The Joy Of Old Family Photos

And I do mean old. When my mother came to live with me here in Denver, we brought along all of the family photo albums - not to mention a van filled with a heck of a lot more stuff - and I periodically go through them and relive old memories. Of course, a lot of these photos are a lot older than me, such as the one on the left, which due to my extraordinary psychic abilities, I believe was taken on July 7th, 1937. The photograph is of my parents, Mary and Nelson, taken three years before they got married, back when they were dating. This was during the depression, when nobody had any money, and so they had to find things to do that they could afford, such as dining at the White Castle, or spending a day at the Indiana dunes on Lake Michigan, where this picture was taken. The dunes, now a national park, are just a short drive from the South Side of Chicago. My mother used to tell me that even though they had no money, they always had a great time. In fact, it was the happiest days of their lives.

Another photograph I like, seen on the right, is of my parents and my sister Susan, back when my mother and Susan took the train from Chicago down to Abilene, Texas, to visit my father, who was in training after being drafted, much to his surprise - at the age of 35 - into the army. Susan fondly remembers that train trip, but is not sure what year this photo was taken, and my psychic abilities have deserted me on this one. I suspect it was 1944, but that is only a guess. That would have made Susan 2 years old. Not too long after, my father was sent to Okinawa, working as a dentist in what today is known as a MASH unit. My father hated being a dentist, but actually liked being in the army. For four years he didn't have to go into the office every day. Happily, he was able to retire in 1976, when he and my mother moved to Stuart, Florida, and was able to play golf  and enjoy life for the next 7 years. We all wished he had lived longer, but at least he had those years of happiness. I am very glad for that.