Linda G Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday Prompt : ” COLLECT“

Marc Chagall – La danza, 1950

My Grandma Ginger used to say that when you got old, you could sit and think about your memories. So it was important, she told me to make sure to be around people that you loved and that you did things that made you happy so that your memories would be good ones to go over.

For her own special reasons, the year I turned 7, Grandma started to talk a lot about what would happen when I got old and the best ways to handle the situation.

It made my Grandpa Bert a little crazy.

” Or ” my Grandpa Bert would add, ” you could forget the sitting around when you get old thing and just keep doing things that you like until you die-  or your kids lock you up in an Old Folks Home. ”

” They better not, ” I said ” Or I’ll chop them up and feed them to my Piranhas . ”

Grandma Ginger was not amused. ” Bert! ” she said on medium roar. ” What are you telling her?”

” Are you still set on the Piranhas  for Christmas? ” he asked.

” Don’t encourage her like that Bert! What is the matter with you? ”

” Yeah. They’re all I asked for. What’s Santa going to do? Skip me? He can’t. I’ve been good this year. ”

” If your plan is to raise a pool full of Piranhas  to eat your Children, I don’t know Anita. That’s not making you look great. ”

” That’s why I’m going to ask for them before they’re born. ”

“You’re the smartest person in the family. ” Grandpa patted me on the head.

” Bert! For the love of God . Do not encourage her like that. ”

” Encourage me like what. ”

” Yeah. ” Grandpa Bert said.  Like what. ”

Suddenly I saw my school of Pirahanas swimming away from me and I was sure Grandma Ginger was going to have something to do with it.

I stomped my foot and got ready to take Grandma Ginger down.

Grandpa Bert said, ” Go get ’em Tiger.

I probably did.

Now I’m a Grandma myself and from time to time I go back over the memories I’ve collected and I do reflect on them just like Grandma Ginger said I would.

I’m just not so sure this one, which is one of my favorite memories of her and Grandpa Bert was exactly what she had in mind.