As a young sibling, I remember wanting what the other guy had. My parents did their best to make sure we each got one of something. I suppose when you have two children, you have to buy two of everything or they will continually fight over the one. One day my parents got my brother and I matching airplane bed tents. As I remember it, they were put together like a tent out in the yard but instead placed on top of the bed. This is one of the first memories I can recall as a child that involved imagination. The airplane tent had wings and looked as close to an airplane as could be, although these were quite dangerous since they had no landing gear. There were small windows above the nose of the plane and even little windows along the sides to see out of. It might sound strange but to us they were the neatest things to sleep in.
Who would have known that we would become little pilots that night. Occasionally one of us would ride as a passenger in the other’s plane. I know what you are thinking; how cool is an airplane bed? To us, they were the coolest. After having an airplane bed, it was hard to settle for a normal bed after that. Of course, the bed itself was just a regular twin bed. But with an airplane on top, it became something altogether different. We were thrilled with what they got us. At the same time, I was unaware that a new bed would come years later. My parents later found a wooden-framed waterbed, painted like a one of the most expensive sports cars, for sale. One never truly knows when better is around the corner!
Later my brother and I made another discovery, further sparking our creative imaginations, after my parents brought something home from the store. We found a large cardboard box in the basement. I don’t remember what it was for, but I do know it was put to a new use right away. After one of us was the first to crawl inside, our version of fort night was discovered. We collected more boxes over time and placed them next to one another. We then used blankets to cover the areas where the boxes were joined together.
The setup made for quite the production by the end of it. We paid no attention to glitz or glamour, as it was quite the kingdom for our young imaginations. It helped that we played in the dark, which made it much harder to see the actual condition of our humble castle. We used flashlights to crawl around inside and maneuver our way through its dark hallways. I’m sure these cardboard forts weren’t the prettiest sight for our parents to see but I don’t ever remember them complaining. Now that I look back on it… cheap entertainment!