Tag: boomer remembers

Boomer Memories: Missed Opportunity to Learn About Football

Back in the day I came from a small country town where basketball was the in sport.  I do not remember the guys playing football.  Later I moved to St. Louis and was busy raising my girls so I didn’t watch the game.  One night I was out with a new friend that asked if I mined meeting a friend of his.  We walked over to a table where a man was sitting.  My friend said, “Ann, this is Bill Wilkerson.”  Now in the late 70’s early 80’s I met some real Gentleman.  This fella named Bill, stood up and extended his hand for a hand shake.  He said, “Ann, I am very pleased to meet you.”

I put my little bitty hand into this great big hand was in  total awe. Of course the first thought that came into my head fell out of my mouth.  I replied, ” Wow, you sure do have the prettiest voice that I have ever heard.”  At that point everyone went into a fit of laughter and I had no idea why.  I thought I had given the man a compliment.

So my friend explained that this man Bill Wilkerson was a radio station announcer here in St. Louis and did the sports about football.  Now back in those days I didn’t believe much that any man told me so I just replied, “Well, I don’t know nuttin about no football.”  Everyone started to laugh again so I figured I would just let them have their fun since I didn’t believe anything being said anyway.  Now this man Bill was very friendly, polite, courteous and tried to convince me that he was who my friend said he was.  Mr. Wilkerson even gave me a nice compliment.  He said, “You are such a pleasant person and I have really enjoyed meeting you.  I need to send you a book about all you need to know about football.”

We had a lot of fun sitting and chatting.  There wasn’t much talk about football since I had set them all straight that I didn’t know anything about the game.  I must say they were real gentlemen and kept the conversation going about things that I could join in and laugh about.I still didn’t believe this nice speaking man was a radio announcer.

The next morning I arrived at work.  Now my co worker always listened to the early AM radio station KMOX.  I arrived as usual full of myself to tell her of my last nights fun story and how I didn’t believe a word of it.  She listened attentively.  Then she shook her head as her radio played on her desk.  Now she was a much older and wiser person than me.  When I finally shut my mouth she said,  “Bill Wilkerson the radio announcer on KMOX just said that he had met a very nice lady last night that he laughed  with but he did not get her address.  He stated that she said she didn’t know nuttin about football and he wanted to send her a book.”

Here it is Super Bowl Sunday.  I still don’t know anything about football but I am willing to learn.  If you are watching have a real good time.  If you are out and about watching and someone with a beautiful voice introduces himself as Bill Wilkerson listen up!   Don’t miss the chance of a life time to learn a lesson from one of the greatest like I did.  Also remember that you can enjoy laughter and fun while watching the commercials.  🙂

FBI honors Bill Wilkerson

Originally posted 2011-02-06 21:44:10.

Boomers Remember When

Boomers Remember When takes a look at how things have changed in our lives. A look back to soda for a dime, drive in movies, 55 Chevy, fishing, vacations, and more.

Remember when a soda was called pop and came in a small bottle called cocoa cola for only a dime.  Then there was the fountain drink that came in the paper cone sitting in a tin container as we drank it and listened to the jukebox at the corner drug store.  Today that coke cost a dollar, comes in a can from a machine as we listen to music on our I pods.

Remember the 55 Chevy that we loaded our families in to take that much needed vacation 250 miles away.  We packed a cooler, made sandwiches and stopped at a picnic table on the side of the road to eat.  Today we pack the mini van or catch a jet to fly to interesting places.  We eat at the finest restaurants and stay at beautiful hotels by the beach.

Remember when television had shows like Gun Smoke, I Love Lucy, and no remote control.  Now we have Who’s the Biggest Loser, Law and Order, Dancing With the Stars and a remote that we are constantly trying to figure out, that is if we can find it.

Remember when we went to drive in movies, rolled the windows down in our cars and sat the lawn chairs out.  Today we watch movies on our computers or go to the big cinema’s and wait for hours just to get a ticket to get in.

Remember when going fishing meant picking up a cane pole and digging up a few worms for bait and heading to the nearest water hold.  Today we shop at the Bass Pro shop for the best, the finest and travel far to find a lake that just might have some fish still in it.  Then of course there is deep sea fishing that takes a large crew on board with fine dining, nice bathroom facilities, and someone to bait your hook.  No longer do we have to be lazy sitting under a shade tree, listening to the birds, and taking a little nap waiting for a fish to bite our hook and take the bobble down.  That was disturbing since it sometimes messed up a good lazy dream.

Remember when we played marbles, checkers, horse shoes and monopoly.  Now we find the greatest games on our I phones, walk miles to play golf and ski from the top of the highest mountains to entertain ourselves.

Remember when there was a party line on the old land line telephone.  Now there is social media.  You can just sign in and read a long instead of ease dropping on a conversation of your neighbors down the street.

Yes, we boomers remember.  Was it more simple?  That is a good question for at the time we did not think so.  In 60 years I won’t be around but I just wonder about some things.  What will the youth of today remember?  What will their story be?  What mark will they leave on the world?  Will their grandchildren be fishing at all?  Will they travel on a road or highway?  Will there even be a thing called a television?  What kind of a container will hold a soda or will there be soda?  Will there still be a place called a movie theater?  Will there be a clean beach to play in the sand?

Yes, I wonder.  What will be the stories?  What will be the memories of tomorrow in our ever changing world?  Let us not forget!  Let us remember when.

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Originally posted 2010-12-19 05:22:01.