Just a few days ago we replaced our back door, the one leading out to the patio then, into the various areas of the backyard including of course the in-ground pool.
In that pool, some of our Grandchildren who now live in Scotland, but then lived in Tennessee, had their first opportunity to swim. Some were very small then.
There was a time when the (then) four of them were staying with us and for various reasons neither of their parents were with them.
As a concerned Grandpa I pondered how to make sure none of the adventuresome, and they were that, Grandkids wandered into the backyard and the pool area without adult supervision. I imagined the horror of one of them drowning in our pool.
I was proud of my innovative and inexpensive as well as effective solution.
It is the hook and eye latch you see pictured. I “installed ” the latch at the top of the door where none of them could reach it. I bet it didn’t even cost me five bucks!
Fast forward to this week, as Alberto and his crew were installing our new door he handed me the latch which would’ve never kept out a serious burgler, and asked “do you really want me to put this on the new door?”
Trying to explain why it had even been on the old door, I laughed and said “no.” I doubt he has any idea how many memories his question brought back.
You see, two of those Grandkids are now university students and two are I’m High School.
A latch I can still purchase for less than $5 is no longer needed to keep them from getting in the pool.
They’ve grown up, and it would be nice to have them come agsin and get in the pool.
I remember when that little device was the security system for our house. I guess there may have been locks on the doors, but I don’t recall ever seeing any keys or not being able to enter or exit because a door was locked. I lived across the street from Don and we had great neighbors around us which I’m certain allowed our parents to feel locks on doors were more to keep children contained within than to keep miscreants out. Those were indeed different times than today…
Different times ….
👍
You took me right back to those times as well. Wonderful memories. I have always enjoyed/relished my times in Hooker. Funny what something as simple as a latch can ‘unlock’ in our memories. Thank you!
Thanks for your comment and for reading. That’s good, “latch unlocking memories.” An “across the street” friend from back in the day recalls that a similar latch was the only lock they had on their door.