Today I've selected a photo that I may have used before. It's one of my favorites. This was probably snapped in 1945 either before my parents were married or just after. It says a whole lot about both of these young people.
My mother was a country girl who went to the big city. She had been living and working in Montreal - a pretty uptown place then and now - as a secretary. As you all know, my mother was very style-conscious. However, I'm not sure that even in those more formal days, this would have been appropriate fishing attire.
My dad was a small-town guy just back from the war where he had seen a whole lot more of the world that he ever thought to. I remember him being very happy to have the opportunity to hunt and fish. He loved to have a dog to take with him. I also remember going fishing with my father. OK...I wasn't that much into it. It wasn't the worm or the hook or even the awfulness of actually catching the fish. It was the boredom. Just sitting on a rock for hours waiting for the fish wasn't this girl's idea of a good time. After my first try, I always brought a book. Now that I'm older and wiser, I can see the need that my dad probably had for a quiet afternoon by the river. He was probably glad I brought a book.
I'm always amazed at how young they look. My dad would have been about twenty-one. He had already been overseas, taken his place in the fighter planes and yet he still has the face of a boy. This new start must have been an exciting time for them both.
And I wonder who took the photo?
4 comments:
I do like your Fifty Fridays posts. This one really makes me smile because I feel I've gotten to know your mother a bit through these columns. I love that she's dressed up a bit for fishing. No waders for her!
Is that dog looking for a belly rub from your dad?
You raise an interesting point. No wonder people from their generation seem so much older and more responsible at such young ages---they had already lived through a war. How quickly that awakens one to the realities of the world. Your parents were very good looking. And I can tell your mother was stylish. But, yeah. Not really fishing attire. LOL
It's so great to have a glimpse into the past like this :-)
I know the feeling of spinning too! And at the moment it's a bit too fastand too dizzying, so I'm trying to slow things down just a tad.
Love the picture, and your Mum does stand out as a very stylish lady.
It's horrifying to think of what your Dad had already been through at such a young age.
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