We are moving again (the last move a couple of years ago ended up not happening due to job changes, etc.), so we are going through the multitude of stuff that accumulates in spite of our best intentions. While doing so, I came across a box of keepsakes from my grandparents, which I got after they both passed away. In sharing this with you, I am both indulging in nostalgia, but also reflecting on how sad it will be for future generations looking back at us because most of our communication is electronic and not easily preserved.
Before you start reading, some explanations will help. We were living in Taiwan when I wrote this in the early ’70’s. My grandparents lived in Illinois. Telephone calls back to the United States were expensive and difficult to make. Nor were there any tools like the internet, home p.c.’s or e-mail. Stacy and Cheryl are my sisters, while Debbie Jo is my older cousin whom I hero worshipped. Clyde was a dog that used to be ours but Mom and Dad had to give him to Grandma and Grandpa when we moved into base housing that didn’t allow pets. Grandpa and Clyde, in particular, were great buddies. Finally, an “amah” was a live-in housekeeper.
I cannot, alas, replicate the handwriting on the computer, but I will faithfully follow both the capitalization, color and spelling in the original.
Dear Grandma and Grampa,
How are you? I’m fine and am feeling happy. It’s the Fourth of July here and the time is 18 min. before 9:A.M.
Cheryl is going in to 2nd Grade. I drew a picture of a Cat and it is good. Guess what? We have a dog for a little while. Stacy is go to kinderegarden. I have a bulliton board. How is Clyde? Cheryl and Stacy are fine. I am going into fourth grade and know a little division.
Is Debbie Joe there? Tell her that I’m taking sketching lessons and bowling lessons. I wish you could call us and say hi and a few other things but most of all I wish you could come over and see us. Debbie might like to here about Chinese Operas so I will tell abuot them. They are rather noisy and the singing tone mostly in a high voice. Shopping at the Exchange is fine, though I have not done it much. Stacy is bugging me for a peice of paper and just now got on from Dad. Our Amah is vacuming the rug. At night I like to listen to the Crickets and sing myself to sleep. It’s pretty noisy just now. I’ll write a story for you.
Yours truly,
Nancy Merilynn Linn
The Magic Book
Once when Language had not been invented but was just invented there Lived a Lovly maiden named Napoli. Now, once she had been free to do what she wanted but a witch locked her up. There was only one way to get her out of the cell and that was to find the book the Wisard of Os. Now a handsome prince came galloping along one day and every night came forth and Said “Come forth, Come forth please thee, Sweet Napoli.”
And she would answer
How Can I,
When Can I,
The cell cannot be unlocked by Poetry.
Countined in next Letter
Note: Alas, a follow up letter with a story continuation either a) did not survive, or b) was not written, so Napoli remains locked up to this day.
I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Have you found old letters or stories you wrote in grade school?
Thanks for a great nostalgic reminder that tells us so much about you and your family and demonstrates how much we will miss preserving from today’s read and delete world. In the downsizing we have done in the past few years, I came across several old stories and writings that I have created a special file for.
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