Nobody we knew really had a lot of money. Most of our family and friends lived pretty conservatively. The United States was (and is) the land of opportunity. Hard work and big dreams ruled.
We were just kids, Lynda and I. We attended the same school in California before we moved to Guam where we, again, attended the same school. Our father, Bill, wore an Air Force uniform to work everyday. Mom, Joanne, was raised in a very poor family and appreciated her new life as a military wife. She adored our father and he adored her. They cherished us kids, although we were a handul at times.
On television we watched "The Donna Reed Show", "Leave it to Beaver", "Bonanza", "Captain Kangaroo" and "Howdy Doodie". Most of the time, tho', we played outside.
In December, 1960, our family took the 36hr flight to Guam. I'm sure it was difficult for Mom to leave her family in California, but she never let on to us kids. She was ready for a new adventure. Our sister, Traci, was only 19 months old when we made that long journey. There were two stops along the way. The first was Hawaii and the second was Wake Island. Guam was like Disneyland to us. We dressed in shorts, t-shirts and zoris, even at school. Tarague Beach was amazing! White sand, palm trees, coconuts, hermit crabs and sand castles. There was a way cool cave where tables were set up for the squadron picnics. This cave is featured in "Guam Adventures - Mystery of the Cave".
From Guam we moved back to California, but this time we were only an hour or so from Los Angeles and Mom's family. Sadly, her father had passed away while we were on Guam, but her brothers and her sister were there. We didn't move into military quarters right away, but lived in a community outside of Riverside called La Sierra. Lynda was in Jr. high by then and she and I started going to separate schools. We had a little brother, Mark, who was born on Guam and little sister, Kim, was born before we moved into military quarters at March Air Force Base.
We were all about music in those days. The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Supremes, The Temptations and too many others to name. We learned the words and harmony to all of the most popular songs. Singing was like breathing, a gift we inherited from our parents.
Lynda and I both entered high school in the Moreno Valley school district. When I was a new freshman, just discovering boys and getting used to being in school with the big kids and Lynda was a junior with a steady boyfriend, we got the news that we were moving again. This time it was to a cold, snowy place ... Goose Bay, Labrador. Lynda thought it was the end of the world and I was none too happy about it, either. I'm not sure how the other 3 kids felt about it, I couldn't hear anything outside of Lynda's crying and carrying on.
The first day of school at Goose Bay was a shock. We were in temporary billeting on base and waded through several feet of snow to board the school bus. (In fact, on our way to McGuire AFB, where we would catch the plane to Goose Bay, was the first time we witnessed snow falling from the sky. It was pretty cool.)
Our time at Goose Bay AFB turned out to be one of the biggest blessings of our lives. Everybody knew everybody and we made life-long friends. Our parents allowed us more freedom within the bounds of curfew. School was more a social gathering to us (as our grades reflected), which extended to the youth center with its weekly dances, the ski slope, bowling alley, gym, theater and the basement of friends' homes. Lynda and I are both married to wonderful men we met there.
Dad retired from the Air Force in 1971. We lived in Indiana at the time, and Dad was stationed at Grissom AFB. Life would never be the same for Lynda and me. We were kids of the 60s. Adulthood arrived with the 70s.
In my opinion, the 60s was the very best decade in which to be a kid. Our parents didn't worry about predators, violent tv shows or video games, too much sex on screen when we went to the movies, which we did a lot. We respected our elders, held our hands over our hearts every morning when we recited the 'Pledge of Allegiance' at school, we built tents out of blankets draped over trash cans in the carport, played hopscotch, hide-n-seek and 'Mother May I'. We ran across the street on pavement so hot it took our breath away. We rode the shuttle bus to ballet lessons and the bowling alley. We crossed our hearts and hoped to die, and meant it. We also both experienced first kisses and fell in love in the 60s.In "Guam Adventures - Mystery of the Cave", Lynda and I wanted to convey a sense of innocence and endless possibilites. In "Guam Adventures - The Darkened Light", we will once again lead readers through the jungle, caves and mystery that surrounded Jo and Susan on the island of Guam, when they, and we, were children of the 60s.
You can own your very own copy of "Guam Adventures - Mystery of the Cave". Go to www.createspace.com/4008187. Join your friends in reading the adventures of Jo and Susan.
