Back Window: Recent Episodes
Michael Case Hill
Back Window is a series of vignettes about the times in life where I have drawn meaning. It is sometimes heartfelt and often humorous.
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Songs have the power to transport us to a place in the past. Whether they make us smile or wince, they often remind us of not only where we were but who we were.
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Something in our brain catalogs memories by smell. We've all smelled a food or scent or place that transported us to another time.
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Throughout our days we glory in our victories and slog gloomily through our defeats. As I get older, I have learned that our view of a winning life changes time and again. A little nostalgia, a little humor and just a dusting of sentimentality.
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Settle down, Buddy. Ain't nobody goin' nowhere! The more we grow, the slower we go. This town is too small for 30,000 0f us. I'll save the rest of the attitude platitudes for the Podcast but you can tell, I'm fed up with traffic.
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A time when we didn't want to know better and just wanted to look cool. For better or worse, it was a big part of our history.
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Episode # 100 of Back Window remembers stories and storytellers and reminds you how important your story is.
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We've passed that lost week between Christmas and New Year's Day but what do we do with this New Year?
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It's December and that means I can go seasonal again. There is an appearance by Rudolph and eight tiny... Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Nostalgia aplenty.
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What makes a place a home? While a house is a building with walls and floors, a home lives in the heart and in memories stored there. In this episode I explore places I have lived and explain what made a few of them home. What images come up in your mind when you hear the word "Home"
Thirteen was the tipping point when my interest refocused from bikes and model cars to girls. It was an awkward time, but before you laugh too loud, think about how smoothly you made it through that transition.
Everyone has a story. Actually, everyone has many stories...stories about friends, family and about themselves. Telling these stories lets re-live the events and even share those important times with others.
This one's about getting older and about a couple of hospital visits. We've all been there. Don't worry, though, I keep it light.
How will we tell the grandkids about growing up in our time? The joys of being in Elementary school.
Nothing reminds us of where we are in life like a high school class reunion. Put on your best looking clothes, tuck in that stomach and try to look important. We're going in!
No matter how much the British make fun of the name, South Carolina loves the shag in all its variations. From the Homecoming dances at the American Legion to the Carolina shores, we danced the night away to the old songs.
When time and the wind took down the big oak at the corner Tom Hall Street and Unity Street, we lost the last remnant of Central School, later named A. O. Jones School. Fort Mill Students from the 1930's into the 1970's walked the halls of the big brick school building.
I Do Love a Parade. This episode of Back Window is about some of the memories I have from the past parades. I hope it helps you recall some of your favorite sights and sounds from parades past.
This Episode is all about going out to eat so put on your favorite old shirt and let's go on a culinary visit to our past.
Growing up as Boomers, our games were simpler, This episode looks at a few of the old standards and what we took from them.
In this episode I sit on the steps of the Bandstand and watch the town grow. There are so many stories that I just might have to make several visits to tell them all.
This episode is dedicated to John McCrae, a loyal listener and good friend who we lost to illness recently. There will be laughter in heaven!
There's no plates like Home Cooking. Join me for another fat-filled journey through the land of food and memories.
What's in a Game? Shakespeare didn't say that, but if he had played golf he would have used a few more colorful words.
When we are young, our favorite places take on such significance that even their names are held in our memories. Follow me into the deep woods, along the stream and into a world left behind by the passing years.
One look and you can tell I never miss a meal. I come from good cooking and it is a tough habit to break. If you're not from around here, use this as a guide to enter the world of Southern foods. For those who grew up in the grits and gravy belt...enjoy.
Shopping ain't what it usta was. If you don't believe it, just ask Amazon Prime to take in the waist a little. There was a time, long ago and not very far away when Main Street, Fort Mill, was bustling with shoppers.
This Episode is all about bad judgement...Mine, of course. We have all ignored that whisper of common sense from time to time. When will I ever learn to stop and listen?
The new year, 2023, is a chance to make our lives all the things we dream of but as the old year ended, my thoughts went back to other times and the things we miss.
Sometimes life takes you by the hand and pulls you along. This time it took me a hundred miles.
Jack Frost doesn't have to be nipping at your nose for Christmas to be meaningful. Here in the sunny, mostly, South, we have our own ways, so deck your halls, wrap your presents and hang those memories on your artificial tree.
Sometimes Thanksgiving gets lost in the shuffle. Let's remember what it is all about.
This episode is dedicated to my true and wise friend John who passed away this morning.
The South is full of storytellers and, whether good or bad, family stories are our specialty. They bind us together and set us apart.
From paper airplanes to starting a new life, we all take leaps with high hopes and dreams. May the breeze lift you and carry you to all the places you want to go.
This episode of Back Window is about some of the places we go to renew our lives and the ways we learn what made us the people we are.
Nobody knows who first uttered the phrase, "Tell the Truth and Run!" But I've got my Reebock's on for this one. For just this one episode, I beg your indulgence and try to tell it like it was instead of what we wanted it to be.
This episode is about learning to be on our own and about finding out how much other people guide our way.
We never know, from moment to moment, where we will find the inspiration to keep us going. For the Kids, the Parents who taught us all we know.
This Episode of Back Window is all about the Great Southern Breakfast. I have been a lot of places and seen a lot of sites, but nothing brings me home like this traditional morning feast.
Before Fast Food mushroomed all over, there was Stuckey's or Mama's picnic lunch. If you would love to sit at a roadside picnic table one more time, this Episode might be for you.
Springs Park, Lancaster, SC holds lots of memories. From WWII airplanes to an Olympic size swimming pool to live performances, families and campers at Camp Springs were guaranteed a good time.
Isn't it great that life went along so smoothly and now you are right where you planned to be? Well, don't feel bad...as Robert Burns is often quoted as saying, "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Here's to where we eventually arrived.
This one's all about coaching...there's success, failure, comedy, drama and I hope a memory or two you can relive.
This episode is about memories brought back by smells and sights and sounds. I hope it brings back a memory for you too.
The late 1960's and early 1970's were difficult times for America and especially for her young men. The real cost of war is always paid for by the young.
In the early 1960's, two roads...Hwy 160 and Hwy 21 led from Fort Mill to Adventure. Let's Cruise!
Where do you go when you can't go home? There was a time when, like Michael Finnegan in the children's song, I had to begin again. Misadventures and a bright spot or two made this one hard to write.
Throughout our lives we find ourselves wishing we had this or were that. Sometimes wishes come true and sometimes they don't. This is an episode of wishes and hopes and misadventures.
We don't get a lot of snow in Fort Mill but when we do...Wait, It's been so long I can't remember what we do. Anyway, this episode offers a few memories and an Idea on how we can bring back all the fun.
Full of free advice, comments on how you have grown, relatives are a two edged sword. As the saying goes, you can pick your friends but you are stuck with your relatives. My experience was good...mostly.
It is a time to reflect and to plan, to mix sadness and joy, to see ourselves as we want to be.
I hope a few of my Christmas Memories will spark thoughts of the Christmas events throughout your life. May some part of you always listen, late on Christmas Eve, for the sound of tiny hooves.
In this episode, Hill House had a Pre-Thanksgiving breakdown worth sharing and I hope you will listen in for the mayhem. I say, again...my pecan pie did not cause the drain to back up!
This latest episodePassing the Time on a Bench on Main Street is all about how things change and how they stay the same in this rapidly growing town.
This is the 50th Episode! If you are new to this podcast, feel free to browse through the others. If you have listened before, thanks for all the support and encouragement!
The bruises are gone but the memories linger of my days with the Fort Mill Fighting Yellow Jackets. Brief unforgettable are our high school days.
Let me guide you through Fort Mill as I remember it from 1960. I was thirteen so what I remember is mostly reliable. And....We're walking.
The events of the past week led me to think about the people we idolize and how our perceptions of them change as we grow older. After all, not one of us is perfect.
Throughout life there are times we find ourselves on the bottom looking up. Where do we go from there?
Maybe music can't "save your mortal soul" as Don McLean said but it can sure raise your spirits or ease your pain. This one's all about the music that made us who we are.
With this Episode I look back at the days when Dodge Ball was a blood sport, coaches really said "Walk it off" and when I should have never put on that "Great Bolo" mask.
Amid all the testing and teaching and learning, there must be a little lightness in the classroom. Science has proven that we learn faster if we learn in play.
While I call this a Southern story, It is really an American story. This episode is about the harsh conditions and difficult times that built the character and strength of those who built our world. We complain about the luxuries our children have but forget how fortunate we are.
What time is it, kids? If you thought, "It's Howdy Doodie Time!" then don't change that dial. If you know what a "Joey Tree" is, then this episode will take you back to a simpler time. From Fred Kirby, Captain Kangaroo and Hopalong Cassidy, I bring you greetings.
If you have ever been thirteen -years-old in a small town, this episode is for you. Use it to remember all the things you learned and to look back at the childhood you left behind.
If you are looking for inspiration or a deeper understanding of life...Sorry. This is just a tale about a dog and the people who serve him. Enjoy!
Can you imagine the Typing Toom? the Cafetorium, the Band Room?
All are gone now but I remember the old Fort Mill High. Take a peek into the past with me.
With cooking shows all the rage, I believe we should pay tribute to the audience...the eaters. This week I dig deep into the covered dish casserole dinners of our past. I may not have the speed, but when it comes to food, I am a wide receiver.
Let's pretend that summer has warmed our souls and the peaches are ripe. Let's take a visit to the OLD Peach Stand
Forty miles of rocky river, rented canoes and limited experience make for three lesson-filled days on the Catawba.
On a summer day in 1960, there was only one place to be for a 12 year-old boy. Grab your suit and towel and hop on your bike. We're headed for the swimming pool.
I am proud to be a teacher. It was my profession and has become my calling in life. I taught when a Remington Selectric Typewriter was high tech and I helped usher in computers, tablets and wireless. I thought I had seen it all but my heart bleeds and my spirits soar for teachers in the age of "Hybrid Learning".
Where do we find hope in this week between the Joy of Christmas and the renewal of a new year? Maybe this will help.
This episode is full of Joy, Discovery and Memories. Christmas in the 1950's was a time of real trees, special friends and surprise visits. It is my great pleasure to offer this story in the hope that it helps you recall a simpler time of innocence and childhood. Merry Christmas, my friends.
As with every family, Thanksgiving with the Hills was always an adventure. I also try to let you know the things I am grateful for.
In this episode you get to follow small boy me around my territory in the mid 1950s. Lucky You!
Buying a car, riding a tortoise, holding a snake and riding in the Back- Back all rolled into this adventure.
A couple of times in my life, things got a little spooky and the Ghostbusters were not yet on call.
"Time is a stream I go a'Fishing in." In the vein of Henry David Thoreau, this episode is about fishing and life. I hope you take a little of your time to be out in nature and to practice a little patience with our unsteady world.
After a two week hiatus, this episode looks at growing up with a father who through all his hard work, his Marine Corps training and his life as a family man, was deep down, always a cowboy.
Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, Sometimes it seems to jump up and scare hell out of you. Anyway, whatever you believe, this is my story and I'm sticking to it.
In this episode I explore the milestones of a life restarted. After this one you will certainly know me better. Beware.
This episode of Back Window should help you understand why I occasionally seem out to lunch during a perfectly normal conversation. Enjoy.
A wise person once said "Tell the truth and run away." Maybe that is what I should do after this one. It is about my
Mother-in-Law.
This one is dedicated to teachers. I frustrated you as a student and then joined you in the ranks. There is no more honorable profession. Bless you all!
I hope my mother, dark-eyed, dark-skinned and barefoot shines through this episode in all her wondrous ways.
In this episode, your narrator begins the inevitable transition from boyhood to, well, more mature interests. Welcome back. Enjoy!
In this episode I may get a little too dramatic. I guess that's okay because it is about my adventures in community theater. Enjoy! FYI: I am taking a vacation from creating a podcast for next week. That will give you time to either catch up or at least not feel guilty about scrolling past my post..
While I try to keep these narratives warm and humorous, you might want to bundle up for this one. It is downright chilly!
This episode recalls a friend who moved away, Springmaid Beach and my value as measured in German Short-Haired Pointers. Enjoy. Keep me posted so that I know what kind of episodes you like.
With Garth Brooks appearing on the big outdoor screen, this episode is all about the evolution of the Great American Drive-In Movie. From its family oriented beginnings to its less than savory ending, the drive-in movie reflected the society of its time.
If you have ever found yourself completely inept at some new set of skills, Take heart. I will see your ineptitude and raise you complete incompetence. I enter the world of construction and escape by the seat of my pants.
The Sixties were a different time. After my high school graduation in 1966, I began to make my first forays into the real world. I would learn to be responsible but the path was not always the wise one.
This episode is a look back to the 70's and 80's when country was in and we jumped on board with the Pig Picking. Get a stick, sit down by the fire and remember the times.
In this episode, yours truly finds a bright spot amid a series of high school sports misadventures.
What goes up must come down, but not necessarily the same way. When you hear the buzz, it is not a good thing.
Music serves as the central theme when Band Geeks, Superstars, Teen Canteen and Last Dances all make an appearance. I hope this makes you remember some of your high school days. Enjoy!
The last narrative took place in the snow of a Southern winter. Summer is blazing in this story and our narrator learns lessons the hard way.
When snow blankets small towns in the South, everything goes a little whacky. During the far less sophisticated days of the 50's and 60's when creativity was at its height and sleds were rare, kids and daring adults found unexpected ways to go downhill.
Sometimes a story is told over and over and it gains a life of its own. This story is true as I remember it but I suspect that time, telling and age have conspired to enlarge some of the events. Enjoy it for what it is.
Welcome to the second Podcast of my “Back Window” Series. In 1959, my father bought a baby blue Plymouth station wagon. I was twelve and anytime we traveled, my sister and I sat in the rear facing back seat. Everything we saw was past tense. We couldn’t say “Let’s stop at that Stuckey’s” because it was already disappearing behind us. These stories, like the view through the back window, are observations through my personal window into the past.
I call this episode “Baseball, Pete’s Paddle, and Life Lessons.”
In this episode, you will wander with me through my short-lived touch with royalty, my early years in law enforcement and the lessons I learned from a "right jolly old elf"