Darlene Tracy

It could have been bingo . Yes , it was definitely bingo ! For a brief two summers in the late 1950s , my well-grounded and frugal parents lost their senses and became “ drive-in denizens .” Our old station wagon could be found parked at the local drive-in theatre two or three times a week , with the blaring speaker hung on the window . The usual quiet , still twilight of fishing at Battle River bridge was left behind in favour of trips to the movies . Our days were pretty normal — Dad and the hired man out haying and summer fallowing and Mom , a teacher , home for the summer . Mom and my sisters and I gardened , canned , and put away produce for the cold winter ahead . But , as soon as the last dish was dried and the chores finished , the family headed to the car with pillows in hand .

It had to be around 1959 because we had our gold and white 1957 Plymouth station wagon . Dad would put down the seats so we could lie down to watch the movie and catch a few naps . Where did bingo come in ? The theatre owner had a clever plan to lure patrons with bingo while they waited for the skies to darken . We could see Mom perk up with excitement — she had become a “ bingo addict .” Who were we to complain ? Besides , we got snacks and pop from the concession during the intermission . The biggest decision of the evening was what to buy . This new life was a little strange but definitely easy !

Why did these memories surface after almost sixty years ? I guess there are a few factors . The main one was an email on theremins from a retired teacher friend , but also that staying at home because of

COVID-19 has left me with far too much time on my hands . Yet another reason is the resurgence of drivein theatres during our social distancing restrictions . I hadn ’ t thought about those summers for years , and suddenly a flood of memories came back . So much has happened since 1959 , and there is so much new information to assimilate into old memories that it did take a while to sort it all out . I was able to put it all together one sleepless night brought on by a bout of insomnia . ( Please note that I refrained from using “ plagued by .”)

Many retired teachers will probably recall the paranoia that accompanied the Cold War Era , the invention of the atomic bomb , and fear of radioactive contamination . This fostered an interest in science fiction and led to a plethora of B movies capitalizing on the fear of fallout , which also created mutant monsters . Invasion by creatures from space was another recurrent theme with the ramped up space race . Titles like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing From Another World kept moviegoers on the edge of

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