Every so often someone sends me an e-mail that asks do I remember some things that were around a loooonnnng time ago. I usually do, and in the remembering a sense of nostalgia arises within me, for a season. It happened once more this week.

When I was in my early teens, I was a roller skater. We didn't have money to go to the rink, so I skated up and down our street --- in the middle.

I experienced all the seasons south Louisiana had to offer, and back then as I skated along --- and we seemed to have all four, some lasting longer than others.

As I type this, I can remember the sun setting in the west, gliding forth on my skates, the breeze hitting my face, and smelling the wafting smells of suppers being cooked in the houses I passed. And there were times when I would have liked to sup with a neighbor as they were cooking something I really liked.

No one kept their windows closed. They had to keep them open to entice each and every breeze that might happen along. It would be savored and remembered as you waited for the next one to arrive. Almost all houses had ceiling fans that somehow whirred all night and kept a cool (?) breeze coming through the opened windows.

I remember sleeping with my windows opened, listening to the sounds of night, catching fleeting glimpses of fire flies as they did their thing. Beyond giving me enjoyment, I never knew what their purpose in life was --- still don't. But late on summer nights, I still venture outside to peer into the darkness to try and catch a glimpse of them one more time.

No one passed anyone on the street without issuing a greeting and a smile. Folks waved all the time at passers-by.

Afternoons after school, or Saturdays on my way home from the library, I would stop at the local drug store which had a soda fountain, and have a soda or a nice refreshing limeade.

All of these things represent a quieter, more enjoyable time. Things back then seemed to be savored more. Of course, way back then, I wasn't responsible for much of anything except getting home on time for supper. No rent to pay, no kids to feed, no problems except just being a teenager in a simpler time.

We didn't have all the technology we have today --- technology that keeps me shut away sometimes when I could be outside enjoying a butterfly, a unique shaped cloud, a neighbor's puppy, the smell of a fragrant flowering bush and ?.