I grew up with Polish parents in Toledo Ohio

in my youth i grew up with Polish parents, Polish grand parents on both sides, with Polish neighbours. the holidays were awesome.everyone would get together, polka, play cards, eat alot of great food. and i had some great influences during this time. however, looking back, i can see how i took it all for granted.like most kids i really thought nothing of my heritage. it was there. ya know? now in my 40's with most of my grandparents gone, my mom gone, actually her whole side of the family gone, and just a few of us left { my dzia dzia off my dads side, dad, brother, and two sisters} i miss those times. my wife's not Polish. a little of everything other than polish. l.o.l. , my first son from a previous marriage, well i call him a polebilly. l.o.l. kind of a cross between a polack and a hillbilly. he gets a kick out of that.not to say the holidays aren't nice nowadays, i just miss all that great polish get togetherness with the polkas and occasionally a band and stuff.as i was reading in another forum, i thought of a few things that seem to have disappeared. like czarnina, man i loved that stuff, but i haven't ever been able to find ducks blood since ive been a adult., the polish station i grew up listening to as a kid, well, its no longer available anymore. i was looking. l.o.l. kind of miss those songs like roll out the barrel, and shes too fat for me. that was fun stuff.i remember dancing in the kitchen with my busia angie.the tavern my dzia dzia danny used to take me too when i was 5 years old is long since boarded up. he taught me how to shoot pool there.it was a place called the Buckingham palace.they had live bands every weekend.and bingo on Sundays. l.o.l. after church hours of course.i was lucky.i had a chance to experience those things, those people, everything. today is alot different. not bad, or anything. just alot different. sure miss those days. kaz

where did you grow up kaz?

south side of Toledo Ohio. in the old Polish neighbourhood.its alot different now. its more like a ghetto anymore.the small but beautiful homes are all run down. actually i drove past my busias old house where i grew up for the most part. its in bad condition.i didn't stay too long because its dangerous to hang around there anymore. kaz

places change... one way or the other... i grew up in a part of London that sounds very similar to how you describe your old neighbourhood as now... thirty odd years later this is now one of the most desirable areas in London... it used to be a dangerous place but it also had an atmosphere and sense of community that was great to grow up in... now it's just full of people who walk out of their house and get into their car... no kids playing in the street... no *life*...