My Younger Self

I'm not sure how old I was in this photo - but I'd guess two or three years old...

Seeing it takes me back to the apartment we lived in until I was six. It was above my father's garage - in Hay Lakes, Alberta. In spite of its lack of amenities, I spent a happy childhood there.

The apartment had three rooms - but no bathroom! There was an outhouse out back. Water was pumped outside (with a hand pump) - then carried up a tall flight of stairs. I guess dirty water was carried back down the stairs and dumped somewhere in the yard...

I once shared a few of these childhood memories with a class of adult immigrants I was teaching. They were shocked!

In Canada?! Was life really like that?!

Canadians didn't always have running water and electricity, I told them...

How old are you?! one of them asked!