A Veteran's Journey

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)

1. Who said, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”?
2. In what movie (and who said it) did we hear: “Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away.”?
3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear:
   I’m about to give you all of my money
   And all I’m askin’ in return, honey
   Is to give me my profits

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Can you imagine…

100 years ago (1921), the country had just gotten through The Great War (World War I, the “war to end all wars”) and the Spanish Flu pandemic, yet had not hit the big depression era. World War II would begin in 20 years.

Radio was still the big communication medium (Television hadn’t been invented yet), and less than 10% of all US households had a telephone.

While the airplane had been invented only a dozen or so years earlier, not many people traveled more than a few miles outside their own county. However, it would only be a few years before Amelia Earhart would fly across the Atlantic Ocean.

And, Marion Dempsey Broadaway was born in Massachusetts.

Marion is a very special lady to me for lots of reasons. But I wouldn’t have met her and her late husband, Rufus, had I not married her youngest daughter, Becky.

BTW – we (Becky & I) celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary next month.

Marion just celebrated her 100th birthday this past week. Unlike the “big birthday bashes” we’ve had in the past, this one was “unique,” to say the least. But… we managed to pull it off (I should say, Becky pulled it off). Dana, Becky’s older brother, and his wife, Beck, drove down from upstate New York for the celebration. It was great being together, albeit social distanced apart.

Balloons, a 100 “beauty pageant” birthday sash, and “100” tiara complimented Marion’s outfit. The staff at Oak Hammock really came through.

Of course, we had cake—banana nut bread cake, Marion’s favorite. We all celebrated in a tent outside, on the grounds of her retirement community here in Gainesville. We sat on the other side of a plexiglass window for safety measures, but that was okay.

While it was a small celebration in comparison to past birthdays, it was special. Many staff and aides dropped by to sing Happy Birthday, which Marion welcomed with big smiles.

Cards? Did I mention literally hundreds of cards and Facebook “Happy birthday, young lady” wishes. Wow. It was quite an event. All in the middle of a pandemic.

Reflections of My Past

I mention this because helping to celebrate this type of occasion, it started me thinking a bit about the past. As I often say, “Life is a journey, one step followed by another.”

Let me ask you this? If you have children (we have two, both in their 30s and married), do you remember them coming home from school one day with the homework assignment: “Ask your parents what technologies are around now that weren’t around when they were your age?” That would’ve been around 10-12 years or age.

Let me think… I’m 66 now.

Back in the mid-60s, we had black & white TV and we had record players: 45s and LP “Long-play” record albums. My favorites back then (before I swung over to the “dark side” of country music) was Herman’s Hermits and The Kingston Trio. My dad loved Marty Robbins and my mom loved Ray Charles. Fortunately, both of those artists had country(ish) albums.

I remember the day when we switched from antenna TV reception to cable TV. Wow, now we had three channels we could watch. Then, the day came when my dad decided he wanted to watch the Florida Gators play Auburn Tigers on color TV. That would have been in the late 60s. I think the Gators lost. Bummer.

The funny thing… both teams’ colors are orange & blue, so having a color TV really didn’t make a difference for that game.

We obviously didn’t have computers or the Internet… or blogs or pod casts… or streaming music or Netflix. Nor did we have 24-hour around the clock news & weather.

Growing up in the 60s & 70s was much different than when Marion grew up in the 20s and 30s. And to hear her and her younger, 92-year-old sister Doris, talk about the old days, it really sinks in just how different life was back then. To hear their stories of young kids (there were six of them) growing up is a hoot. Makes us really appreciate what they dealt with growing up as well as what we dealt with at that age.

How Long?

I met Marion and her husband, Rufus, a few years after I left the Navy in 1977. I was still in college (University of Florida). Becky & I met in karate (“she threw me and I fell for her”) and had been dating for a while and I asked her to marry me–she obviously said “yes.” But it was important for me to ask her parents for her hand in marriage; I’m old school.

We lost Rufus, her husband for almost 75 years, in 2016. He almost made it to 96.

I tell you this because I wanted you to know I’ve known Marion for about 42 years… but that’s less than half her 100 year old life. And she’s still going strong.

And now, we have two grandsons, Marion’s great-grandchildren. They’ve met a couple of times “in person,” but I doubt they’d remember. Fortunately, with FaceTime and Zoom, at least we all get a few minutes together. Not the same, but it’ll have to do for now.

BTW – this is one of those technologies that didn’t exist when I was their age. Come to think of it, it didn’t exist when I was in the Navy… or college for that matter.

When I try to think about the things our grandkids are growing up with this day and age that we didn’t have… well, it’s mind boggling.

I think I’ll wait until they ask their parents what type of technology is available today that they (our kids) didn’t have when they were their age.

Oh yeah… before I forget.

Listening to the local media interview Marion, two things stand out. First, when asked what was her secret to her long marriage to Rufus, she replied without hesitation, “I kept my mouth shut.” Second, when asked by the young reporter if she had any advice for someone her (the reporter) age, again Marion replied without hesitation, “Listen to your mother.”

Sage advice from someone who’s been there and done that.

Stay safe, my friends.

Until we meet again,
Andy

Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (’73-77) and the author of several books. His newest novel, NEVER FORGET, is the story of A Vietnam Veteran’s Journey for Redemption & Forgiveness. NEVER FORGET is FREE (eBook, PDF) for all veterans. Download your FREE copy HERE.

Answers

1. Albert Einstein.
2. Hitch (2005), Hitch (Will Smith).
3. Respect (1967), Aretha Franklin; written by Otis Redding.