Citizen Me: Now We Are Seven

1953 was the first year I would really understand that the world was larger than mine! The first event was in January of that year and was the inauguration of Dwight David Eisenhower as President of the United States. I had just returned home from school and my mother had been listening to the radio. We did not have a television. She told me that there was a new President and that there was a big parade in Washington, D.C. I was not only at an age that loved parades, I was in an age where everybody loved a parade -- they were a big deal. Anyway, what she couldn't wait to tell me was that there was a baton-twirling majorette who had thrown her baton three-stories high and caught it! I loved majorettes -- big time!!! That is my memory of the President's inauguration. I was 7 and one half years old!

The second event  was two weeks before my eighth birthday -- The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, June 2 1953! It was a big deal -- even in the Colonies! I had heard all about the two sisters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret who lived far away in England where it rained a lot. My mother explained all about the coronation and that she would be crowned with a crown she would only wear once, that the crown was  very heavy and most importantly that the it would be broadcast on the radio. That was when I learned that England was five hours later than where we lived so that meant that it would be on the radio very early in the morning-- four or five o'clock. Mom promised to wake me up in time so that I could listen to it all on my radio -- I was so excited!!!

My mother had explained to me that in England the people spoke with an accent, an English accent. For example, they didn't say 'been' to rhyme with 'gin' like we did,  but English people said 'been' to rhyme with 'queen'. I was so interested in this! There I sat at that hour of the morning listening to every single word to see if she would say 'been' to rhyme with 'queen' ... and she DID! I was so happy -- even then I waited to hear if she said it again ... nope ... just the once. But I was not disappointed! Now I couldn't wait to see the movie when it came. Then I would see her say 'been' to rhyme with 'queen'!

Before that, however, came Life Magazine and it did not let me down. Never, never, never in the history of magazines has one been so perused as that issue was by me. I wish I still had it -- I would look at it right now...

And so it all began ...