History was one of my favorite subjects in school (I rule in Trivial Pursuit!). I always knew that two Atomic Bombs had been dropped in Japan to end WWII. I never knew that the plan had been to drop NINE A-bombs on Japan. NINE! I can't even fathom what that kind of devastation could have been.
Vol. 17, No. 7 [Kay]
Sunday
August 11, 1945
Dear Gee, and dear family
Guess I’ll just have to succumb to getting hell for using this paper, cause I just plain ain’t got any of the regulation size. Rose gave me a sheet yesterday and I came home without it. I firmly resolve to sin no more—at least on that score.
Looks like Gee may get her open wish that V-J day would be here by “another round or two” of the chain. Do you all agree that the counter-terms are good ones? I do—because the Emperor can be used as a tool to accomplish Allied objectives. I am writing this letter about the exact time of Pearl Harbor was struck on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 7, 1941. “No announcement yet” the radio keeps reporting. I just finished listening to the University of Chicago Round Table on “Atomic Energy.” 1:30 every Sunday, and verra good!
Pawya got off on her vacation at noon. Mr. Lipscomb picked her up, to take her to meet the people she is caging a ride with to Capon Springs. R.H., David and I had a good weekend visit with Dan and his loves two weeks ago. You can see from the pictures attached this round how precious his babies are. And they are! The four of them are in N.Y. this weekend. Fancy their (atomic) energy!
I can appreciate Shan’s proposal on our individual reactions to the chain, because just this time, even before coming to his letter, I experience the subconscious reaction of listening to a group, each one having his say, and that’s that. Without comment or further discussion on what each had said—this particularly applies to the “topic.” Otherwise we all seem to artfully acknowledge personal topics, insofar as space permits. (Even though I agree with Rose on the merits of precise, effective expression, maybe one page is too limiting for achieving the best results of a chain letter the size of ours.)
I believe I suggested sometime ago, shortly after the topic feature was injected, that we each devote a paragraph, in addition to the suggested one, stating your reactions to the other individual reactions. This would be done, for example, only when it is your turn to suggest the topic to be discussed, at which point you have had the opportunity to read and digest all comments. I believe also that no one commented on this suggestion.
During this round, if we all hadn’t given thought to post-war problems before, we were certainly made aware of some of them. Thus our minds grow and our hearts, and souls. I thought Gee’s point, and her question to Dan on it, were interesting, and that he should have elaborated on it, if he felt the chain permitted at least some brief comment, and perhaps some helpful suggestions on how those interested in the subject might best pursue it, in his estimation.
P passed the topic to me and I suggest, since world affairs are for the moment keeping everyone planted in mid-air pending Tokyo’s answer, that we keep the subject open on how to improve the chain even further than it has been developed. I don’t think we should adopt a cut and dried statement as to whose letter we think is “best,” but that we should think up less direct ways to establish an alertness to each other and still keep within confines of chain requirements as to space, etc.
You will be glad for a follow-up on Paulie’s report that Rose was ordered to bed for a few days. We spent yesterday afternoon and evening over there and she was without pain when we left, and expects to get up this afternoon (per Howard this a.m.) The doctor prescribed some neat pills at $4.00 a dozen. I’ll let her announce her reactions to “Roseanna.”
Sarah, did you take Shan again? Lal reports you all are having fun. Things look better now for that reunion—with Dick and Don’s chances of being available improving—Don and his gang are O.K.
Geezer, we are still looking forward to your fall visit. Also that of the boys anytime they can make it. I repeat P’s sentiments on the Columbus O’Connors. Gene, why don’t you settle here instead of Calif?
Goodbye for this time, with love
K.
in the present day…
Budgets are due soon at work. I have been crunching numbers non-stop. There is a game in corporate America. It's called "Figure out how much you need for the next fiscal year and then pad the budget so when they cut your budget, it is the number you really needed in the first place." Surely we are fooling no one, but I suppose we feel like we won when we get our target number approved and the finance department feels like they have done their job when they cut our budgets. Everybody wins...I think. ;)
cool name! haha, i have the same one. just wanted to shout from one bird's nest to another ;)
Posted by: robin | March 25, 2008 at 07:48 PM