Circa 1978

Do not adjust your computer screen. The photo you are viewing IS technicolour. IT was the 70's, after all.
This is about 1978,my big brother,TMOC,our dog,Boss, and me. I'm about 9 here.
TMOC and I were latch-key kids. Our Mum had left years earlier,so long before that I have no memory of ever having lived with her. She left with our next door neighbour,Stan, who also left behind 2 kids.
We lived with our Dad,and our beloved dog, Boss in a little town house. My Dad owned a towing company,which meant that he was gone- alot. It also meant that sick days were often spent in the garage being watched by one of my "uncles". I loved it when the burly truck drivers would teach me words that I never heard in my Catholic home,or when they would let TMOC and me drive the cars in the junkyard. The best part was watching them play barbies with me. I don't know who had more fun.
I was the unofficial mascot of Professional Towing. We played pinball and ate candy, drank pop and drove clunkers, found treasure in the abandoned vehicles. Life was great.
Dad was always at work it seemed. That left TMOC and I to our own devices. We played Batman & Robin,watched The Odd Couple,and argued over whose turn it was to do the dishes. (His)
I thought that my big brother was the smartest guy ever. I believed every word that he said,took it as gospel. He took me everywhere. I had crushes on all of his friends, and was the text book bratty little sister. It didn't matter. He still played with me,took me to the comic book store, bought me chips.
I didn't realize it at the time, but we were poor. Dad owned our little town house, and had his own business, but things were worse than I ever knew. One of his partners was stealing from the buisness, and he almost lost evrything. We never knew. Our Christmases were still huge, with nearly every toy on our wish list. Ok, TMOC got a Big Jim instead of G.I.Joe, and I got a Darcy doll instead of a Barbie. But he tried. We had every electronic toy before any one else. In fact, TMOC charged his friends to play pong on our game console. Hey, it was hi tec.
Yup, TMOC was quite the enterprising young man, even at 12.
All things must change,and change they did in 1980. My Dad met someone special, and TMOC moved to Toronto with Betty and Stan. My Dad and I moved to a small town to be closer to his new "friend" I missed TMOC terribly. No more exlax hot chocolate, no more bus trips down town, no more Batman & Robin.
TMOC is in Nova Scotia now, with his fiancee. I adore her, the kids love her,and she and Hubby are kindred spirits. I've known her since I was 15. She is most definetely too good for my brother.
I miss him like crazy. I know that we're too old to play silly games. I know that he has his own life. I have my own life, too. But what I wouldn't give for one more game of pong,or a trip to the comic book store.
I'm 37 now, and he's 41. The funny thing is, no matter how old I get, I'll still be TMOC's little sister.
I wouldn't have it any other way.