AN EGG TO REMEMBER

Summer of 1933...

    Who remembers a particular egg? Not just any egg. Almost 80 years after the experience, I will never forget that one, particular egg. I was almost five years old, an age that a momentous experience was indelibly etched into my memory for a lifetime.

 

    I was staying at my grandparents’ farm in Manalapan, New Jersey (There were farms there in those days.). It wasn’t much of a farm as farms go. I didn’t know that then. I can still remember the barn. It was an “everything barn” (my words). It housed a few cows and horses but—in particular—it contained several nests for the chickens. My memory pictures them as real, honest-to-goodness, nests. I have wondered if that is done anymore? I know about chicken coops and hen houses, but I don’t imagine there is much of a demand for chicken-nest builders these days. I don’t think my grandmother’s chickens did the construction. They weren’t that smart. Anyway, that is beside the point of my little story.

 

    It was morning when my grandmother took me out to the barn. How do I remember it was morning? I just do, that’s all! Besides, there is no point in fudging the truth. And, the time of day has no bearing on the event I am about to describe. I just mentioned it in passing.

 

    My grandmother led me to one of the nests that was occupied by a chicken (What else?) and reaching underneath it brought out an egg. The egg!

 

    The following is what remains a vivid memory: She took that egg and with a pin (or some other pin-like device) punctured the top and bottom. Handing me that warm, punctured egg she said something to the effect (Her exactwords are forever lost.), “Suck it out.” which I did and loved it, at least, that is how I remembered it.

 

    Many, many years later I had an “adult learning experience.”In a moment of nostalgic, sentimentality, I removed a cold, egg from the refrigerator and punctured both ends (with what, I am no longer sure). Recalling my Grandmother’s words, I sucked it out and nearly passed out.

 

    On second thought, I think that I should rename this little story:

 

TWO EGGS TO REMEMBER

 

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