There came a warm spring day in the early 1960s when the first shopping mall on our side of town had its grand opening. We were still in grade school and there was a large vacant lot behind our school. The new mall was very close to the school and the marketing people for the mall had a helicopter buzzing around the area. During recess the helicopter began to drop brightly colored Ping-Pong balls as it passed over the vacant lot. The Ping-Pong balls were numbered and could be redeemed for prizes. One of the prizes was a ride in the helicopter.
Imagine a hundred or more teachers and students from our school chasing Ping-Pong balls in an open lot! Thank goodness they weren’t dropping bricks because some of the Ping-Pong balls fell on us during our quest for the prizes. My brother ran fast and gathered enough of the Ping-Pong balls that we were able to take a ride in the helicopter. When Mom picked us up from school that afternoon, she learned about the prizes and we went to the mall to collect our helicopter ride.
The helicopter was small and could only carry a couple of people at a time so my brother and I were the first to fly away in the helicopter. The sensation was different from anything I had ever experienced and we had a great time with the friendly pilot. Mom and our sisters flew next and the pilot teased Mom and girls before landing by rocking the helicopter forward and back. I’m not certain whether our sisters remember the ride because they were probably in first or second grade at the time. I remember the ride and I still get a kick remembering that the pilot flew over a house with a swimming pool in the backyard. Mom wasn’t too thrilled when we later related the story of how we hovered over the woman who was sunbathing next to the swimming pool. What I remember is that this was a very exciting afternoon for all of us.
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