Father's Day 1961!

On Saturday morning, June 17th, as I got out of bed my water broke! This was the due date for the baby. Little did I realize that it would be 18 hours after I arrived at the hospital before our daughter would be born! Kellee Anne Brackett arrived at 1:21 PM Sunday afternoon. It was Fathers Day and everything was normal and we had a beautiful baby girl weighing in at 6lbs 14oz. and 20 3/4 inches long. She was born at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, MD. My doctor was Dr. Daniel Ehrlich a fine Jewish obstetrician. It was a long birthing process and I had little knowledge on how birthing worked, so when the final hour approached I was given a "saddle block" and the doctor helped her out with forceps. About 6 hrs. before she arrived the Dr. had told Jim to go on home, it was going to be a while. So, being dutiful and tired he went home and got some sleep. Things starting progressing back at the hospital and the Dr. called Jim and told him to come on over but to take his time. He stopped at Dairy Queen, got a milkshake and probably talked to Chuck who owned DQ before he headed on over to the hospital. When he got there our daughter had already arrived like 1 hour ago! I remember laying in the hall wondering where he was. How I wanted to share our precious gift together. Finally, we got to do that! Kellee was beautiful with a head full of dark hair, perfectly formed with 10 fingers and 10 toes. Four days later we got to bring her home. How joyous and proud I felt to hold, dress and care for my very own child. Jim's Dad met us at the curb and asked to carry his grandchild into the house. So, baby Brackett met her Grandaddy for the first time!

My Memories

I've been writing about my memories of life from a teen perspective in the 1950's through the 1960's. As you well know times and people have changed but there is something that never changes. That is our search for significance. Probably from reading my posts you've been able to discern my search for understanding and meaning in life. I hope to be able to explain how my journey through life was affected through my own choices and God's divine plan for me. God makes the statement in Romans 8:28 that He causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. I can say Amen to that scripture! Even when I thought I was in control of my life, I had a Heavenly Father who was permitting me to go my way; allowing me the freedom to make decisions that would lead me to a point in time when He could speak directly to me. Sometimes, some of us have to go through a lot of heartache in order for us to admit we need help. I have a big Pride problem that disguises itself as self righteousness and self sufficiency. I hope to be able to record this lifetime journey accurately that my children and grandchildren will know where I have come from and hopefully avoid the hidden pitfalls I fell into but also embrace the grace that God has given me. to be continued

First Year Continues

Sunday, August 30, 2009

First Year Continued

Starting back to school to finish my senior year was definitely different than any of my previous high school years. After all, I was the only married student in the whole school! Initially, I reported to the office to let them know my new married status. I was now a Brackett and wanted everyone to know. I had my schedule and started classes on time. During these first few weeks of married life we lived with my parents. Jim would get up and go off to work while I got ready for school. My heart was not really in to finishing out my senior year, sadly to say. When I found out for sure that I was going to have a baby I made the decision to drop out. This was sometime in November of 1960. I remember going around to all of my teachers and letting them know of my decision. Mr. Byrd was my bookkeeping teacher and he did not want me to leave. He said that he would help me finish and get my diploma. Stubborn girl that I was I wouldn't listen and said no to his offer. I did not realize how significant his offer to help was. All I wanted was to be free of studying and getting up each day for school. Looking back, I can see that the early effects of pregnancy were probably taking a toll on me. I was tired and my body was changing, though at the time I was still thin and you couldn't tell by looking at me that I was pregnant. I'm sure that my parents experienced a lot of disappointment in that decision! Sometime during the Fall of 1960, Jim and I moved out of my parents home and into our first apartment. It was not long after leaving school that I got a job at Hutzler's Dept. store in Baltimore city. I didn't mind working like I did going to school. I had to take a bus into the city in order to get to Hutzlers. Some days I worked 5 - 6 hrs and Jim would come into town and meet me for dinner. I remember wearing my first maternity clothes in the month of December. I really wanted everyone who saw me to know that I was going to be a mother! During that season of my life, I was young, in love and and excited about life. I can remember that during most of my growing up years I had a fascination for babies and loved babysitting infants. I was very adept in caring for young children. I had a lot of experience with my youngest brother Greg. I was 13 when he was born and he was my special delight! Our first Christmas was wonderful and we bought gifts for everyone on both sides. The first tree was a pine, very few ornaments but lovely. The early part of the new year seemed to creep along as I was counting the days and weeks till the baby was due. The old saying, "a watched pot never boils" is exactly what it was like to wait for my baby to arrive. But as surely as the sun comes up each day, the months passed and before I knew it was June. My memories of the start of June 1961 were bittersweet. I was remembering that all my friends were graduating from high school, going to prom and all the other special occasions that graduation brings with it. I felt sad but also happy at the same time. My decision to marry and drop out of school was one I had made and many times over the years have had to learn hard lessons and to live with those choices. Three baby showers were given by friends and family and that went a long way toward chasing any blues away and brought the enjoyment of the love and best wishes from so many. We had all the essentials for welcoming our new baby. The waiting was almost over! to be continued

Our First Year

Thought this was a good day to continue the teenage saga! Today is the day after my 49th anniversary! So, hopefully my perspective has matured as many years have gone by and given me the benefit of experience.
The early years of the 1960's were filled with having three children in rather quick order, being a new wife and then a mother and learning how to do all the things that come with responsibility. My Dad was initially furious about my elopement but gradually became one of my biggest supporters! Early on he suggested we purchase a family type car (which we did!) and he also encouraged Jim to apply for a job at Westinghouse Electric (Air Arm Division). Jim passed all the tests and was soon hired in a full time position as a wireman. The salary was twice what he was making when we married a month earlier. Three weeks after getting married I found out I was going to have our first child the following June. Jim's Mom rented out her apartment to us that first year for $40.00 a month. We set up a weekly budget. We were so immature yet in so many ways we did some things right! Our budget included rent, food, no utilities because Jim's Mom paid that, gasoline, car payment, entertainment and saving for our new baby. Jim's health insurance didn't cover that because he hadn't been there that long when we found out I was expecting. We bought some living room furniture on time. Mom B. bought us a new frig, my parents a new TV and my great aunt a kitchen set. We used my bedroom furniture. My mother and father must of had great pity on us. They gave us a wedding reception in September of 1960 with a beautiful cake. Friends and family came and we received lots of presents to help us get started! We do have a few pictures of this occasion. Here is one of us cutting the cake! to be continued

Spring & Summer1960

When I arrived home from Ann's house I was totally surprised that my Dad didn't get on my case about being late. A few days later however, he casually said to me that the car wasn't driving just right and did I know anything about it. I said no and he just let it go. Oh, if I had only realized how gracious my Dad was being! Senior week at our high school was the following week from the gas station incident. All seniors got a lot of privileges during that time. One afternoon I was sitting in my shorthand class when Jim Brackett came into the classroom. All the girls perked up when they saw him! ( during those days, he looked a lot like Ricky Nelson a rock & roll singer popular at that time! As you can see from a previous post, I liked Ricky Nelson!) He said to my shorthand teacher that he needed a secretary to take some dictation. She complied and told him to pick whoever he wanted. He looked us over and his eyes landed on me! He must have recognized me from the gas station and said that he would take me. WOW! Can you imagine how excited this girl was!? Well just go back for a moment in time and hear her heart thumping? That day was the beginning of our young love. We went over to one of the biology labs and he very formally said he wanted me to take a letter to a former girlfriend! I didn't care who it was to. All I knew was in that moment I was in a state of shock and just thrilled to be where I was, doing what he was asking me to do. This teenage girl fell in love on the day she met; this personable, cute guy. Sounds crazy, I know but it's true. We started dating almost immediately. Actually, the dates consisted of driving me home from school, going to the movies, going down to the Point which was a beach where a lot of kids hung out. There was another young man I had started going with who had just given me a friendship ring a few days before. I felt really terrible about having accepted his ring. Being the honorable young man that he was, Jim took the ring back for me and explained the situation to this other guy. I didn't have enough nerve to face him. I did feel bad, but my feelings for this guy named Jim were very strong. The first big date we had was to the senior class picnic. It was here that I was acknowledged as Jim's girl and for the next 6-8 weeks we dated steadily and frequently. In July of that year I had to go with my parents to Ocean City Md for our family vacation. I didn't want to leave my new boyfriend for a whole week. ( I was afraid he might meet another girl) He was invited to join my family for the next weekend but I was still insecure. On Friday afternoon I was on the front porch of the rental house anxiously waiting to see if he would really show up. And, yes he did! He has since told me that he spent the whole week getting his car all spiffed up just to come see me and that he wouldn't have missed it for the world. Oh! what needless worry; God is still teaching me to think on what is TRUE. It was true that Jim loved me and much more than I ever realized. I still had my part-time job at the bakeshop and he had one at Towers Dept. store in the shoe dept. One evening at a drive in theater in Lake Shore MD Jim told me of his desire to live the rest of his life with me. So when asked if I would marry him I answered yes I would. As with everything else in my life, I never gave it a second thought. I was living for the moment and didn't think about what lie ahead. The pledge was given and received and the plans were formulated to accomplish a secret wedding ceremony. We knew neither one of our parents would agree to us marrying so young and especially me not having finished high school yet. This is why we decided to keep all of this a secret till after I finished school. Then we planned to tell our parents.

The Year Was 1960!

In November of 1959 I turned 17 years old. I was in the 11th grade at Brooklyn Park High School taking what was then called "The Commercial" course. The courses were geared to preparing me for an office job. Typing, shorthand, bookeeping plus the other required subjects like English, history, science and gym were what my studies consisted . Not really having any definite plans as to what I wanted to do after high school I took this course of study with the idea in mind of working as a stenographer or secretary after graduation. My parents never discussed going to college with me, but later on they said they had wanted me to go to Hood college to finish out my education. Perhaps they wanted me to become a teacher. I'll never know for sure. I was a pretty good student with A,B grades and maybe a C or two. I often wonder how kids at that age know for sure what they want to do with their lives and make their educational choices wisely! All I know is at that time in the history of my life I didn't really have a clue. (but God did and He allowed me to grow up at my own pace) Being a young teenage girl, wrapped up in herself and desiring to be popular I pretty much went along with my peers and what they were up to. At this point in time I was becoming rebelliously independent and disrespectful to my parents. I wanted to smoke cigarettes so I badgered my parents till they said ok. After all, they had given my younger brother Bucky permission so why couldn't I? One of the interests I had in high school was belonging to the Civil Air Patrol. Our unit met at the fire hall in Riviera Beach once a week. I don't remember how I got involved in this but I enjoyed wearing the uniform and going to meets where we marched. At our home station we would practice marching and listen to talks about CAP. I met a lot of different people through this organization. I believe I was only involved for about 1-1/2 years. For some unknown reason I've always liked uniforms and the discipline of the military. I went to lots of dances and parties with girlfriends and as I got older I began to have a few boyfriends. Mostly, I just wanted to go out and not sit at home on a Friday or Saturday night. I must admit I used a couple of guys who had cars just to go somewhere. One night in the spring of 1960 I was to take a girlfriend home from my house but instead of doing that she encouraged me to drive down to Glen Burnie to a gas station where some of the guys hung out! So, that is exactly what I did! She was right, there were a group of guys there that she knew. They were all seniors and some were pretty popular. One of those guys came over to my window where I was seated behind the wheel and wanted to know if he could drive my car. It was my Dad's '55 Pontiac 3 speed stick shift. I didn't give it a second thought as I got out and gave him the wheel! His name was Jim and he took the car for a ride around the block. Little did I know that he burned a few thousand miles off the tires before returning. We stayed for a while then I realized that my Dad would be expecting me home by now. We left the station and I drove her back to her house in Brooklyn. Then I drove home with a story as to why I was late. ( to be continued)