad told me so.

I was certain I would be the first girl baseball player on the Cincinnati Reds.  And my folks encouraged me to play ball.  My Mom would even put on Dad’s left-handed mitt, and toss with me in the backyard.

I was sure I would be a great swimmer, and win seven gold medals in the Olympics someday.  Just like Mark Spitz.  Again, I found support in this notion.  We went swimming a lot at the local pool.

It seems that little Polly was always coming up with great aspirations.

One year, I decided I wanted to be a horse jockey…. and win the Kentucky Derby.  Well.  That was too stinking much.  Mom sat me down in a chair, looked at  me squarely, and said…. “Honey.  a. We don’t live any where near a horse farm…. and b. Your are going to be too damn big to be a horse jockey.  Those are short little fellas that ride those things.  And you my dear…..you were born a big old walrus baby.  So get that horse jockey nonsense out of your head….. and stick with ball playing and swimming.”

Those were profound words of wisdom… I’ll tell you.

Okay… I was just jerking around about the horse jockey thing.

But the point is…. I found cultivation and assistance around every corner of my youth.  The underlying message resounded.  I was taught that with hard work and perseverance and fortitude…..  I could climb most any mountain.

More importantly….. It was always okay for me to “like” the things I liked…. when I was a youth.

I believed in all things magical. I loved to learn.  I liked rocks.
Wouldn’t you know it?  I still believe in magic, I love to learn new things, and I still… really…. really like rocks.

I will be eternally grateful to my Mom and Dad for this gift.
I may not have grown up to be famous…. or particularly triumphant at any one thing….

But I still feel like I can climb that mountain…. if I put my mind to it.  Okay…. the Cincinnati Reds and the Olympics are out…. but I still might give that horse jockey thing a go at it…..

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” – Anatole France