Tag Archives: childhood

Treats I Have Known and Loved

Posted on October 6, 2026 by mitchteemley

Classic kidtreats My Real Memoir: Treats I Have Known and Loved It was fall. I’d just started 4th grade, and already I couldn’t wait for the holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Because holidays meant treats! Of course, my idea of treats … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Entertainment and Popular Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

Cats I Have Known and Loved

Posted on September 29, 2026 by mitchteemley

Cats I Have Known and Loved: Mr. B feared nothing, including the notorious Vacuum Cleaner. But Zipper was a lover, not a fighter… Continue reading →

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The Year I Invented Skateboarding

Posted on September 22, 2026 by mitchteemley

Above: homemade skateboard, metal shoe-skates, crate scooters, sidewalk surfboard, “Chicago” skateboard My Real Memoir: The Year I Invented Skateboarding Actually, untold thousands of other Stone Age kids did too. The idea was in the zit-geist, which is to say that … Continue reading →

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My Life as a Not-Really

Posted on September 15, 2026 by mitchteemley

Ben Hur (1957), Spartacus (1960), YMCA logo, Boy’s Camp My Real Memoir: My Life as a Not-Really We weren’t “Nones,” to use the modern term for people who claim no religious affiliation. We were “Not Reallys.” For my parents’ generation, … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 36 Comments

An Ode to Hamburgers and Dads

Posted on September 8, 2026 by mitchteemley

The oldest surviving McDonald’s, in Downey, California My Real Memoir: An Ode to Hamburgers and Dads Until I was seven, the longest walks I ever took were to a unique little burger joint called “McDonald’s.” Mommandad counted every penny in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 55 Comments

I Was a Daredevil Paperboy!

Posted on September 1, 2026 by mitchteemley

Left to right: Schwinn Wasp “Newsboy Special” bicycle; 1950s Japanese transistor radio; Los Angeles Herald Express; authentic(ish) illustration of my paper route My Real Memoir: I Was a Daredevil Paperboy! As a result of my reckless adventuring and frequent self-disfigurements, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

The Year I Became “The Clever Kid”

Posted on August 25, 2026 by mitchteemley

Left to right: My 3rd grade photo; Columbus Day art and (on the back) my rendering of a Viking ship, inspired by The Vikings, my favorite movie that year; doodles and bad spelling. My Real Memoir: The Year I Became … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Culture, Humor, Memoir, Storytelling, Writing and Blogging | Tagged , , , , , , | 40 Comments

Confessions of an Eight-Year-Old Prankster

Posted on August 4, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo credit: The Lady My Real Memoir: Confessions of an Eight-Year-Old Prankster One of the advantages of living on a busy street (ours was the main route through the neighborhood) is that there’s a never-ending supply of drivers in need … Continue reading →

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My Early Brushes With Mortality

Posted on July 21, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo source: Richard Ratay My Real Memoir My Early Brushes with Mortality. I’d spent just four months in my new home. Still, everything had changed. I’d gained two new best friends and emerged from my shy-shell. “Emerged?” Heck, I was … Continue reading →

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The Day I Ran Away

Posted on July 14, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo source: Michal Bres My Real Memoir The day I ran away didn’t arrive unbidden. After all, I’d threatened before to leave once I’d had all I could take of unreasonable adult demands (brain-numbing homework and soul-sucking chores). But leave … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 60 Comments