My daughter, Krystal, is getting ready for her first parade as Loyalty Queen in 1983. To win, she delivered a patriotic speech about America, discussing the Founders and what it means to be an American. The VFW in Ravenna, Ohio, sponsored the event. She was 14 at the time. It led to her winning three times.
Loyalty Day began in 1921 as Americanization Day and was renamed Loyalty Day in 1955 under President Eisenhower to promote patriotism and counter May Day’s association with labor movements and communism.
If the neighborhood looks rundown, it’s because it’s an old neighborhood. It can’t be seen, but my daughter is facing the first home we owned. It’s where I lived while attending law school, studying in a small room where an old man had died. It was bought from an estate; he was probably the previous owner. Back then, you could buy a small home for $17,000.
Our neighbor, Ron, who owned the car, is smoking and talking to my dad. I have no clue who the other girl is.