Trip to Texas-1970 During this summer, for some reason, maybe more than others I have been reflecting on the summer of 1970. Perhaps it is because of the Hayden reunion coming July 21st? The Summer of 1970, was a year after my dad died of a heart attack. My (late) Mom (Betty), age at the time, 34, and my Aunt Genie (My dad’s oldest sister), rented a station wagon and loaded me, my three brothers (Russ, Ken, and Jerry) and my three cousins, Mike, Diane and Jimmy Wierciak. I was the youngest at age 6, and Russ the oldest at age 15. To this day I look back and think, “What were those two ladies thinking?” 9 people in a station wagon on their way to Texas. I like to go to Wikipedia and retrace the steps. I remember the stop in Oklahoma where at the hotel pool, little Joey got reprimanded by the deep southern voice of a female life guard: “Young Man, Walk, Don’t Run.” I’d jump in the pool and did not know how to swim, and still really don’t know how to swim. I remember being at an Indian Reservation and being young and influenced by T.V. I did not trust them. I wanted John Wayne the Cowboy to protect me; T.V. does stereotype! Yet, Texas was the destination and we had my Uncle Bill’s (Hayden) family there and Grandma Hayden visiting when we met at Six Flags over Texas near Dallas; oh, my first log flume ride. For some reason we never found the JFK assaination site (bummer). I remember getting lost on a Galveston Beach and seeing the ocean or gulf for the first time. Water and more water and the water did not taste like water…my first experience with salt water. That is all I recall of that famous Island (The lost part still scary). However, it is Houston I remember the most clearly. I firmly remember being at the Astrodome and watching Willie Mays and the visiting San Francisco Giants play the Astros. I remember watching the movie the Alamo, one of my dad’s favorites per my mom, as a kid and here we were at the San Jacinto Monument, still the largest in the world, looking out the windows waiting (as a kid would think) for another battle to start. I am sure now at the age of 49 you could not get me to go up there. Heck, I won’t go up in the Arch. One of the coolest things was the Battleship USS Texas. We got to tour that ship; the guns were huge, the walking quarters tight below the deck and a guy saying, “This ship here kids is a symbol of American freedom.” If you look it up on Wikipedia you will see this boat has been around. The boat was big and it was in Texas. I am sure we did some other stuff, but when you are six, the highlights only stick out. I have never been back to Texas. We never really did a trip like that again. Maybe one and out was all my mom and aunt Gen could handle. Then again, trips of a lifetime cannot be repeated. Why is this a trip of a lifetime? Well, we still talk about it. My Mom was always my hero, and she and my aunt had to be brave. For, think about it; what would possess two ladies in their 30’s to put 7 kids in a station wagon and drive from Belleville, IL to Texas? I still have the souvenirs and as the youngest and the one who has lived at 1014 West Washington Street all my life, I now have my brother’s too. Thanks Mom and Aunt Gen we travelled Route 66 when it was still Route 66. WOW!
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 06:29:20 +0000
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