Friday, February 28, 2020

#7 Life Questions

7. What kind of hardships or tragedies did your family experience while you were growing up?

Nothing too much on the family side, I guess.  Dad had the same job all the years he worked.  When Mom got the job at the bindery she worked there until she retired.  My one grandfather died when I was five and the other when I was a teenager, but they had lived long lives.  The grandmothers lived on for many years.  We lived in the same house in Fridley, Minnesota since I was five.  Mom was difficult to live with sometimes, but even that was consistent.  All three of us kids did our own thing and graduated from Fridley High School.


But on the wider view...living through the late 50s to early 70s was a turbulent time, to say the least.  Starting in grade school with the Cold War--doing the drills where you curled up in a ball under your desk to save you if there was an atomic bomb--the world didn't seem like the safest place, but we ran around the neighborhood on our own all the time and our doors were unlocked.  They shot the charming president with the little kids--shock, sorrow, and there was nothing else on TV for three days.  We had tornadoes go through the Twin Cities in 1965--watched the roof get sucked off the Jr. High gymnasium.  The year I graduated Bobby and Martin were both shot, there was rioting across the US, and police beat protestors outside the 68 democratic national convention.  My formative years--women were burning bras, young boys were burning draft cards, we watched the Vietnam War close up every night over dinner, there were riots and protest marches going on everywhere for years.  Wasn't it in 1970 they shot unarmed students at Kent State?  There was plenty of chaos in my part of the world growing up.   


But we did put a man on the moon, there was awesome protest music, and hippies who talked about loving each other and the earth.  I am still a hippy--a flower child--in my heart of hearts.  :)


The End  

13 comments:

Rita said...

Comment to get comments. :)

DJan said...

I am enjoying learning more about your life as you were growing up, Rita. I am a bit older than you but remember the era very well. I am also a flower child in my heart. You make me glad to be a hippie! :-)

Bonnie said...

We have lived through a wide range of difficult situations but then so have other generations. There will always be those things that we remember so strongly we can tell you where we were when it happened. The assasination of Kennedy as you said or 9/11. Personally, my family had several tragic situations that changed me and my life forever but it's not things I can talk about.

I'm with you on the music and yes, there is a part of me that will always be a hippie!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

What a wonderful look back. A couple of things I can relate to are leaving our houses unlocked and all us kids running through the neighborhood together. The rest, I didn't experience. I had NO idea until I started researching it last year. I really enjoyed reading about your early life and the things that meant so much to you back then. So glad you are sharing these memories with us, dear.

Anvilcloud said...

As a Canadian, most traumatic things seemed to happen in the USA. I was most certainly aware and concerned, but there was still somewhat of a separation.

Divers and Sundry said...

The 1970 Kent State massacre was formative for me. It was a turbulent time indeed.

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

My childhood was uneventful I had a mum who stayed home with the children and dad had the same job for 44yrs and I was happy and felt safe and loved

Lady Fi said...

The world still seems like an unsafe place. Enjoyed reading your story.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

I am new to your blog, Rita, coming here after reading your comments on fellow blogger Jon’s blog. This is my first comment but not my last as I plan to read earlier posts in this series. I well remember all the events you mentioned in this one as they were also part of my growing up in NJ.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Hello again Rita, I have read and commented on some earlier posts and found comments from other bloggers I also read. If it’s OK with you, I would like to add your blog to my blog list which makes it easier for me to read other blogs and also for other bloggers to find blogs. Please let me know in a comment on one of my recent posts if this would be OK with you. Thanks, Beatrice, aka Dorothy.

froebelsternchen said...

Born 1963 I also can look back to good old times.
And no big tragedy in my family...
I am a lucky girl! Just so thankful for my life so far!

Big hugs, Susi

pearshapedcrafting said...

Oh yes, Those WERE the days - so much going on...but not all tragedy, of course we were further removed from Vietnam and the killings in the USA but we had the Miner's strikes to contend with and Aberfan! Take care! Chrisx

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

Those were turbulent times that you went through. Such powerful memories to recall and share.