Memories & Nostalgia

I remember when Dad purchased his first Reel to Reel Tape Player, it was a Sony, and my Dad was quite excited about it. My parents were pretty careful not to run out and get the latest thing that was out in the market, so when we finally did get something, it was an event…I won’t tell you how long it was before they purchased their first color television.

Anyway, the reel-to-reel was quite something at that time, because now, not only could you listen, but you could record your own voice and hear yourself! This was a big deal, and who doesn’t like to hear themselves? My parents listened to classical music all the time, and that was what they played, but we also listened to dramatizations, that were only played during the holidays.

Another fun memory I have is of making what we fondly, as a family, called “Grammy Tapes”, they were tapes that we all said a little something on, then put in the mail to my grandparents who lived in the suburbs of Boston, Mass. We usually did this on a Sunday, it wasn’t as fun as just saying whatever you wanted on tape, it was more organized and formal, all of us sitting in a row along the couch, and saying our piece, then listening to ourselves, and wishing we sounded better.

My grandmother suffered a stroke when I was in my teens, and even after I was married, I took a smaller, portable tape player and read to my grandmother by tape, and mailed them to her, anything to bring her some joy!