It Runs In the Family

My sister, Ruth, had her second knee replacement yesterday. She just had the first one done in June. She's a better woman than I am! She needs someone there to help her for a week or two as she recuperates, and I am the only person available. Bless her heart! She certainly deserves better! But, I'll do what I can, and we won't worry about the rest. One thing I know I can give her is a great deal of laughter! There has never been a shortage of things to laugh about when Ruth and I are together!

Most of our laughter these days comes from reminiscing about things similar to the things I've shared about my children. For instance, there was the time Ruth and I were upstairs in our bedroom goofing off and making so much noise, mostly laughing, that Dad finally had his fill. He was downstairs in the living room, so it was pretty obvious we had gone to the extreme when the door to the stairway flew open and he yelled from the bottom of the steps, "If I hear anymore noise out of you two girls, I'm going to come up there and give you both a sound spanking!" We knew from experience he could do just that!

It seems there is always one child in a family who doesn't know when to quit. In Randy's family that would be Aaron. In Kevin's family it would be Dan. In Rob's family it would be Jacob. And in Kenny's family, I'd have to say it would probably be Ashley. In my family, that would be ME!
Ruth always knew when enough was enough. She said she was going downstairs before Dad decided to make good on his promised punishment! My first mistake was not following her lead.

Ours was an older home with an enclosed stairway. At the top of the stairs and to the right, was a door that led into the only bathroom in the house. To the left there was a short hallway that led to the bedroom Ruth and I shared. There was a railing from the top of the stairway to the wall leading into that bedroom. Just inside the bedroom door and to the left was a small closet. To the right of the entrance was a wall just wide enough for a double bed to stand. On the other side of the bed was a doorway which led into my parents room. Just inside that door, in their room and to the right, was their closet, then another door leading back into the hallway. The bathroom door was just outside their bedroom and to the left. So, you see, there was a perfect circle from hallway, to bedroom, to bedroom, to hallway, with the bathroom just off sides.

I was still in little girl giggle mode! I would lean over the railing and, in a piercingly shrill voice I would call, "Ruthie!" followed by very loud giggling. After a couple of Ruthies, Dad opened the door and said, "One more time, and I'm coming up there!" He closed the door with force, an indication of his intent! None the less, I thought surely he wouldn't spank me if I did it just one more time, so I leaned over the railing and yelled once more, "Ruthie!" Giggle, giggle!

He meant it! The door opened and my little short, chubby daddy came bounding up those steps like an athlete in top shape! What to do! What to do! I ran! Into the first bedroom, then into the next, my dad in hot pursuit! Back into the hallway and into the first bedroom again. He was gaining on me! Into Mom and Dad's bedroom, then into the hallway again. I needed a break. He was still coming! This time I ran into my bedroom and hopped into the closet. I peeked through the closet door and watched as Dad ran past and into the other bedroom. This time I followed him. Seeing as the closet thing worked so well, I decided to try it again. I followed Dad into his bedroom and jumped into his closet. There I stood barely breathing as I watched him repeatedly run the circle from room, to hallway, to room, and back again. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen!

But, I knew I couldn't stay in that closet forever. And, I knew my dad's temper was not calming down from the exercise. I had to get out of that closet! However, surrender didn't seem like the way to go, either. There was only one place to go --- the bathroom! It had a lock on the door. Well, I guess you could call it a lock. It was one of those hook and eye things, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I darted out of the closet behind my dad, ran into the bathroom and locked the door. Then I huddled down between the sink and the toilet stool. Whatever made me think I had found a place of refuge I will never know!

Dad had to have heard the door shut and lock. I knew the inevitable was coming. I had just enough time to consider if what I had just experienced outside of the bathroom was worth what i was about to endure at my father's hand when he entered the bathroom!. YES! I determined that it certainly was worth it to watch from the closet as my dad ran circles around the upstairs of our house chasing, well, no one!

Before I could even think about unlocking the door, Dad came right through the door! And I received the whipping of my life! Those were the days when spanking was a part of child rearing and actually did some good sometimes! As with every spanking I ever received from my father's hand, this is the ritual we went through. DAD: (spank) "Are you sorry?" ME: "Yes!" DAD: (spank) "Are you ever going to do it again?" ME: "NO!" TRANSLATION: "Yes, I'm sorry I'm being spanked. No, I'm never going to do this particular deed again, but there will no doubt be a next time."