| Biographical Non-Fiction posted October 3, 2020 | Chapters: |
...65 66 -67- 68... 
|
  |
A hodge-podge of incidences in 1975
A chapter in the book Remembering Yesterday
1975 in Retrospect
by BethShelby
| Background The chapter contains a number of unrelated things that affect the Shelby family in 1975. I hope these short paragraphs aren't so disconnected that reading them seems confusing. |
.jpg)
In 1975, Gerald Ford was the president and Nelson Rockefeller was vice-president. It was the year disco was the musical choice of the in-crowd. Mood rings, pet rocks and Rubik's cubes were in vogue.
Citizen Band radios or CB’s were popular, and we had one in our car. The kids and I all decided on names or handles for ourselves. You weren’t interested in talking to strangers on the road. I had thought it might be fun, but when it came to actually putting my voice out there, I discovered I wasn't keen on talking either. I had much rather monitor the channels and listen to others talk. It was good for learning if there were traffic hazards or speed traps ahead.
To our surprise, Christi, who had given herself the handle, Crispy Critter, was the most vocal one of us. She learned a bit of the lingo and didn’t seem to mind communicating with truckers or whoever she could find who would talk. She’d ask “What’s your twenty?” and they’d tell her the highway mile marker they’d just passed. She’d ask if they’d seen any bears (highway patrolmen) and say “Roger that, Good Buddy.” It was an amusement for a while when traveling to Mississippi on weekends, but like every fad, the novelty eventually wore off.
*****
Often when I went shopping at one of the department stores, Connie would beg to go. Early on, she developed her own taste in clothes. If she liked what she was wearing, things went smoothly. If she hated it, it was a battle to get her to wear it. This was something I’d not encountered early on with the other children. Carol and Christi had worn the clothes I bought for them without complaining too much. Now that they were getting toward teenage years, their taste was becoming more apparent. Christi liked cute girlie looking outfits. Carol disliked dresses. She preferred jeans and tie dyed t-shirts or denim jackets. Don liked almost anything new, and if he was with me when I bought it, he insisted on putting it on immediately and wearing it out of the store.
If I had all the girls with me, I would depend on the older ones to watch Connie while I shopped. Connie was bad about getting under the racks of dresses, so that she was hidden from view. One day, I couldn’t find her, and the girls had lost sight of her as well. I panicked, thinking someone might have taken her. We searched frantically for a while, until we heard on the store speaker that there was a little lost girl by the escalator. At that point, I decided it was important that she know her full name and phone number. Every day as I drove her to Dolly’s, I worked on teaching her to repeat her name and phone number. It was a time I'd been using to teach her colors and the names of things we encountered on the way.
It was a good thing she learned her phone number, because in the future, it came in handy when something happened for which I was totally at fault. I can’t remember exactly how old she was, but she was old enough that the memory is still with her. Yet I'm sure she wasn't much older than three. That day, only Connie had gone shopping with me. I have no idea what could have caused me to completely forget that she was with me. When I left the shopping center, I didn’t even look for her. I drove home without thinking. The rest of the family was there, and I assumed that she was there as well.
What a shock, when the phone rang and the store security guard came on the line to tell me that they had a little girl who said this was her phone number. You were as mortified as I was, that I could have done such a thing. So many stories like this have tragic endings. We both said a prayer of thanksgiving that she had remained safe. I never left a store again without making sure I wasn't leaving anyone behind.
*****
Out on the lakefront of Lake Pontchartrain, there were walking trails and places to sit on the wide steps leading down to the lake. Sometimes we enjoyed going out there to watch the sail boats, yachts, and occasionally water skiers on the lake. A little farther down, was an amusement park called Pontchartrain Beach. Years before when you and I were newlyweds, we came to New Orleans when you were looking for a job, and we visited the park with your sister, Maxine. The park was built in 1928, the year you were born. Now it was a great place to take our children. Even Connie was getting old enough to enjoy it. We might have visited more often, if we had known then that in a few years, the park would be dismantled to make room for condos.
*****
In September of ‘75, Carol was in eighth grade and the twins were in seventh at Jefferson Heights Jr. Academy, the school they were attending. The same teacher taught both grades. The principal that year was Tom Hansen. Tom’s family had originally emigrated from Sweden. He and his wife came to our area from Michigan, where he had pastored a church. His wife, Paula, was from Mississippi. When she and I talked about our common state background, we were shocked to learn that we were second cousins although we had never met. This made me realize that our world isn’t such a big place after all. Tom and Paula had three school-age boys and the youngest became Christi’s first crush. I guess you could say they were kissing cousins. At least, I heard that happened once.
*****
I was still involved in the local Pathfinder club. In November, other Pathfinder groups from the Southwest, planned a camporee in Athens, Texas. Our club voted to attend. As the deputy director who had a large van that would hold a number of kids, I was expected to go and drive. Since Connie was too young, we left her with you to take care of over the long weekend. The drive was long and tiresome, but our group finally arrived. The weather was nice, and the kids got out and pitched their tents, before joining the other groups for games and competitions.
I didn’t bring a tent, because I had no intention of sleeping on the ground. It was inconvenient enough to have to go out into the night to the outdoor toilets. I parked my sleeping bag on the built-up section in the rear of the van, hoping to be able to sleep throughout the night uninterrupted. That night a cold front came through. The sleeping bag was not even close to warm enough. Throughout the night, kids kept banging on the door and begging to sleep inside to survive the frigid temperature. By morning, there was no room to move around in the van. Kids were sleeping everywhere. I had no idea Texas could get so cold. I vowed that the next time anyone mentioned a winter camping trip to me, I would have other plans.
*****
You and I were serving on both the school board and the church board that year. It was the first time either of us had served, and we were shocked to realize that even Christians can become very verbal and outraged over minor issues. Some people felt theirs was the wise voice of reason, and they should have the final say. Others seemed to enjoy arguing just for the sake of expressing opposing opinions. One issue that was raised on the school board involved whether or not one of the teachers should be dismissed.
The case against him was that he seemed overly friendly with the students, and that he sometimes patted them on their back or put an arm over their shoulder. A lot of students didn't like him for giving a lot of homework or punishing them. They used the fact that he dared to touch them to get the parents on their side. Some of the mothers were up in arms. Nothing he had done was sexual in nature, and he was not there to defend himself. We felt it was wrong to terminate him on unfounded charges from a job he needed badly.
You were particularly turned off by the attitude of a female teacher who had never liked the man, and who acted as though our opinions didn’t matter since we were new on the board. You and I discussed whether or not we wanted our children going to this school the following year.
Having three children attend this private school was very expensive. In addition to tuition, we had to buy textbooks and uniforms. The school went through tenth grade, but the students were encouraged to attend a boarding academy for their high school years. This meant a lot of the eighth graders would be leaving next year. We weren’t ready for any of our children to go away to school. We felt the home environment was best until they reached college age. It was a decision we would need to make before another school year began.
Citizen Band radios or CB’s were popular, and we had one in our car. The kids and I all decided on names or handles for ourselves. You weren’t interested in talking to strangers on the road. I had thought it might be fun, but when it came to actually putting my voice out there, I discovered I wasn't keen on talking either. I had much rather monitor the channels and listen to others talk. It was good for learning if there were traffic hazards or speed traps ahead.
To our surprise, Christi, who had given herself the handle, Crispy Critter, was the most vocal one of us. She learned a bit of the lingo and didn’t seem to mind communicating with truckers or whoever she could find who would talk. She’d ask “What’s your twenty?” and they’d tell her the highway mile marker they’d just passed. She’d ask if they’d seen any bears (highway patrolmen) and say “Roger that, Good Buddy.” It was an amusement for a while when traveling to Mississippi on weekends, but like every fad, the novelty eventually wore off.
*****
Often when I went shopping at one of the department stores, Connie would beg to go. Early on, she developed her own taste in clothes. If she liked what she was wearing, things went smoothly. If she hated it, it was a battle to get her to wear it. This was something I’d not encountered early on with the other children. Carol and Christi had worn the clothes I bought for them without complaining too much. Now that they were getting toward teenage years, their taste was becoming more apparent. Christi liked cute girlie looking outfits. Carol disliked dresses. She preferred jeans and tie dyed t-shirts or denim jackets. Don liked almost anything new, and if he was with me when I bought it, he insisted on putting it on immediately and wearing it out of the store.
If I had all the girls with me, I would depend on the older ones to watch Connie while I shopped. Connie was bad about getting under the racks of dresses, so that she was hidden from view. One day, I couldn’t find her, and the girls had lost sight of her as well. I panicked, thinking someone might have taken her. We searched frantically for a while, until we heard on the store speaker that there was a little lost girl by the escalator. At that point, I decided it was important that she know her full name and phone number. Every day as I drove her to Dolly’s, I worked on teaching her to repeat her name and phone number. It was a time I'd been using to teach her colors and the names of things we encountered on the way.
It was a good thing she learned her phone number, because in the future, it came in handy when something happened for which I was totally at fault. I can’t remember exactly how old she was, but she was old enough that the memory is still with her. Yet I'm sure she wasn't much older than three. That day, only Connie had gone shopping with me. I have no idea what could have caused me to completely forget that she was with me. When I left the shopping center, I didn’t even look for her. I drove home without thinking. The rest of the family was there, and I assumed that she was there as well.
What a shock, when the phone rang and the store security guard came on the line to tell me that they had a little girl who said this was her phone number. You were as mortified as I was, that I could have done such a thing. So many stories like this have tragic endings. We both said a prayer of thanksgiving that she had remained safe. I never left a store again without making sure I wasn't leaving anyone behind.
*****
Out on the lakefront of Lake Pontchartrain, there were walking trails and places to sit on the wide steps leading down to the lake. Sometimes we enjoyed going out there to watch the sail boats, yachts, and occasionally water skiers on the lake. A little farther down, was an amusement park called Pontchartrain Beach. Years before when you and I were newlyweds, we came to New Orleans when you were looking for a job, and we visited the park with your sister, Maxine. The park was built in 1928, the year you were born. Now it was a great place to take our children. Even Connie was getting old enough to enjoy it. We might have visited more often, if we had known then that in a few years, the park would be dismantled to make room for condos.
*****
In September of ‘75, Carol was in eighth grade and the twins were in seventh at Jefferson Heights Jr. Academy, the school they were attending. The same teacher taught both grades. The principal that year was Tom Hansen. Tom’s family had originally emigrated from Sweden. He and his wife came to our area from Michigan, where he had pastored a church. His wife, Paula, was from Mississippi. When she and I talked about our common state background, we were shocked to learn that we were second cousins although we had never met. This made me realize that our world isn’t such a big place after all. Tom and Paula had three school-age boys and the youngest became Christi’s first crush. I guess you could say they were kissing cousins. At least, I heard that happened once.
*****
I was still involved in the local Pathfinder club. In November, other Pathfinder groups from the Southwest, planned a camporee in Athens, Texas. Our club voted to attend. As the deputy director who had a large van that would hold a number of kids, I was expected to go and drive. Since Connie was too young, we left her with you to take care of over the long weekend. The drive was long and tiresome, but our group finally arrived. The weather was nice, and the kids got out and pitched their tents, before joining the other groups for games and competitions.
I didn’t bring a tent, because I had no intention of sleeping on the ground. It was inconvenient enough to have to go out into the night to the outdoor toilets. I parked my sleeping bag on the built-up section in the rear of the van, hoping to be able to sleep throughout the night uninterrupted. That night a cold front came through. The sleeping bag was not even close to warm enough. Throughout the night, kids kept banging on the door and begging to sleep inside to survive the frigid temperature. By morning, there was no room to move around in the van. Kids were sleeping everywhere. I had no idea Texas could get so cold. I vowed that the next time anyone mentioned a winter camping trip to me, I would have other plans.
*****
You and I were serving on both the school board and the church board that year. It was the first time either of us had served, and we were shocked to realize that even Christians can become very verbal and outraged over minor issues. Some people felt theirs was the wise voice of reason, and they should have the final say. Others seemed to enjoy arguing just for the sake of expressing opposing opinions. One issue that was raised on the school board involved whether or not one of the teachers should be dismissed.
The case against him was that he seemed overly friendly with the students, and that he sometimes patted them on their back or put an arm over their shoulder. A lot of students didn't like him for giving a lot of homework or punishing them. They used the fact that he dared to touch them to get the parents on their side. Some of the mothers were up in arms. Nothing he had done was sexual in nature, and he was not there to defend himself. We felt it was wrong to terminate him on unfounded charges from a job he needed badly.
You were particularly turned off by the attitude of a female teacher who had never liked the man, and who acted as though our opinions didn’t matter since we were new on the board. You and I discussed whether or not we wanted our children going to this school the following year.
Having three children attend this private school was very expensive. In addition to tuition, we had to buy textbooks and uniforms. The school went through tenth grade, but the students were encouraged to attend a boarding academy for their high school years. This meant a lot of the eighth graders would be leaving next year. We weren’t ready for any of our children to go away to school. We felt the home environment was best until they reached college age. It was a decision we would need to make before another school year began.
 Recognized |
I'm continuing to recall memories of life with my deceased husband as if I am talking aloud to him. I'm doing this because I want my children to know us as we knew each other and not just as their parents.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. 
You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.
© Copyright 2024. BethShelby All rights reserved.
BethShelby has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
