The Childhood Memory of Nick LeMasters

The above photo is of Nick LeMasters with an original Joan LeMasters' haircut. I would also like to report that he still wears white collared shirts on a regular basis.

I was once again regaled by a story from my dad’s childhood. I love his stories and I love the sixties.

The other night my family and I were chatting at my brother Ryan’s house. During this time his dog Chili decided to get cozy with my mom and myself. Chili the dog is a shedder and Ryan is self-conscious about this. So, he told her to get away from us and she wouldn’t listen. Ryan then said, “UGH! Chili if you don’t stop I’m taking you on my cattle drive. Then you can see how other dogs are treated.”

My mom started laughing and said, “Where did that come from?” Ryan immediately told her that it came from her. Yes. That’s correct. When we were kids my mom would threaten us with Kindercare if we were misbehaving. She would say, “If you don’t stop this right now, we’re driving down to Kindercare, and you can see how other kids live.”

I’ve told this story numerous times over the years and was entertained to find out that many parents threaten their kids with similar actions. For some it was a “mysterious bus that will pick them up and take them away” and for others it was “Juvenile Hall.”

This is what parents have to resort to when spanking is no longer allowed by society. I did recently find out that a similar technique was being used in The LeMasters’ household mid 1960s.

Dad: I’ll tell you what. I was so gullible as a kid.
Me: What are you talking about?
Dad: Well, when I was a kid and we were misbehaving at dinner…you know throwing peas at your Uncle Tommy or something…we’d hear a knock. When we would ask what it was, your Grandma Joan would say, “That’s Tommy Joyce. He’s the Sheriff of Vallejo. If you don’t behave, he is going to take you down to the station in the back of his paddywagon.”
Me: Oh.My.Gosh.
Dad: Scared me half to death. Little did I know it was just Grandma knocking on the bottom of the table. It worked like a charm.

I’m not gonna lie to you. I’ll probably be using this technique when I have children.