A journey back in time …
Wow…did that take me back in time. All the way back to the 1940’s when I was seven. We lived in Plainfield, New Jersey … my mother, dad and 4 older sisters. We girls were all born in an 8 year period so you can see that we were close in age and all of us in school at the same time. Can you imagine 5 girls getting ready for school with only one bathroom in the house?
Of course this meant that we had to get up early and our dad had devised a plan to make this work. He was a production manager in an advertising company in New York City and was up very early every workday morning to catch a 7:30 train to the City. So, at exactly 5:30 AM he would turn the radio on (LOUD) to his favorite station which was completely dedicated to nothing but Sousa marches.
The minute I heard “Semper Fidelis” this morning I was once again that little girl scrambling to get to the bathroom first …amid cries of “Oh, Dad”, “Turn it down” and “I’m going back to bed”. I loved being the first one down for breakfast. It was our special time … just Dad and me and Sousa’s marches.
posted by Ginnie at 1:28 PM
9 Comments:
I have a vague recollection of once seeing a movie about Sousa.
I combine the old with the new. I have Sousa marches on my iTouch. Perfect music for speed walking! But I'm not so keen on waking to the sound.
How interesting. Sousa marches take me back to my childhood also. We had a teacher who played them on days it was too nasty to go outside for recess and we would march all around the room to get exercise. It was fun.
As you know, I also grew up in Plainfield, NJ, though it was not in the 1940s, yet I was wondering which radio station played Sousa marches.
When I was a teenager, I was not listening to Elvis on my record player for hours. No I was playing Sousa's marches.
Years later, when my husband was commissioned a brand new officer, I had the pleasure of seeing the Marine Corps band play and march at the USMC headquarters here in Washington, DC.
Thanks for remembering Sousa. Although we don't hear stirring marches much anymore owing to the country' turn to isolationism, it is important to remember our military, and Sousa, and his music.
What wonderful memories! I can believe those minutes alone with your dad were so precious.
What a nice memory of having regular alone times with your father.
Ginnie..what a fantastic memory to hold. This has me giggling with delight. Your father must have been quite a character! I love this.
I remember my grandmother playing the music. I am not a big marching fan. But the music is great for parades.
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