Originally published October 29, 2013

While raking leaves in my yard today, I was reminded of how I learned the ‘F’ word in the mid-1950s.

In my neighborhood, almost every other house had a large tree in its front yard. There were mainly Chestnut trees on my street, and countless fallen leaves were on everyone’s lawns during the Fall season.

Unfortunately, the chestnuts were Horse Chestnuts, so they weren’t edible. In fact, they are poisonous.

As a young boy, I remember my buddies and me playing in the large piles of leaves that people had raked in their yards.

Some grown-ups piled the leaves along the street’s curb, hoping they would blow down the street or magically disappear.

However, most people burned them.

There wasn’t much of a recycling program back then—pop and beer bottles were the only things I remember being returned for the deposit (2 cents per bottle).

Most people figured that if they had to pay a 2-cent deposit when they purchased the bottle, it made sense to return it to get the 2 cents back.

And plastic garbage bags hadn’t even been invented yet.

Garbage cans were made of aluminum.

I don’t remember ever seeing any cans made of rubber or plastic in those days.

Back then, nobody had enough garbage cans to hold all the fallen leaves, so most people burned them.

I remember the smell of burning leaves—they have a distinctive aroma.

It’s one odor that I’ve always associated with the Fall season.

Back then (1950s), my buddies and I would stand beside the burning fires and watch as the grown-up used his rake to stir up the fire.

When the grown-up wasn’t looking, we would throw chestnuts into the fire and then run away.

It wouldn’t take long for the chestnuts to explode in the fire.

That was probably where and when I first heard the “F” word – from an angry adult shouting at us because we were playing in his large pile of leaves.

Hey, you kids get the ‘F*ck’ off my yard! ~ Angry man

However, the man who swore at us lived three blocks from my street, so none of our parents knew what we did.

I remember proudly saying the “F” word I had learned from that angry man, at the kitchen table that night, and my Dad getting very angry with me.

I didn’t know what the word meant – it was just a new word that I added to my limited vocabulary.

But as Dad scolded me, I noticed my Mom at the other end of the table trying her best not to laugh.

My Dad used to swear sometimes, but he never used the F-word or other nasty swear words.

But in my case, I guess the apple fell far from the tree – although I try not to use that word more than once in a sentence or when I am in the company of women or children.

Anyway, I won’t be burning the leaves that I rake today.

Nope.

I will put them into large paper bags and leave them on the side of the road for the recycling truck to pick up.

Nowadays, there is a bylaw against burning leaves because of pollution concerns.

Maybe so, but throwing some chestnuts into a pile of burning leaves would be neat to do again.

I bet today’s kids don’t know how good burning leaves smell or that chestnuts will explode when placed into a fire.

However, kids know a lot more than we did at their age. And I guess playing on their computers is more fun than playing with chestnuts.

In the ’50s, most kids watched television when they weren’t outside playing.

My favorite TV show back then was the Captain Kangaroo Show, and it was in black and white.

The show ran for 29 years (1955-1984).

In closing…

Maybe I’ll have a campfire in my backyard for old times’ sake.

But I’ll do it at night, so nobody will know where the smoke is coming from.

Bring some marshmallows and a long stick if you ever see smoke coming from my backyard.

If you have a guitar, bring it, and we’ll have a sing-along party.

Bring some sweet chestnuts (the edible ones), and we’ll roast them.

By the way, I have eaten sweet chestnuts and they are delicious.

On second thought, maybe I’ll respect the environment like I always do and see if I can purchase some from a store.

We can roast them in my oven and see if they explode.

By the way, when I last visited my hometown in Oshawa and the street and house where I was born and raised, I noticed that all of the chestnut trees were gone!

What The ‘F’?

Sadly, a blight swept the eastern areas of North America and virtually killed all of the horse chestnut trees, like the ones we had on Sutherland Avenue, Oshawa.

The word “fire” frightens me because I now associate it with all our forest fires and how many are caused by careless people (smokers, campfires, etc).

Just like Smokey Bear has said for more than 80 years, “Only YOU can prevent wildfires!”

Dedicated to Smokey the Bear.

I hope my stories are a gift to your head and heart.

Hugs,

Danny

Today’s tune from Danny’s library (purchased):

I’m coming from the darkness
Where light has rarely been
I’m rising from the ashes
Of the untold and unseen
I’m earth, and I am fire
I am water; I am air
I’m a spark to the choir
Here, there, and everywhere
And as I throw these words
Into the Universe
Letting them fly like birds
Across the Earth
Calling out to invite
The memory of life
To embracing an eye full
Day and night

And my friends, it’s our birthright
Hiding right here in plain sight
And dancing to the unknown
And ignite a bonfire
Of who we truly are
Ohhh oh
And ignite a bonfire
Of who we truly are
This is who we truly are
This is who we truly are

[Instrumental]

As we honor and express
Every corner of our humanness
Its need for separation
Turns into celebration
Like living to a dancer
There’s no final answer
We are nature’s solemn mystery
Dancing in the sand of infinity

And as I throw these words
Into the Universe
Letting them fly like birds
Across the Earth
Calling out to invite
The memory of life
To embracing an eye full
Day and night

And my friends, it’s our birthright
Hiding right here in plain sight
And dancing to the unknown
And ignite a bonfire
Of who we truly are
Ohhh oh

And ignite a bonfire
Of who we truly are
This is who we are
This is who we are
This is who we truly are
This is who we are
This is who we are
This is who we truly are
This is who we are
This is who we are
This is who we truly are
This is who we are
This is who we are
This is who we truly are
This is who we are
This is who we are

This is who we truly are
This is who we are
This is who we are

Songwriters: Carl Jonas

Here are other songs I’m listening to: These Songs Will Make You Smile Today.