In the summer of 1959 my mother heard about the Oregon Centennial and was determined that we would go to Portland to see the exposition. She had her own memories of the 1939 World’s Fair at Treasure Island, and she wanted us to have a similar experience. So the six of us set off in […]
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Tag: childhood
For my dad on Fathers’ Day
We will not say “sayonara” to you; we will not let go of the small, good things you taught us to love, like the sound of the river, the buzz of a fishline spinning out after a fat, freckled trout. Or cold, dark mornings when you lured us from sleep with a single, whispered word: […]
Working at Christmas
When I was a child, I was eager to work. It seemed like a “grown-up” thing to do. I helped at my dad’s wholesale business, first on Columbus Avenue, and later, on Bryant Street. I put stamps on envelopes and got rides on the handtruck when my sisters were around. (In reality, my dad was […]
Religion
I discovered religion at the age of six, when my best friend Joanne’s parents asked me if I would like to go to Sunday school with her. I would have done anything to be with Joanne. After spending the first five years of my life being the youngest and smallest in the family, always tagging […]