What Was I Thinking!

Do you ever wonder where sayings come from like the "What was I thinking?'  My family has lots of little sayings that add to familiar sayings.  For the Rogers' side the above saying is, "What was I thinking and why did I cut my hair like this?"  If we really mess up a sentence with words out of order or something silly the response is, "Do I have a bat in my mouth?"  Or if someone is exceptionally cranky you can count on someone in the group saying, "It's just like Miss Emma says!"  If you are really wanting something to drink, "Dern it, Clay, I want a root beer!" is something our family knows the meaning.

The 'bat in my mouth' is a result of the sisters Margaret and Suzie making a road trip in a station wagon  with Margaret's three kids.  Margaret's family was, I beleive, relocating from Vancouver, Washington to Houston, Texas.  So that means there was, also, a tank of goldfish being moved in the back of the station wagon.  What were they thinking!

The tales of that trip will arise at various family gatherings.  John's goldfish were sloshed over the back during an all to quick stop.  John was horrified.  Suzie passed gas, bad, smelly gas.  She said John did it.  John was humiliated and horrified.  One night at dinner in a nicer restaurant, Margaret opened her mouth to say something profound we are sure.  Instead a loud, echoing belch filled the quite atmosphere.  This was followed by gales of laughter.  Possibly John was horrified.

But the bat thing.  Back in the early 70's station wagons had AM radios.  FM was beginning to come into its own.  No Sirrus, no tape decks, no CD players, no drop down DVD screens to keep a teen, a tween and a younger sister occupied.  The only kind of touch anything was, "He/She touched me!" delivered in a bloodcurdling scream.  Of course there were the fish in the tank on this particular trip.  The point is there was only the radio and miles and miles of miles and miles from Washington to Texas.  So listening and tuning for stations on a radio was a big form of entertainment.

Sisters came across one hip station to listen to somewhere in Montana, Wyoming or maybe west Texas.  Two DJ's were having fun banter between the songs.  During one of the bantering sessions a DJ thoroughly messes up a sentence.  Immediately he says with an effect of having something in his mouth, "Do I have a bat in my mouth?"  The sisters absolutely broke up, laughing into tears.  Can we say tired of travelling or maybe just easily entertained.  The sisters shared the story along with all the others from the trip.   And the saying stuck along with lots of good memories.

Come to one of our family gatherings sometime.  Most likely someone will either have a bat in their mouth, wonder what they were thinking of ask someone if they are needing a hair cut.  The hair cut story is for another blog.  As a matter of fact if you want, come to Mom's little apartment next week.  The four sisters will be together going through Mom's things.  Sorting through our shared lives, memories and a ton of just junk.  We really would appreciate your help.

Rogers sisters:  Janice, Margaret, Suzie and Arlene enjoying Christmas 2011.