Butch’s Childhood Keepsakes

I admit it…I am a saver. I hate to throw anything away. I was brought up that way. My folks rarely threw anything away. When Dad made something from wood, he kept all of the scrap pieces…”These might come in handy later on.” And if Mom made an item of clothing with her trusty Singer sewing machine, she kept the scrap pieces…”I can use these for patches.” Old clothing was kept for cleaning rags, old toys were saved for the next member of the family, cards and letters were placed in a basket in the closet…and on and on. However, they never saved leftover food from the table…because there was NEVER any food left over. “You don’t leave this table until you clean up everything on your plate…You know, people in Africa are starving!” Both of my parents grew up during the Great Depression. No one threw out anything of value in those days.

Mother was also a sentimental saver; she kept various items from my childhood, and compiled a scrapbook which held my school report cards, newspaper clippings from all of my high school basketball games, and articles from the county and sectional tourneys. She saved the first book that Grandma Dale gave me, “Teddy Bear of Bumpkin Hollow,” and even my 7th grade A+ science report, “The Blue Jay,” which is now framed and hanging on my wall! I have always been a sentimental saver, too.

I would imagine that many of you also have items from your childhood which you or your parents kept for nostalgic reasons…such things as a lock of hair, a teddy bear or stuffed animal, a special doll, your first lunchbox, a toy or collectible figure, artwork, photos, a musical memento such as a concert ticket or 45 rpm record, a letter or card…the list is endless. An item that has no meaning to anyone else may hold a very special memory for you.

I have also accumulated several items from my teenage years…my high school athletic honor jacket, my “senior cords,” and even my high school track fiberglass vaulting pole, just to name a few things. There are items from my adult life that I also want to pass down to my kids…my police badges, the

Sheriff watch my wife bought for me, my Smith & Wesson revolver with my name engraved on it (a gift from the Indiana Sheriff’s Association), my artwork and writings…along with many other sentimental possessions. My wife has also saved back many items that are special, such as the figurine that topped our wedding cake, her mother’s dishes and jewelry, her grandmothers oak wall phone, along with thousands of photos of our four kids and nine grandkids.

Some of my childhood keepsakes include my Gene Autry cap gun and holster, my arrowhead collection, my first baseball mitt, my Methodist church attendance pins, a special card from my Grandma Dale, and of course…my 1959 and ’60s Topps baseball card collection in an old cigar box…just to name a few. I know that many of these items are worth some money, but I would never sell any of them for all of the money in the world. They remind me of a special time or event in my life, which evokes in me a feeling of nostalgia and pleasant memories.

You see, part of my life is within each keepsake item…and they are an enjoyable way to reconnect with the past and remember those good times. I hope that you are lucky enough to still have items from your childhood. And if you have young children, please consider keeping some of their special items, mementos, and memorabilia in a safe place, and encourage your kids to do the same. Many years from now you will be glad you did!

– John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 32 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.