My Mom and Memory Lane - Practices of Hamilton Past

Look Mom! No Cavities! 

"A memory is a Prince Charming who stays just long enough to awaken the Sleeping Beauties of our wordless stories." (de Certeau 124)

To the left is a picture of me holding a picture of my mom.  When I told her about this blog, and about my search to explore the everyday in Hamilton, she had no problems sharing with me her memories of life growing up here.  I asked her to indulge us because, "Memories tie us to a place... It's personal, perhaps not interesting to anyone else, but after all that's what gives a neighbourhood its character." (de Certeau 124) If you're the reminiscent type, this one's for you.

Hamilton: My Space, My Home
By Linda Quest

A proud Hamiltonian of 61 years, my earliest fond memories, sights and sounds growing up in Hamilton are:

• The warning bells of the Yummy Man coming.
• The Rag Man yelling out, “Raaags” as he slowly worked his way up and down the alley ways, collecting any give-aways to be recycled.
• Running through the various assortment of sprinklers across the front lawns of West Ave South.
• The Ice Man's pick breaking off chunks of ice for us kids to suck on.
• The clomping of the horses taking baked goods to the local Stinson St Corner Store and the clink of the round iron rings fastened to the curb where the horses would be tied up.
• The sound of ice skates carving up the newly frozen rink the Fire Dept would flood for us on cold winter nights.
• The church bells of St Patrick’s ringing out on my wedding day.
• The many thank you’s received from fellow citizens, young and old, after cleaning their teeth and helping them to overcome fears of visiting the dental office.

After 45 years I’m still privileged to practice Dental Hygiene in dental offices and Long Term Care facilities within Hamilton.  The greatest blessing though, is to be mother and friend to my daughter and son as we all enjoy family and friends in this beautiful city we call Home.

de Certeau, Michel. "Walking the City." Studying Culture: A Critical Introduction. Ed. Mary O'Connor. Hamilton: Custom Publishing Solutions, 2010. 115-125. Print.