Binghamton---me

"Everyone has to have a hometown...Binghamton's mine."

Rod Serling

I was so pleased when my cousins told me Binghamton had Rod Serling to claim as a native son. My mom had always told me Binghamton's claim to fame was that Gabby Hayes, Roy Rogers sidekick, was the most famous person to come from Binghamton. While I wished Dale Evans no ill, I knew if she would just disappear & I could get to Hollywood that Roy, his horse Trigger & I could be happy forever watching California sunsets. Gabby would have to take care of himself.

This now gold & green apartment house is where my Aunt Alice & her kids lived on the 2nd & 3rd floors (at different times). It is the only structure whose outside I have a memory of, in "the day" the upper floors had a porch equal to that of the ground floor one today.

I was generally an obedient child but when my aunt told me not to stand on the porch ledge & went inside, I immediately did so. I still have that flaw (along with many others).e. As soon as someone forbids me to do something, I feel compelled to do it even if 5 minutes earlier it held no interest for me.

My childhood memories are usually off on distances. As a child I remember my cousin Mary walking me to Recreation Park to ride the carousel. As I left the street where my aunt had lived, within 3 blocks I ran into the park. Riding the merry-go-round with the lights & music blaring I was viserally transported bak 65 years & was little Alice thrilled at the experience.

Although I remember the interior of where my family lived by the Chenago River, I didn't have enough clues to be able to find it.