I am not sure where to post this note. My Son and I just got home from the CLA Show in Lexington KY, an 8 hour drive each way. We are very tired but very impressed by the CLA, I get to check another box off my bucket list. We saw a lot of old friends and made some new ones. This show is a "Bucket List item" for anyone. Thanks to all of the wonderful artists that allowed us to appreciate their talents. The other thing that was noticeable was that most everyone I saw was old like me, ( I am 80), our sport is dominated by Senior Citizens. We certainly need exceptional young folks to become interested in BP. There are a notable few young artists, we need more.
oldrcher,
I am now 85 and spent the first 11 years of my life in Northern Illinois and right after Pearl Harbor we moved into Chicago right into a German* neighborhood.I remember hearing President Roosevelts address to the nation about a "Day of infamy"i had no idea as to what had happened.As a youngster I heard the German language every day and still remember some of it.
Most of the "Geezers" at these shows are in our age bracket and developed at least some interest in history and we DID live thru some turbulent times and even as late as 1943 America had no guarantee of victory in fighting a two front war,
I remeber seeing troop trains in Chicago but the troops were German POW's and I talked to one of them,an Afrika Korps Sergeant who spoke English and didn't seem too sinister to me as an 8 year old.Good looking uniform,too.
Today,what used to be called history is now called "Social Studies" WHATEVER THAT IS.In the Germn language it is called
Zeitegechiste which means the face and story of time.Not sure of the spelling there but the idea is conveyed.
Those of us in our 8th decade and beyond have all sorts of memories and many of us gravitated to hand skills which does involve making many things including the re-creating of historical firearms and many other things. I love tools of any kind and have developed a modicum of ability to use them to earn money to live on.I still do because I will NOT sit and watch the cracks in the wall get longer nor share time with anyone who doesn't share my interests in history,guns,cars,aircraft of all kinds and steam locomotives.
For the last 3 years,beginning on 8 July 2018 I have been coaching and mentoring a young "Social Studies"teacher I met when she was working in an Aldi's grocery store here.I do NOT believe in chance encounters and I NEVER stop anywhere for 1/2
gallon of chocolate milk but that day I did and made a beautiful new friend who is anxious to learn and she is doing a good job
and has been given recognition because of the help I have given her for 3 years.She now works and lives in North Carolina but we maintain a steady contact by phone and Email.
When I told her there was more than enough evidence to prove FDR knew of the Japanese attack on 7 December 1941 she almost passed out.I also told her that on 11 December 1941 Adolf Hitler declared war on America and on that same day his best army had stalled out and was in retreat from Moscow in a blizzard and had no winter clothing. Little is any of this was or is taught in school today
These get togethers such as the CLA Show and similar venues are symbols of freedom and must be passed on as soon as
possible to younger people whom we hope will make use of it as our young friend has.
Bob Roller
