You Know You’re From Flint When…

I got this e-mail from my sister, Cynthia and friend, Rita at the same time…

You Know You’re From Flint When…

• You demanded a “feathered hairdo” after 1985
• You think the Genesee Towers is a TAAAAAL building
• You have to go to Jolly O and Skip’s before you end up at Bubba’s
• You think that traffic on Miller Road is too heavy
• You know what a coney is
• Going away to college is a choice between Mott and U of M Flint
• Saginaw is “Up North”
• Your idea of culture is The Whiting Auditorium
• You’ve been to a Generals game
• You know a short cut between Robert T and Court
• You remember Chicago 21, Rush St Wild Bill’s or The Light
• You were an underage drinker at the Mikatam (And can remember those 10 for 1 drink prices)
• The Blue Hawaiian’s are your favorite band
• You shopped at The Small Mall
• The vast majority of your family income came from “THE SHOP”
• You know what a “40” is
• You bought a record at Rock-A-Rola or Wyatt Earps (or at Hatfield’s Records in downtown Flint, Bill Lamb’s record store in the Northwest Shopping Center or visiting the record department in the mezzanine at Smith Bridgeman’s)
• You participated in a cruise at The South Flint Plaza
• You know what an Eastsider is
• You have ever ordered fries with gravy at 3 am
• You know what a Boston Cooler is
• You have had a few too many at The Torch
• Your definition of rich is a Power’s kid
• You refer to all paper bags as a “Hamady sack”
• You have heard Rosie Sing “Won’t you come home Bill Bailey”
• You have ever been sledding at Mott Park or Swartz Creek
• You know someone who had to go to the School of Choice
• You were bussed to The Skill Center
• You have bought beer at Awad’s
• You know Mt Holly has “good powder”
• You spent the day after Prom at Cedar Point
• Your Friday night party was at Circle Drive
• You put vinegar on your Luigi’s Pizza
• A gourmet meal is “two up to go”
• You remember when WFBE only aired instructional and educational programs such as “Polly Piano and Roger Rhythm” and “The News Of The Week” that you heard in elementary school
• You remember getting your picture taken in the 4 for a quarter photo booth in the basement at Kresge’s
• You remember the guy with the “bug” eyes that came up the
• elevator as the sidewalk opened up by Kresge’s You remember attending a “Battle of the Bands” at 60-Second Pizza on Clio Road
• You remember that the jocks on WTAC were “The Good Guys” and WTRX was “The Home of the Jones Boys”
• You can remember those Sunday afternoon free concerts at Wilson Park — where not only could you enjoy the music — but there was the smell of baking bread at the Taystee bakery not too far away from the park
• You can remember when Channel 12 was the home for “Rae Dean and Friends” and “Mr Magic” for the kids and “Michigan Polka Party” and “The Connie Dycus Show” for adults
• You can remember seeing “Viva Las Vegas” at the Capital Theater, “A Hard Days Night” at the Palace Theater and “Deep Throat” at the Royal Theater
• You can remember getting your “first license” at Safetyville
• You can remember going to Kearsley Park to go swimming and for the 4th of July fireworks
• Your first savings account was at Citizens Bank and you started that account with the booklet that Citizens Bank gave kids to save their dimes in
• You can remember going to Cook’s Drug Store for a ten cent Chocolate Coke or Cherry Phosphate
• You signed petitions against the antiballistic missile and the Vietnam War at Peace Watch on Kearsley Street
• You can remember the cement Indian at the Trading Post on Franklin Street and Utah
• You can remember the sign on the Miller Road Dairy on Corunna Road that read: “You can’t beat our milk, but you can whip our cream”
• You can remember going to the Friday night movies at U of M and having to tolerate Michael Moore’s speeches before the flicks
• You can remember “The Freedom Reader” (the alternative newspaper before Michael Moore’s Flint Voice)
• You remember that man who worked the cash register at Halo Burger on Harrison Street shouting out your change as “one hundred and one dollars” when it was only $101
• You remember such places as “The Beaver Trap” and “Tit City”, but never knew anyone who went in those places
• Everyone knew someone who said that Bob Seger owned that big house in Grand Blanc and that they seen him there
• You can remember as a kid playing with the white light electric eye that opened the doors at the A&P store on Dort Hwy
• You knew that if you couldn’t find what you were looking for at Yankee’s — you could find what you wanted at Arlen’s
• You remember watching “Sesame Street” on Channel 12, because Flint didn’t have a public television station
• You picked up the latest paperback, magazine or newspaper at Readmore on Saginaw Street
• You remember getting your haircut at the Barber College when it was near the tracks in downtown Flint
• One of the ways that you knew it was January was when the Shrine Circus came to IMA Auditorium
• The only bologna and hot dogs in your house had the Koegel label on them
• You didn’t associate “The Colonel’s” with Kentucky Fried Chicken or “The Varsity” with any school
• Your family didn’t eat Thanksgiving dinner until everyone got back from the Northern/Central game at Atwood Stadium
• There was nothing that could compare to a King Arthur pasty
• You can remember one or two items that you purchased at the Touch Boutique
• Juvenile home was known as “The Pasadena Playhouse”
• the only place to go for ribs and sweet potato pie was Bob and Ethel’s Rib Crib
• Weekend television on Channel 12 meant watching monster movies on “Creature Features” and scary movies with “Christopher Coffin”
• Your generation’s “Krispy Kreme” went by the name of “Dawn’s Donuts”
• You avoided driving during certain hours of the day because of “shop traffic”
• if you lived on the east side — you went to Aunt Nina’s for a hamburger and a shake
• You remember Wild Bill’s before it became L-L-T
• Halo Burger is and was the only place where you could order a cream ale with your burger and fries
• The best fish n’ chips in town were at Third Avenue Fish n’ Chips
• The two most trusted sources for weather was either the Citizens Bank weather ball or Channel 12’s John McMurray
• You can remember a Hire’s Root Beer Float (bottled by Buckler Beverage on Lapeer Road) or a ice cold bottle of M&S Red Pop or Orange Soda
• If you still remember the Paramount Potato Chip Slim Chipley jingle