Pearls and Matchbox Cars
Pull up a chair and sit awhile
November 9, 2026
Dear Friend:
If you read my recent post, String of Pearls, you already know that I've had a lifelong love affair with pearls. What you might not know is that pearls and pretty things were only one side of me. There was another little girl who loved Matchbox cars, dump trucks, baseball, and getting her hands dirty.
I am the youngest of three girls. I spent most of my young life with my brother. He is the only boy in our family, and we are closest in age. As you can well imagine, my brother did not like dress-up, playing with dolls, and all the other girly fun. So in addition to playing with all the girly things I also played with my brother’s toys. I even had my own dump truck and matchbox cars. I remember running the dump truck and matchbox cars through the mud in my parents’ back yard. We had great fun.
Another activity I loved was playing baseball with my brother and his friends. I was a pitcher and I had a mean curveball. My mother was less enthusiastic about the ground-in dirt on my clothes. For that matter she was not particularly enthusiastic about the ground-in dirt on my brother’s clothes either.
I also spent a lot of time riding my bike, skating, and pulling my brother around the block in our red wagon.
At some point my interest in toys and games waned. That is about the time my sister met her future husband. He was a motorhead and my sister and I spent a lot of time working on cars with him. Sometimes he would show me what needed to be done, and I would help. Other times, we were right there working alongside each other. I loved learning how things worked and how the different components worked together to make a car operate. And then there was the satisfaction of translating that knowledge into speed. One of our most memorable projects was replacing the transmission on a 1969 Chevelle SS. We swapped the automatic transmission for a four-speed. My brother-in-law was the brains behind it all, but I was right there doing the work.
My mother told me that working on cars would not benefit me in any way. Well, sometimes moms are wrong. I no longer have a place to work on a car, nor do I quite have the muscle for it. But when I go to a mechanic shop and they feed me a line, I know immediately.
Through it all I managed to grow into a lady, which was a complete shock to my mother. I love clothes, jewelry, shoes—oh, the shoes and boots! I have a nice collection of all three in part, thanks to my daughters. I have come a long way since my sneaker days. But despite how much I enjoy my girly things, there is still a part of me that loves Matchbox cars, dump trucks, and the smell of a well-worn leather baseball glove. I suppose that little girl never really went away.
Until next time, stay well, stay safe, and stay connected to those you love.
Be well,
Emma
Emma is the voice behind Sharing with Seniors, where every story starts with a memory. Through stories of family, friendships, music, traditions, hometowns, and life's simple pleasures, she invites readers to pull up a chair, stay awhile, and remember the moments that have shaped their lives.