Thursday, January 7, 2016

What We Saved

In my time I saved the daily newspapers of historical events; FDR's death, JFK's assassination, the moon landing, etc. And Life and Look magazines reporting as well. They meant something to me then and I thought they would mean something to my children.

The newspapers were yellowed and brittle but they came not only from New York papers that still exist but from those that do not: The Mirror, The Herald-Tribune, The Journal-American. 

My wife saved other things; bric-a-brac from her mother's home and virtually every letter I wrote to her from Japan when I was in the army there in 1953-54. I also have several dishes and a bowl from my mother's home and the wooden chair my father used when he sat at the head of our Seder table.

My son pointed out this stuff is not “Antiques Roadshow” material. But in the antiques roadshow of our memories they are “priceless.”

We threw out some of the old newspapers. I'm saving the rest of the stuff for him. Have fun, Rob.