The "What you need is a good slap on the back" Story

It was an ordinary day. Swimming in the murky water of the Chesapeake and playing in the sand with my brother Steve, Aunt Lois (only a year older than me), and cousins Judy and George. We are all within maybe 6 years of each other and have a great time together. We have vacationed every summer for the past few years at Crystal Beach along the Chesapeake Bay. Great place for young kids to have a good time. About an hour and a half from our home in Lancaster. The sand is yellow in color and at times very hot. You can see maybe three inches deep in the water before the it clouds over. Doesn't matter what the sand color or the water clarity is, it's summer vacation and time for fun. We have rented a house with maybe three bedrooms in it and an attached porch on the front of the house. Sleeping quarters are tight for the 9 of us. The adults usually get the bedrooms while the kids get the porch and pull-out sleeper in the living room. No TV most of the years and in one of the places we stayed we had no toilet facilities. Traveled to the rear of the backyard to use the outdoor toilet. One place we stayed had no fridge and we had to have ice delivered daily for the icebox. The kids never minded it, since we didn't know any better. I suspect my parents and my grandmother had been used to the same conditions for years before. My mom and dad, aunt Lillian (Judy and George's mom), and Nannan (my grandmother) were the usual adults that took us to the bay. My story is not so much about our experiences at the water's edge or the house as it is about a trip we took one rainy afternoon. Adults couldn't take the noise by lunch one day when it poured most of the morning. Decided to take us into Cecilton, the nearby town, and go to the movies. Can't remember what was playing and it really doesn't matter. The theatre was crowded that day, being it was a matinee and a rainy day. I sat with Nannan along one side of the theatre. She had purchased lifesavers for me as a treat. Part way through the movie I popped one in my mouth and started sucking on it. Then, for some reason, I swallowed it. Got stuck in my throat and I coughed a few times. Nannan saw what was happening and started slapping me on the back. HARD! After what seemed like forever, the lifesaver went flying out my mouth, across the aisle. Wow, was I scared. To this day I can picture the inside of the theatre and the seats we sat in. Still remember the slapping on the back and the feeling I got when the lifesaver became dislodged. Nannan was the real life saver that day! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.