As a child of the 60s, I recall walking to town to run errands with my dad and sister. Errands usually included a trip to Sherwin Williams and Western Auto followed by a stop at the Elbow Room. (Obviously, there were lax laws about taking kids into bars back then.)
I fondly remember the nickel pinball machine. Neither my sister nor I were large enough to play it, so bar stools were placed on either side so we each had our own flapper. My dad and his friends kept a stack of nickels for us to play while they enjoyed a few beers in an always-friendly atmosphere.
Sadly, I was still a teen when I lost my dad. With time, all the places that held memories of him were out of business or torn down; save one, the Elbow Room. Well into our adult lives, my sister and I would visit the Elbow Room, especially during times of personal difficulty. We referred to these visits as “communing with Daddy.” Somehow, being there, sitting at the bar where he had sat, having a drink in his memory brought us comfort.
After the Elbow Room closed, I found that I missed my visits there and missed the opportunity to commune with Daddy. This was the driving force behind my venture to reopen the bar.
I fondly remember the nickel pinball machine. Neither my sister nor I were large enough to play it, so bar stools were placed on either side so we each had our own flapper. My dad and his friends kept a stack of nickels for us to play while they enjoyed a few beers in an always-friendly atmosphere.
Sadly, I was still a teen when I lost my dad. With time, all the places that held memories of him were out of business or torn down; save one, the Elbow Room. Well into our adult lives, my sister and I would visit the Elbow Room, especially during times of personal difficulty. We referred to these visits as “communing with Daddy.” Somehow, being there, sitting at the bar where he had sat, having a drink in his memory brought us comfort.
After the Elbow Room closed, I found that I missed my visits there and missed the opportunity to commune with Daddy. This was the driving force behind my venture to reopen the bar.
Opening the Elbow Room is a tribute to my Dad, Don Carlos Dilley.
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| My Dad, sister and brother. That me, the short pudgy one. |
Kansas?
ReplyDeleteClose. Missouri.
ReplyDeleteAs the pinball playing sister I would like to say. Barb cheated!
ReplyDeleteI have told many people over the years that my daddy built the elbow room one beer at a time.
Cheated! You can't cheat at pinball. We weren't big enough to make it tilt. Hahaha.
Delete