A Little Touch of History
Recently, my granddaughter subscribed to an on-line book publisher. She gave the subscription to me for Christmas, and asked me to write my personal story this year. I am such an individualist that I really did not like the way the computer program was laid out. As I thought about it, I suggested that since I wrote my story in 2001 why not just make copies, and add my story from 2001 to present day? She was in agreement, specifying that she wanted 3 copies for her children.
As I started to get my mind “in gear” to add the past 20 years to my story, I read my book dated 2001. I really had to laugh as I read the 20 year old history book… it was hilarious! The great grandchildren will never believe that our total income in 1955 was about $60 a week! I could actually buy a week’s worth of groceries for 10 or 15 dollars! Of course that was during the1950’s economy and before children!
In 1960 we planned a trip to California to visit family. We saved up enough money to make the trip—about $250! As we drove out west, we could not believe the high cost of gas at 35 cents a gallon in the mountains and farther west. We were driving a Rambler station wagon It barely had enough power to climb some of those Colorado mountains! On our way through Utah we took a dip in Salt Lake, and let me tell you…it is salty!
We had 3 adults and 3 children in the car—one was our 6 month old baby. I only took 6 cloth diapers on that trip. I was depending on the new disposables that were new on the market. We were not far up the road when it became apparent that our baby was allergic to the new disposable diapers. So, I washed diapers at the service stations along the road—drying them in the car— all the way to California. It made for a really fun trip!
In my 2001 book I made notes of high points in American history during my lifetime. How many of these historical events do you remember?… the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1945… the atomic bomb was dropped over Japan Aug. 1945…the Korean War started June,1950…the Olney tornado May 1951… Elvis Presley hit like a storm 1950’s…Russia launched Sputnik Oct. 1957…John F. Kennedy was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963…the Beatles arrived in America 1964… first troops sent to Vietnam March, 1965…Neil Armstrong’s famous words as they landed on the moon July, 1969, “One small step for man - one giant step for mankind”…Terrible Tuesday: Wichita Falls tornado April 10, 1979…The Challenger exploded Jan. 1986 (the school teacher, Christa McAuliffe was on board}… Desert Storm (Persian Gulf War 1991)…Y2K 2000, the computer “glitch” that didn’t happen!
And of course: A day to remember… September 11, 2001, the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. My personal note on that entry: “America may never be the same.” I think I was right. Pray for America.