On FB, I regularly see recent historical photos from Montreal. Since I was a kid in that city, mostly in the 50s, they interest me. Some photos I recognize, at least in part. The following photo rang a bell.
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| A stream of vehicles makes its way to Belmont Park in the 1950s. |
Belmont Park was an amusement park fairly near where we lived, perhaps a 10 minute bus ride if I recall correctly.
My parents never took me there, but just before we departed Montreal for Toronto in 1962, I visited the fun park a few times with my friends. The rides I most remember were the Roller Coaster and the Wild Mouse.
Once we got to Toronto, I visited the Midway (rides) when it was open for two weeks when the CNE (Canadian National Exposition) was on in late August and early September.
I was raised Pentecostal, which, at that time at least, had a distinct Holiness flavour, basically defined by eschewing a whole lot of activities. Those things pretty well boiled down to avoiding what were fun things for others with dancing and movies holding prime places on the list. And amusement parks too.
While I was not rebellious, when I tried these sorts of activities, my experience and common sense told me that they were all harmless fun.
Mother let me know that she disapproved of my errant ways that in her mind included not watching tv on Sunday afternoons between the morning and evening church services. Then there was the time that my father chastised me for throwing a football with a friend on a Sunday afternoon.
I didn't fight them about it, but I believed what I believed. By the time she passed on, mom and dad would happily watch tv on Sundays. In fact, we and the kids would often drop over on Sunday evenings to watch Road to Avonlea with them.
What an interesting religion. I don't get it a lot of the beliefs of some but do find them interesting in their origin.
ReplyDeleteOh you young rebel! Amusement parks with friends! Glad you somehow survived the various punishments that might have come your way. Yes I also was raised in a religion with strict rules, but at least we Christian Scientists could dance, and play cards. Some Baptists can't even do that. And just look at us, we turned out alright!
ReplyDeleteInteresting, AC. My oldest son and his wife are Pentecost, but apparently theirs is a more lenient branch. It is not, however, a religion I pretend to understand. I was raised Catholic, and Dad was very strict as to what we could and could not do. As a result, I missed all the "fun" things that teenagers usually do, instead having to be home to help Mom with the younger children, babysitting, and housework. It's no wonder I married very young. I don't hold any grudges, though, because I knew I was loved. Just a different time.
ReplyDeleteI was at the Ex with my sisters one summer we spent in Toronto. Mainly I recall food, though.
ReplyDeleteWeird prohibitions religions adopt. I've never understood how fun can be wrong.
I was baptized Roman Catholic and threatened with Hell when I sinned. I hated living with a sense of dread. I am fully "emancipated" now. Thank God.
ReplyDeleteI was raised without religion. My father had a great dislike of any of it. I also don't understand why fun is supposedly sinful.
ReplyDeleteThe one about no television on Sunday is probably the only one my parents forbid me to do. But that wasn't really a rule. We just didn't have a television so I couldn't watch it any time on any day of the week.
ReplyDeleteTimes change and change people, too. I love that your parents evolved. It didn't mean losing their faith, just moving ahead.
ReplyDeleteWe were Episcopalians so we didn't have rules like that. The Mormons next door did though. I loved Road to Avonlea!
ReplyDeleteI road the Wild Mouse once at the CNE and thought I was going to die. I haven't been on a ride since.
ReplyDeleteTimes have sure changed for some religions.
The devil loves to appear as an angel!
DeleteIt's a tribute to your wisdom that you didn't make it a big thing with them. But you followed your own intelligence. I like that Aloha friend
ReplyDeleteI like the old vintage photos of Melbourne in my town too. Getting more fascinated by the looks in sepia too.
ReplyDeleteWe always watched Road to Avonlea as a family too.
ReplyDeleteI went through a similar church experience but I was rebellious and there was friction. I wasn't patient as you were.
ReplyDeleteTim was a preacher's kid and he is a very quiet guy. He also was raised pretty strictly. I know that he doesn't understand the reasoning behind almost all of them. Your parents sound as if they were strict parents but not authoritarians. They didn't agree with you, but they didn't forbid you. Unusual for those days, esp. for extremely religious parents.
ReplyDeleteI had so many issues with kids from different religions. I felt badly for them all the time. I do recall my Muslim kids doing Christmas decorations, with the non-religious kids were enamoured of the Muslim symbols!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it great when people evolve? We are all works in progress (except for Donald Trump of course).
ReplyDeleteThat is a fascinating bit of nostalgia. If it was nostalgic? I recall my father taking me on an amusement ride and subsequently being extremely sick to his stomach, poor guy. He said that he had spent three years on ships during the war (WWII) and had never been sick once. the things we remember, eh?
ReplyDeleteYou probably are quite cautious about religion ... and it is clear that we all should be.