No Time Like Now
Steven Sutherland
Saturday, October 23, 2010
No Time Like Now-Steven Sutherland
Steven Takes you on a trip that you will never forget!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Black & White Snap Shots Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Black and White Snap Shots
I see life in black and white from my early childhood. Random snapshots like my cousin Chuck and I pedaling down the side walk in my fire truck saving the neighborhood from burning fires and ring the fire truck bell by pulling the string.
Skimming stones and catching toads along Beavercreek. Imagining we were The Green Hornet of on another case to solve the crime. Saving our pretty young damsel in distress as
she fell in the creek and her brand new dress was totally soaked wet and her knee was bruised and cut. We all fight to save the cutest girl on the block.
Hanging on the swing set pole all by my-self with no swing or a slide. Just below my tattered jeans was a small round plastic ball on the ground next to me. Yet, I could see a content and care free look on my face.
Taking in my splintered bench view behind the baseball field fence and watching my younger brother Ron be the team hero once more making the out at first base making a diving catch with his old baseball glove.
Playing checkers with my grandfather and watching him triple jump me. To look me in the eye and challenge me to the third match that day.
Driving our Chevrolet station wagon through the back yard fence and ruining my chance for a free lollipop at the bank that sunny morning.
I can see Grandma Stroup rolling out the dough in the mid-morning to make home-made biscuits with honey. The fresh baked smell from the oven all ways made us week in the knees. I love the unmistakable taste of biscuits and honey that melted in your mouth and left you wanting, for just one more.
Shopping in Al’s Hobby shop in downtown Elmhurst and picking up our rubber band propelled balsa airplane to wind up and fly over at Armitage Hill. We watched as our balsa wood airplanes would either nose dive and crash into the stones or catch just the right amount of air to possibly make it all the way down the hill that day.
We loved playing with our Grantley and Highland friends our favorite game, ghost in the grave yard. I could always feel my heart literally beating from the fear of being scared right out of my sneakers that dark and eerie night.
Going through the Elmhurst Fire Department and seeing the shiny red fire trucks with my grandfather who was a fireman.
Endless summers at Lake Geneva hanging out with friends and walking all the way around the lake in one day. Eating cinnamon widgets at George Williams College camp until all that was left on the paper plate was cinnamon and sugar crystals.
All I could think to myself at that precise moment was, there is No Time like Now! Immediately I felt the force of gravity leave my feet and I began swirling downward in a free fall of sorts. My head was spinning with dizziness as the snap shots were flashing in a never ending cycle of one great memory after another. I’m not really sure why this is taking place right here, right now.
I couldn’t stop the free fall speed and it seemed to be increasing in velocity and force. I could literally see the pictures come to life in mini video clips playing on my itouch. I felt like I could holler at the people I knew in each video snap shot. They could see me falling and would lean out of there picture and holler back at me, “Steve-e-e-e”, as I kept on falling. The snap shots swirled down in an s-curve of sorts that seemed like a spiral stair case in a scary Hitchcock movie. I never felt so out of control and curious about what was happening to me and all at once, everything stopped and I was in total darkness. My chin and body laid pressed against a soft bouncy kind of surface.
Then I could see light coming down upon me. I thought it looked like photo paper with scalloped edges falling like a feather would in the wind and spinning back and forth until I felt light paper fall from above and land right on my back.
I pushed in front of my face and I could see light and I heard sounds coming from the black and white video snap shot. I stood up and walked over to where I pushed the photo and leaned over to see who was calling my name, “Steve”. I saw Ron playing with his remote control helicopter and Christmas paper all around. Ron said, “Steve, its O.K., come on in.” So, I jumped into what seemed like Christmas in our house in Akron, Ohio on Hartford Lane. I looked at Ron in his PJ’s making helicopter sounds and showing me his amazing helicopter.
I heard Bob playing his new trumpet in the dining room in his pajama bottoms and white t-shirt. I was wearing a robe and wearing a cowboy hat and had a toy shot gun in my hand ready to pretend I was in a western movie. I was aiming the gun like any young boy would and was shooting to kill and would take no prisoners. It was a good thing my rifle only made a pop sound and didn’t take my Pop out.
I saw Gail playing with a scary looking full size doll. She was combing the dolls hair. Dad and Mom were still in their pajamas and robes watching us all from the living room couch with a smile on their faces. I seemed to fall right into my childhood character and it all seemed so very real to me.
I could feel my heart pound as I looked into the dining room at aimed at Bob from around the corner of the wall. He brought his trumpet down from his lips and looked at me sternly through his black glasses and said, “You have two seconds to get out of here or I will come over cream you!” I ran so hard and so fast and I jumped straight up and out of the snap shot and back into total darkness. I sat back down on the bouncy floor and criss-crossed my legs and looked up into the darkness hoping for light once more! I could feel my heart pounding and was mad at myself for running away from Bob and wondering why I didn’t face him. I had the shot gun in my hands.
Then I remembered how we lost Bob tragically somehow. I couldn’t remember much about what happened only that it felt like I lost a brother and a father. I recalled how Mom said they were too tired to get up when I woke up as a baby and Bob would come get me and rock me to sleep. I’m not sure why I always ran away from him. Would he really hurt me-nahhh! I was just being a boy. He should know that! Ohhh! That’s it! He never got the chance to be a boy taking care of his younger siblings. So, he felt angry, course, hostile when we interrupted his trumpet time when he was enjoying the total sacrifice Mom and Dad made for him to have a trumpet for being a giving brother with his time. Even though it is dark and very still here, I feel just fine.
Black and White Snap Shots
I see life in black and white from my early childhood. Random snapshots like my cousin Chuck and I pedaling down the side walk in my fire truck saving the neighborhood from burning fires and ring the fire truck bell by pulling the string.
Skimming stones and catching toads along Beavercreek. Imagining we were The Green Hornet of on another case to solve the crime. Saving our pretty young damsel in distress as
she fell in the creek and her brand new dress was totally soaked wet and her knee was bruised and cut. We all fight to save the cutest girl on the block.
Hanging on the swing set pole all by my-self with no swing or a slide. Just below my tattered jeans was a small round plastic ball on the ground next to me. Yet, I could see a content and care free look on my face.
Taking in my splintered bench view behind the baseball field fence and watching my younger brother Ron be the team hero once more making the out at first base making a diving catch with his old baseball glove.
Playing checkers with my grandfather and watching him triple jump me. To look me in the eye and challenge me to the third match that day.
Driving our Chevrolet station wagon through the back yard fence and ruining my chance for a free lollipop at the bank that sunny morning.
I can see Grandma Stroup rolling out the dough in the mid-morning to make home-made biscuits with honey. The fresh baked smell from the oven all ways made us week in the knees. I love the unmistakable taste of biscuits and honey that melted in your mouth and left you wanting, for just one more.
Shopping in Al’s Hobby shop in downtown Elmhurst and picking up our rubber band propelled balsa airplane to wind up and fly over at Armitage Hill. We watched as our balsa wood airplanes would either nose dive and crash into the stones or catch just the right amount of air to possibly make it all the way down the hill that day.
We loved playing with our Grantley and Highland friends our favorite game, ghost in the grave yard. I could always feel my heart literally beating from the fear of being scared right out of my sneakers that dark and eerie night.
Going through the Elmhurst Fire Department and seeing the shiny red fire trucks with my grandfather who was a fireman.
Endless summers at Lake Geneva hanging out with friends and walking all the way around the lake in one day. Eating cinnamon widgets at George Williams College camp until all that was left on the paper plate was cinnamon and sugar crystals.
All I could think to myself at that precise moment was, there is No Time like Now! Immediately I felt the force of gravity leave my feet and I began swirling downward in a free fall of sorts. My head was spinning with dizziness as the snap shots were flashing in a never ending cycle of one great memory after another. I’m not really sure why this is taking place right here, right now.
I couldn’t stop the free fall speed and it seemed to be increasing in velocity and force. I could literally see the pictures come to life in mini video clips playing on my itouch. I felt like I could holler at the people I knew in each video snap shot. They could see me falling and would lean out of there picture and holler back at me, “Steve-e-e-e”, as I kept on falling. The snap shots swirled down in an s-curve of sorts that seemed like a spiral stair case in a scary Hitchcock movie. I never felt so out of control and curious about what was happening to me and all at once, everything stopped and I was in total darkness. My chin and body laid pressed against a soft bouncy kind of surface.
Then I could see light coming down upon me. I thought it looked like photo paper with scalloped edges falling like a feather would in the wind and spinning back and forth until I felt light paper fall from above and land right on my back.
I pushed in front of my face and I could see light and I heard sounds coming from the black and white video snap shot. I stood up and walked over to where I pushed the photo and leaned over to see who was calling my name, “Steve”. I saw Ron playing with his remote control helicopter and Christmas paper all around. Ron said, “Steve, its O.K., come on in.” So, I jumped into what seemed like Christmas in our house in Akron, Ohio on Hartford Lane. I looked at Ron in his PJ’s making helicopter sounds and showing me his amazing helicopter.
I heard Bob playing his new trumpet in the dining room in his pajama bottoms and white t-shirt. I was wearing a robe and wearing a cowboy hat and had a toy shot gun in my hand ready to pretend I was in a western movie. I was aiming the gun like any young boy would and was shooting to kill and would take no prisoners. It was a good thing my rifle only made a pop sound and didn’t take my Pop out.
I saw Gail playing with a scary looking full size doll. She was combing the dolls hair. Dad and Mom were still in their pajamas and robes watching us all from the living room couch with a smile on their faces. I seemed to fall right into my childhood character and it all seemed so very real to me.
I could feel my heart pound as I looked into the dining room at aimed at Bob from around the corner of the wall. He brought his trumpet down from his lips and looked at me sternly through his black glasses and said, “You have two seconds to get out of here or I will come over cream you!” I ran so hard and so fast and I jumped straight up and out of the snap shot and back into total darkness. I sat back down on the bouncy floor and criss-crossed my legs and looked up into the darkness hoping for light once more! I could feel my heart pounding and was mad at myself for running away from Bob and wondering why I didn’t face him. I had the shot gun in my hands.
Then I remembered how we lost Bob tragically somehow. I couldn’t remember much about what happened only that it felt like I lost a brother and a father. I recalled how Mom said they were too tired to get up when I woke up as a baby and Bob would come get me and rock me to sleep. I’m not sure why I always ran away from him. Would he really hurt me-nahhh! I was just being a boy. He should know that! Ohhh! That’s it! He never got the chance to be a boy taking care of his younger siblings. So, he felt angry, course, hostile when we interrupted his trumpet time when he was enjoying the total sacrifice Mom and Dad made for him to have a trumpet for being a giving brother with his time. Even though it is dark and very still here, I feel just fine.
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