Sunday, July 20, 2014

the Blitz was LOUD!

British kid in blitz


(repost)

When my son, Chris, was about five...he had a dream about the “blitz”.  
That’s correct...the long ago blitz when Hitler’s bombers were dropping all those bombs on London.
Chris woke up from the bad dream saying “the blitz was very loud”.
We questioned him later in the day...
“Do you know what the blitz was...what that meant?”
“No”. was his answer.
To our knowledge he never heard the word before...or never saw my favorite mini series: “Winds of War”
So...in an earlier life did he go through that?
Think about that.
--------------------------------------------------

When I was about five...we lived in Paris, Illinois.  That would have been about 1940 (now you know my age!)
For kids my age...Fleers Double Bubble gum was like gold.
Mr. Anthony at his small grocery store nearby would get a box or two...they were VERY scarce during the war years...and the word would spread through schools like wildfire.
We’d be lined up for it!
He would parcel out two or three small packs for each kid until he ran out.
I shop at Dollar Tree now...and when I pass the “Double Bubble Gum” still looking much today like it did in the 1940’s...my heart skips a beat.  I pick up a package just for old times sake.
----------------------------------------------
While in the Army in Germany...and at AFN Frankfurt...I took a few days R&R and caught the train to Denmark to see the sights.
On the train there were hundreds and hundreds of Danish school girls.  The only place to sit was in the midst of about half a dozen girls in each compartment. For a time I enjoyed it...but then I soon realized that about every 4th or 5th word in Danish was actually English and after listening to this for about half an hour I was basically going nuts.  I had to leave the girls and stand outside.
You know how the say a glass of milk in Danish?
“A glass milk” 
I think.

stanmajor@aol.com

No comments:

Post a Comment