The Untimely Death of the Radio Antenna

Sometime around the time that I was in the first or second grade, my brother, Ronnie inherited an old round-top, antique, radio from his Uncle Billy. Now, Uncle Billy was quite a character and lived to be 101 years old. This was after he had been told as a young man that he had six months to live. So, Billy enjoyed every minute of his life, from those six months to the ripe old age of101 years. 

In those days, the early sixties, an old radio was still a treasure for any kid. Television was relatively new, and shows were still in black and white. Most shows were westerns or game shows. Everyone was fascinated by tv, but they were quite expensive to own and many folks still relied on radios for home entertainment. And they still loved their radios.

Although radio programming was mostly music now, it was still dotted with old time radio shows, and all the kids loved radios too. Transistor radios, pocket sized portable radios, were just coming into existence and with a simple battery, one could be entertained for hours. However, these new portables were also expensive items at the time.

Ronnie tried hooking up his prized radio in the house, but the signal was mostly static. He needed a bigger and better antenna for a stronger signal. But instead of asking any grownups for help or advice, he and his friends hatched a plan to put up an antenna outside that would be attached and tethered to the house, like the new tv antennas. This particular group of friends had almost become notorious for their antics lately, and had no doubt they could get the job done. The guys decided if a big antenna was good for a tv it must be an excellent choice for a radio!

I'm not quite sure where the antenna came from, but a couple of days later, there it was laying in our backyard. The guys were always dragging something to our house that someone had given them or they had traded for. Sometimes they would do odd jobs or mow lawns, but they usually got what they wanted. Keeping in mind we were all just kids and experience was how you learned things.

The time came for the install. I don't know why the grownups didn't notice, but it was on. While the guys struggled to wrangle the antenna against the side of the house, they sent me inside to get some tools, hammer, nails, wire, whatever. They didn't plan very well is all I know. I was bad about getting distracted anyway, but when I went inside, my grandmother, had made me a tomato sandwich. As this was one of my favorite things, I took a few minutes to sit down and eat it. I had almost forgotten my outside mission, but suddenly I felt the urge to go and said to myself, “I'm really going get yelled at.” So off I went to get things. I don't know how long I was in the house, or what exactly happened. But as I headed out the door something was happening and it wasn't good!

As if in slow motion, the antenna was falling away from the house. I think it had to be fifteen or twenty feet tall, at least that's what it looked like to a six-year-old kid. It continued to fall, but it didn't land in our yard, oh no. It landed, full up and hooked, over the power lines that went across the width of the backyard. Several boys were still struggling to hold it up. Fortunately, most of them were knocked off the pole and were scattered all over the back yard. But James Alvin was stuck to the pole like molasses with electricity zapping his body. Ronnie, remembered some Boy Scout training, grabbed a wooden 2x4 that was laying in the yard and knocked him off the pole. It’s a wonder the 2x4 didn’t break his ribs, but it worked and James scrambled away like a squirrel.  But all that electricity was still putting on a cosmic show and all the insulation was melting and dripping off the lines into the yard. Power had now gone out for two blocks and neighbors began popping out of their houses. 

In due time, the power company arrived and had to retrieve the antenna off the line. Mom was just getting home from work on the bus. I just remember her screaming to the top of her lungs and then hugging everyone she could get her hands on. At this time the antenna had still been on the power lines doing its sizzle and pop.

The next day, we made the newspaper. No names were mentioned but there was a story about a power outage in West Tupelo that covered over two blocks. And just a note, the power company had to install brand new power lines across three yards!

Mom said Ronnie was grounded for life. She actually said that a lot, but she surely did hug him a lot that week. Guess maybe I should have passed up that tomato sandwich, but they still have a powerful control over me. The radio never did get a real antenna but it sat in the house for years and years on a high shelf. But Ronnie and his friends went on to even greater adventures.

Stories told among the Mockingbirds 

©Joyce Burns January 2026

Chyna Blues Press

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