I Never Knew My Grandfather Raced His Horse on the Town Pond Until . . . A Short Memoir

Racing on the Town Pond in Limestone, Maine

My Dad could tell you jokes one right after another, but he was not a storyteller. At times he would talk about playing baseball in high school and when he played football at Ricker College before going on to the University of Maine. I also do not recall my father's parents telling childhood stories when they were young or even when their three boys, Colby, Keith and Curtis were growing up.My grandfather worked on his father's farm in his teen years, worked  as a store clerk and was part-owner of a hardware store. He sold his share in the store and decided to go into farming. My grandparents were married in 1914 and by 1923 their three sons were born. My grandfather farmed when the horse was still the worker on the farm. The storyboard below show the harvest on his farm and his farm buildings in the background.

In addition to farming potatoes, my grandfather had milking cows and chickens. I am sure that at one time there may have been more animals raised on the farm. Never was I told that he owned a sulky and that he raced on the Town Pond in the winter. It wasn't until I was going through Thompson photos and memorabilia after my father died that I found the image of my grandfather racing on the ice.

Often our parents and grandparents are not storytellers. As I child I may have been too active to even think of asking a question. This is one reason I believe that the process of interviewing and memoir writing is important -- important to share family history and memories. You can find dates of birth and death, but that is not telling your family stories and how your childhood may have shaped your life. Take the time to become a writer -- write your story and the stories of your family!