By Rev. C.J. Barry Kentner
Going back to the 1930s, I was born in the middle of the Depression; in l935. Next week I celebrate my 90th birthday. There’s a lot of living in between the time I first remembered, and now I’m forgetting things; things of great importance such as making the bed in the morning!
If my wife of 67 years is awake, I make it. If she isn’t then I forget. However, I do not forget breakfast, dinner, or supper. Nor do I forget morning devotions and going for the mail.
I also do not forget the trivia of days long gone by…such as my father’s first beauty salon which he opened in l936…after a career of selling permanent waving machines in the counties across southern Ontario. Or World War Two…when I was growing up.
At the age of 9 I learned how the family of an ordinary soldier who was missing in action, or dead, was notified by a telegram, while a ranking officer’s family was notified by a commanding officer of some kind in a staff car which came to the house. It was a real blow to a 9-year-old. But I suffered a number of blows over the years…and a lot of good times as well.
During the war years, I remember cereal boxes with “cut-outs”. You cut the plane, or gun, or boat out, and if the tabs survived you could put them together and you had a plaything.
Or there were cereal boxes and Cracker Jacks with rings, jewelry, and other novelties. How many items can you remember?
Take the time to think back on what you had said 30, 40, or 50 years ago…maybe even longer. Like Radio Shows such as Soap Operas. They were called “soaps” because every one of them was a vehicle to promote Rinso, Super Suds, or Lifebouy to name a few. And everything from shampoos and cosmetics to Longeine Wrist watches and jewelry was fair game on Radio Commercials. Do you remember the famous “B-U-L-O-V-A—BULOVA WATCH TIME SIGNAL”? I love playing Trivia because among other things it keeps the mind active. The mind is like an onion; you peel it from the outside in. The freshest part is peeled off first… which means short-term memories are so common ….while long-term memories are more permanent. Here is a tip; If you have a friend or relative with dementia or alzheimers try playing trivia with them…you might be surprised at the result
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