That Purple Bench!

When I was a wee tyke (maybe six or so), I was in the second grade and reading on about a fifth-grade level.

We had one of those families that are so mocked nowadays, but so wonderful to grow up in. Dad worked all day (and a few evenings on a side job). Mom stayed at home and raised us with love, discipline, pride, and frustrations too I bet!

Anyway, when we went to the local IGA store for groceries, there was this padded bench, about the size of a modern-day minivan bench seat. The bench was covered in purple vinyl, its original shine worn dull by thousands of butts sliding across it.

The grocery store also had a metal-wire comics spinner rack.

Whether intentionally or not, when we went to the grocery store, a few comics seemed to be on that bench, having migrated from the spinner rack twenty feet away.

Now we tie it all together: Most of the times I went with Mom to the grocery store, I would park on that purple bench and read comics.

So family folklore goes, one time Mom loaded up the groceries into the car and went home. She was bringing in the paper bags of groceries when she realized that I wasn’t with her! She drove back to the grocery store (maybe a mile or so) and there I was, still blissfully reading comics on the bench.

I sure didn’t feel abandoned!

For our final Weirdo Wednesday, we’ll look at one of the comics that I read on that bench, and didn’t find again for more than twenty years!

Stay tuned, kiddies!