My family was a little bit odd. On Sundays, we didn't go to the park. We didn't go for out for a movie, or even for a Sunday drive. What we did was visit antique flea markets. Both my mother and my father were connoisseurs of the antique. Although they never opened an antique market of their own, they probably could have written a guidebook to all of the flea markets around the state. As a matter of fact, when we took a beach vacation one summer, it was difficult to even make it to the beach. All they wanted to do was hang out in the flea market all day and check out antiques.

I do have to admit that these flea markets were a great place to let my imagination run wild. Basically, they were filled with strange old people selling strange old goods. There were old trading cards, photographs from the 50s and before, antique rifles, pieces of Confederate uniforms, and many many old and dusty antique lamps. Some of the stuff was pretty golden, while much of it was pretty faded. Every once in a while, you could even find a working antique musical instrument. One day, for example, I found an accordion in great shape. I talked my dad into buying it for me, and I started playing. It was actually the beginning of a lifelong love of the instrument.

Still, I guess what I liked most about flea markets wasn't the old stuff so much as the old people. I never had a grandfather or grandmother growing up, so it was nice to be able to talk to all of these old swap meet fanatics about this and that. A lot of them collected and sold just one thing, and could tell you anything about it. One guy would go on for hours and hours about old racing bugles if you let him. He played basically anything shaped like a horn, and every once in a while would take a walk outside to blow one of his trumpets.

We actually got to be good friends with some of the people at the flea markets. We would see them every week, and there was always plenty of time to talk. Although my memories are fond ones, at the time it seemed to take too long. That is why I would pass the time having conversations with interesting old folks. As fascinating as their wares were, their life stories were even better.