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Posted on August 15, 2010 by June

The middle of August in Chicago land. Dog days. Hot and humid. Yet having grown up in Chicago, I know such days are typical this time of the year. I remember living in what were called sun suits (think shorts with an attached bib) and downing icy, drippy Popsicles one after the other. No air-conditioning, of course.

We had a park district wading pool, into which I remember walking until the water was over my head, before I managed to have enough sense to walk out. You had to take a long bus ride before you got to a real swimming pool, and it wasn’t acceptable in our middle class neighborhood to open up a fire hydrant and frolic in its spray.

It was hot, hot, hot. Yet we had one wonderful convenience: a back screen door. It was painted white, but it was so frequently used that fingerprints and weather had more than dulled its color. Weather beaten though it was, I loved that old door. Most importantly, it welcomed kids who might come to the door and call for me to to play. And when the weather was stifling, it allowed whatever breezes existed to enter our tiny kitchenette. We now live in what some would classify as an “uppity” suburb. The neighbors have expensive aluminum back doors that can stab you in the heel if your entrance is not speedy. Not for me! One of my favorite “amenities”, and it was not easy to come by, my old fashioned, wooden, back screen door.