Things I Miss about the Lubbock of My Childhood

Lubbock, Texas will always be my home, even when my address is hundreds and thousands of miles away. A blog post I authored years ago listed some of my favorite things about Lubbock. In this blog post, I remember a few things I remember about the Lubbock of my childhood, fond memories and small blessings that are no longer enjoyed, but a great part of my childhood.

1. Ham's Convenience Store at 29th Drive & Slide Road. My friends and I would drive our bikes down to ham's several times a week, and daily during the summer, to buy soda pop and baseball cards. Great times! Sadly, Ham's has stood vacant for many, many years.
2. The Rocket Ship playground at Maxey Park. The contemporary Legacy Play Village is probably much grander, but I remember so many afternoons playing at Maxey park when I was 4 or 5 years old. That rocket ship was so cool.
3. The big fountain at South Plains Mall. It was always the highlight of visiting the mall, especially at Christmas time, when Santa Clause sat on his big chair right in front of the fountain.
4. The cotton fields surrounding the L.C.C. campus. It's all developed now, but all that "open" space made for a great playground when I was a kid.
5. Jose's Cafe. I can still taste the enchiladas after all these years. Muy Beuno!
6. The Naval Reserve Center on 4th Street. My dad's office for many years. I waved at the President (G.F.) from the curb outside that building and can remember running through the corridors and playing in the gym.
7. Furr's Pie Kitchen. Is any explanation needed?
8. The Traffic Circle on old Avenue Q. I know the grown-ups hated it, but as a little kid I was fascinated by it.
9. The Golden Horseshoe Drive-In. I still remember watching Caveman and many other movies there from the front seat of my parents Ford LTD.
10. The old Southside Church of Christ. That's where my family attended until I was 10 years old. I remember a lot of fun times spent with the church.