Silver Dollars

On Christmas morning I couldn’t wait to get up! It was the only day of the year I would wake up early and not be able to go back to sleep. Since my parents were always early risers they would be up and dressed by the time I got downstairs. It would take about three minutes for me to open my gifts and then the excitement was over for a couple of hours. It would build again as we packed food and presents in the car and headed for Grandpa’s house.

We always went to Grandpa’s for Christmas. There we would have Christmas with Grandpa, my great- uncle Lew, my uncle Everett and aunt Neva, their sons Bobby and Harold and their families. The meal was always huge and the food delicious. My favorite part was the pumpkin pie we had for dessert with fresh whipped cream on top.

We didn’t exchange gifts with all of the folks at this event but usually had something for Grandpa and Uncle Lew. The only gift I got and it was the same every year…silver dollars. The amount varied from year to year depending on Grandpa’s mood, I guess. It would usually range between three and eight. They were the big silver dollars and in those days actually had quite a bit of silver in them. They were thick and heavy and sunk deeply in my pocket. My mother usually took charge of them after I handled them for a while. I know she was sure I would lose them.

Often the dollars ended up being deposited in my account at the Savings and Loan. A few times Mom kept them for me in a hidden spot at home. She showed me once where they were and said, “Now these are yours!” That was a mistake because telling me where they were and that they were mine was a risky thing to tell a nine or ten year old boy.

One day, about a week after Christmas, I went to the stash and withdrew the entire amount. In this case, it was about twelve dollars. I remember the day well! It was cold and snowy. I remember walking up to Hoaglin’s Dime Store with those twelve silver dollars creating a bumpy bulge deep in my pocket. Why I didn’t distribute them to other pockets I don’t know? I did take them out and count them several times. Twelve.

Hoaglin’s had models in two locations. One was at the end of an isle at a sale table and the others were in the regular location at the back of the store. I looked at all of the models at the sale table. There were battleships, planes, and cars. Then I went to the regular spot where there were more. I moved back and forth between the two locations pondering my choices and calculating the cost. Several times I had three or four boxes in my arms only to change my mind again.

Finally, after selecting two from the sale table and four from the regular spot I went the register. I thought the price would be right at twelve dollars but it turned out to be less. I ended up with one silver dollar and some change left. Delighted I headed home with two bulging shopping bags.

Of course, you know what happened. My Mom found out! I reminded her that she had said they were mine. It did no good. She let me choose one, a model airplane, and the rest were back in the bags. We went back to Hoaglin’s. I was horribly embarrassed while my mother chastised the store clerk for taking silver dollars from a young boy. Whew! While they were talking the clerk had me return the models to the table where I got them. We went home with eight of the silver dollars and the one I didn’t spend made nine.

That model airplane, assembled, hung from the ceiling in my room the rest of the time I lived at home. Where it is now, I’m not sure?