Saturday, July 27, 2013

#blogcrawl prompt: penny arcades

I join this #blogcrawl Twitter party tonight by invitation, thinking I don't have much to contribute but I can sip my wine and watch...then I get sucked in...I am always drawn into chat...I think it shows us at our best (and sometimes worst) and we learn a lot about humanity at the same time we chat with each other.

So then the prompt comes...and I panic...and make an excuse to exit quickly so I can think about what I am going to post.  AND I KNOW THAT I DON'T HAVE A THOUGHT IN MY HEAD WORTH PUTTING IN A POST.

So I will tell you my memories and thoughts about penny arcades...that is about the best I can do...

There aren't any true penny arcades left...not that cost a penny anyway...we've taken the kids to something similar in Panama City Beach, Florida when they were small.  There was this certain arcade that caused the kids to develop a broken wrist.  Stevie Wonder said it was a disease that only a dime would cure.  That's right, skeeball cost a dime...BUT they won lots of tickets and got a ton of cheap toys that broke almost immediately...but all three kids came away feeling like winners.

The other memory of penny arcades was our recent trip to California with the whole family.  We actually ran across a penny arcade on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco with antique penny machines, along with all sorts of arcade machines of all ages.  The grandkids got to play the kind of games that were available from the turn of the century all the way up to pinball machines from the days of my childhood before the advent of video games.

I was afraid they would be bored.  I mean, those games didn't do nearly as much as the video games of today.  No 3D or special sound effects or graphics...just little pieces moving around and getting knocked or shot down.

But...they LOVED it.  And I loved watching their eyes light up as they ran from machine to machine and I got to explain what those games were about...the history.

That was a mellow, memory evoking day...and one I won't ever forget, and they won't either.

Penny arcades...the stuff of wonder and dreams...

...life is good. ~cath
find me @jonesbabie on Twitter

10 comments:

  1. This is great, Cath! A few hours late, but we'll cut you some slack for not giving up! Thanks for sharing such happy, fun memories with all of us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Holly, I somehow missed seeing the time limit, although I must say I spent more time hunting down this photo I took in that arcade in San Francisco and editing it, than I did on the actual blog post. :D

      Delete
  2. Those sweet kids will be remembering that with their own grnadchildren someday. What a great time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope I give the kids lots of memories, good ones. Just like the memories I have of my grandmothers. I want them to look at the photo some day and smile. :D

      Delete
  3. Thanks for joining us last night! I enjoyed your penny arcade memories very much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Cairn, now the ice is broken for me I will definitely be back for the next one. I just need to brush up on my tweeting etiquette and speed up a bit!

      Delete
  4. Wonderful post, your posts wiriting style is always unique happy to drop by again. I am hosting a eyewear giveaway if you wanna try your luck and win it. http://hind-toufga.blogspot.se/2013/08/firmoo-fantastic-giveaway-program-in.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It seems I looked at the link too late Hind, work has been busy and I haven't had time to keep up. Thanks for stopping by and good luck with your giveaway. I enjoy reading your blog posts.

      Delete
  5. Well I still have another one open until 28 Auguest. You might be the lucky one :-)
    http://hind-toufga.blogspot.se/2013/08/ahaishopping-women-clothing-giveaway.html

    ReplyDelete