Author: Memory Detecting

On yon gray stone, that fronts the chancel-door, (church)

Worn smooth by busy feet now seen no more,

Each eve we shot the marble thro’ the ring,

When the heart danc’d, and life was in its spring,

1729 Samuel Rogers

I dug some old marbles recently while digging for vintage bottles. Some of these marbles  were made of clay and others were made of glass. These are just small, round, simple objects that were very popular with kids. Is there anything more basic as a few kids playing with these tiny round marbles? 

The heyday of marbles was during the late 1800’s and up to the late 1950’s or so. Seniors are likely to have spent many hours playing this popular game. Germany was a big manufacturer of marbles. It is said that the peak interest in the game was during the 1920-1930’s in the United States. No one really knows where  marbles originated,  however the British Museum in London displays marbles that date back to the Roman and Egyptian civilizations. Marbles were actually found in the ashes of Pompeii and native Americans were also known to play. It is kind of amazing to think that this simple activity had lasting memories for so many and for so long. Seniors may enjoy thinking back to the time they and there friends played with marbles.

As a kid growing up in the 70’s marbles were never really our thing. I can’t recall anyone really playing with marbles. One of the things that we did that was somewhat similar was “scale” baseball cards. Scaling cards for “keeps”was high drama and could get very competitive. I had “won” a lot of baseball cards this way. The rules were simple:  line up 10 cards against a wall and stand 6-8 feet away. Now the goal was to knock them down by scaling (flicking your card with your wrist) at the target. The player who knocked down the last card won all the cards that were on the floor. These games are still forever etched in my memory bank. Scaling cards was fun and at times very competitive. I admit I still like to scale a card across a room to show off this well developed childhood skill that still exists!

Playing marbles was also a game that provided kids with a lot of fun and could also be very competitive. The game took on increased intensity when the players agreed to play for “keeps.”  One of the most popular games was to make a large circle and use your “shooter” (the largest marble) to knock the “mibs” (the smallest marbles) out of the circle. The winner was the player that knocked all the other players mibs out of the circle. The term “knuckling down” actually comes from the stance and technique of getting low to the ground and using your shooter to knock a competitors mib out of the circle. I can”t imagine kids today finding playing marbles very exciting,  but who knows maybe they would. Simple times and simple activities can sometimes make the most pleasurable and lasting of memories.

With the “in facility” Reminiscence Program on hold because of the Corona Virus it has given me time to reflect on some of your seniors life challenges and memories.

Your seniors and their parents have had so many challenging life experiences and memories. The greatest generation and others have experienced World Wars and other conflicts, and some seniors may remember the Great Depression. These events put a tremendous strain on them, their parents, and their family and community. Some have had up to 19 years in a row of stress and uncertainty during that period in time. The Great Depression started in most countries in 1929 and lasted until the late 1930’s. Black Tuesday was October 29^th 1929. This lead right into World War 2 that began in 1939 and lasted until 1945. So for many this was 19 years of a world that was incredibly trying and difficult. We have an opportunity to learn so much from them about hardship and more importantly how to have courage and determination to get through those hardships.

What memories do they have about that time? How did they deal with the stress and uncertainty? How did it effect their lives and the lives of their loved ones? As a relic hunter some of the artifacts I find relate to military life and or a time that may bring them back to these difficult times. How did they do it? From my interaction with seniors it seems to me that they just persevered, did the best with what they had, and were proud of their grit and determination. It seems for most that they were proud of their dedication and service for the greater good. Pride in themselves (although humbly), pride in their resourcefulness, pride in caring for their families and neighbors, and pride in their country

Our lives have all changed and have been disrupted by this pandemic. My children are at home doing their college work. Their days are now spent studying and taking classes on Zoom at home, and trying to stay connected to friends and maintaining a normal life. The risk of getting this virus has forced them (along with their parents) to have the food that is delivered to our home sanitized item by item. We also cant socialize and connect with others like we use to at a time that we really need to. Many have it much much worse. Job uncertainty and the risk of getting or infecting someone else is on ours minds at all times. I have currently quarantined myself from my family for many weeks now.  I have done this because I am working in an environment that has had many of my coworkers get the virus, and many patients at the organization I work at have sadly passed away from the virus. This period in time has been very difficult for all of us.

I hope that this challenge today will in the future make us all proud of how we responded and how we helped and supported each other. In many cases this crisis has brought out the best in all of us. We are  working together to take care of each other. I have seen so many acts of kindness in the past several weeks. Its heartwarming and amazing to see.

What will our memories be of this Pandemic? For some it will be tragic with the loss of loved ones. However, when we can catch a breath and Reminisce on these days I think this will be an opportunity. It will be an opportunity to remember just how resourceful, dedicated, and kind we were during this very difficult period.

Memory Detecting’s live “in house” Reminiscence Program is on hold, however our Membership Program is a great opportunity to continue your Reminiscence Activities with your seniors. Please check out the program on our website. You can trial for 14 days free.

Stay Safe and Healthy.

Steve