What Did You Want?

[Wilma]

Now that school is starting again, I am faced with the lifetime problem of wanting to buy school supplies.  I  even had a box of crayons in my hand the other day, but I put them back.  But listening to commercials for school supplies reminded me of something that I, as a very young child, wanted, but couldn't have.

A pencil box.  We just simply couldn't afford something that unneeded.  I had one pencil and a box of 8 crayons and a desk to keep them in.  I didn't really need a box for the one pencil that we could afford at a time.  But the desire was there and I am still attracted to the many containers that are designed to hold the miscellaneous items of school days.

Do you have a long ago want that you couldn't have at the time?

[srkruzich]

The only thing i don't have or ever had in my life that i really and truely wanted with all my heart is a little girl.   Don't get me wrong i love my boys to death but i wanted a daughter so much! 

[Wilma]

You just reminded me of how lucky I am.  My four children are all girls.  I wouldn't trade any or all of them for a boy.  I have a grandson and several great grandsons that are great, but I am still glad that my children are daughters.

[W. Gray]

Wilma, I hear what you are saying about not being able to afford a pencil box.

Once upon a time we could go up to the square where we lived and go into a cigar store and they would give you a cigar box provided they had one on hand. I guess if no one asked they just threw them away.

We used the cigar box at school for pencils and whatever else we need to store.

At some point cigar boxes got so popular they quit giving them away.

[Diane Amberg]

My pencil "box" came free with a popcorn kit. I wish I could remember the name of the popcorn. It had the popcorn already measured out and had premeasured popping oil with it. The box was long, and had a sliding top that was a ruler and had a pencil sharpener on the end of the ruler.

[greatguns]

Wilma, it isn't a problem.  I still like buying school supplies, so I buy a box of crayons or some pencils and drop them off where they are collecting school supplies.  I'm happy, they are happy and some child benefits!

[sixdogsmom]

I always wanted one of those giant box of crayons. Never did get them, and my mouth watered as some of the kids flaunted such colors as flesh and caynon red. 

[Diane Amberg]

My Mom was a commercial artist, so my sister and I were very lucky. We got the biggest boxes made with all the colors.
  Ready, I'm with you. Our local stores, plus Staples, always have lots of school supplies cheap to get people in the stores. I still enjoy the buy and drop off too.  The second week in August, I still get that feeling I should be getting ready to open up my classroom. I've never gotten over it.

[Wilma]

I was happy with a new box of 8 crayons.  I would have loved having the box of 16, but when you are buying for four, all of them in grade school, it is hard to get everybody what they need.

[sixdogsmom]

One thing that we did have that nobody else had was a grandpa who worked for Long Bell Lumber Company. He always brought us the outdated wallpaper sample books. My sister and me had the best dressed paperdolls in the whole county. We must have used fifty pounds of flour making paste when I was growing up. And my poor mama always had to look around for her custard rammikens when she got ready to bake. Unfortunately they were usually full of some foul smelling gook that smelled something like a whiskey bottle or a litter box.  But I never heard her complain; she usually brought us a new book of paperdolls when she went downtown for bill paying on payday. They were pretty inexpensive, and I love paperdolls to this day. I have a large collection of them.