July 9, 2012

There were 6 posts published on July 9, 2012 (this is page 1 of 1).

Letters to Grandma: 05 March 1988

[Note: Read this post first for an introduction.]

This was the first letter I wrote to Grandma while I was in the Navy. Reading it again, I found my description of boot camp surprisingly apt: “long days and short weeks.”

At the time I had no real clue what a cryptologic technician did but my guess wasn’t too far off. What I didn’t know at the time was before I would leave boot camp, my “A” school would be switched from Pensacola to Ft. Devens, MA. I still got to “P-cola” after A-school but it wasn’t as much time to visit Grandma as I had first anticipated.

1300 05 March 88 [age:19]

Postmarked Orlando, FL

From:
SR TURNER USN xxx-xx-xxxx
C096 DIV 3
RTC ORLANDO, FL 32813-6100

Dear Grandma,

Hello from Orlando! I am enjoying my stay here at Disneyworld, but after three weeks here, I still haven’t seen Mickey…

Funny, but even though I’ve been here for 3 weeks, it seems like yesterday when I was a civilian. The best way to describe it here is the days are long and the weeks are short. When I “pass in review” on April 7th, I’ll wonder where the time went.
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Letters to Grandma: July 10, 1981

[Note: Read this post first for an introduction.]

This is a lively letter, to be sure. Today I have no idea now what the “gimmie five” stuff was all about.

Charlie and Krista are my Florida cousins.

July 10, 1981 [age:12]
10:57 AM

Dear Grandma,

Thank you for keeping us noisy, bratty kids over at your house. I bet you’re glad to have the television all to yourself! Sorry we used up all your paper! Gimmie “five” from you and “five” from Krista and “five” from Charlie and send it all in a check down to my house.

Ha-Ha!! Well, “good numbers” to ya (love and kisses in CB talk) and I hope your headache has gone away (ME).

Your Grandson,
John Mark Turner [signed]

[below is an ink spot]
My Pen Busted.

[in big letters at the bottom]
FSU

Letters to Grandma

An unexpected package arrived in the mail for me today from my Aunt Nancy. In it was a bundle of letters I had written to my grandmother over the years. Aunt Nancy had collected them and mailed them out to their respective authors.

My aunt also included a note, part of which reads:

“In this age of electronic communications, there may not be much of a permanent record of your life. But, these letters are part of your history. You can enjoy them … or throw them away. I just thought you should be the one to make that decision.”

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Benjamin Franklin

Last week Netflix delivered us a DVD that neither Kelly nor I could remember adding to our queue. It was the PBS documentary on Benjamin Franklin and it offered just the thing to do on a hot Fourth of July.

Ben Franklin was born to invent. He invented constantly and reinvented himself constantly as well. He was intensely curious and never afraid to fly by the seat of his pants, comfortable with figuring things out as he went. Without his unique skills, the United States would not exist.

The more I learn about Franklin, the more I admire him. The documentary really brought him to life, too. It reminded me again how Franklin was one of the greatest Americans ever.

I’ll have to find time to read his autobiography.