May. 25, 2007 - 21:40 MDT

EVER CHANGING

Often in I go back in my memories, I guess that I can retrace my steps a million times and each time tell a slightly different story. Things seen from a different point of view or inclination of thought.

Last night my �Heart Of The City� went astray to the place where valued things go, so tonight the words might be different but it was the same old city - mine. Being a minor shareholder of same.

Sixteenth Street is where it was for me. A big Walgreen�s where I could get a soda and even a lunch when Mom took me there. Then a bit further down, Kress�es, Woolworth�s and Neisners all in a row. All dime stores, and even back then some things cost more than a dime, but they were a kids heaven.

Three movie palaces, The Denver, The Paramount and the Tabor Grand Opera House. The Tabor Grand was built during the gold rush days but in its old age showed cinematic productions. I guess the Paramount was the newest, but the Denver had one of those grand theater pipe organs that could make the floor shake on the lows. Console mounted of a levitated platform that would rise majestically at the proper time and the organist would come down in his tux and give a little concert. After a time, he would stand up and go back where he came from and the console would slowly disappear.

Sixteenth Street was where the department stores were, where the shoe stores were and of course the jewelry stores.

The show windows were lit at night and many adults with kids in tow would �window wish� up one side and down the other of the street.

As a little kid I hated to go shopping downtown with Mom, hating her method of shopping, knowing that we would criss-cross the downtown area back and forth until she had got the best price for things on her list. Along with that were the knees, elbows and packages that would be stuck in my sides by the giants who owned the world.

There was one time of year of course, that I loved to go downtown. Christmas season. When all the light poles were decorated and the things stretched across the street decorated too, the air nippy and the brightly lit show windows would have the materials to make gifting a pleasure. Mom and Dad would take me by two of the Department stores that had animated scenes of Christmas time. One of them always had �Santa�s Workshop,� machinery humming, hammers and saws being applied, such a scene of joyful industry it was to me, I would have happy dreams at night after a trip to town during those times.

As I grew older and began making trips to town by myself Sixteenth Street got its share of my time, but other parts of down town attracted me too. As a little kid, everything seemed to be on Sixteenth Street to me. But over on Fifteenth Street were the Home Public Market and the Loop Market where I would hang out drooling over the good eats there. Watching potatoes being made into potato chips while smelling the aromas of all good things. And the Loop, the turnaround point for the trolleys had its own fascination for me, all streetcars came into and out of the loop. In between the rails there was a narrow building that had hard bench seating at one end, magazine racks and a �fast food� place at the other end. Menu wasn�t large but their food was tasty, and the hot chocolate on a cold day was out of this world.

When I went to edit this entry, lo and behold my Heart Of The City entry was there - - TWICE ! Ah so, that is the way of life, and a twice told story isn't all that bad, I hope.

Back then Downtown was truly the heart of the city and much like human beings, unnoticed most of the time it was EVER CHANGING . . . . . . . . . .

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