August 16 is a date I always remember.
Partly because it is the birthday of my beloved grandfather Clair J. Moore. Grandpa took me fishing in the early 60s. We always had fun on his little fishing boat in Lake Erie outside Toledo. My Mom was his adopted daughter and I was her only child and Mom was divorcing my Dad in 1963 so grandpa and his wife Aunt Lorine took me with them on their two week vacation to the upper peninsula of Michigan in a log cabin next to a river bordering Wisconsin where we fished every day. Good times!
But mostly I latched onto remembering August 16 after Elvis died on that date in 1977, then I learned it was the same date when Babe Ruth died in 1948. Two icons of American life, both men remain for me the epitome of greatness. Babe died the year before I was born but my Dad loved the Babe (but hated the win too much Yankees) so I always loved him too!
I was really more of a Beatles guy, but Elvis shook my awareness in the 50s when he appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and made everybody swoon. By 1977, Elvis had journeyed across our consciousness sufficiently to achieve the lofty status of superstardom. His death hit the world hard coming as it did too soon with stunning shock.
RIP Babe & Elvis! You too Grandpa!
No comments:
Post a Comment