When I Was a Boy

by Jimmy Johnson

November 8, 1999


Someone, I think it was “Mark in T Town” as he is known locally, posted the above old A&J cartoon on the Facebook fan page recently. For those of you who didn’t see it there or didn’t follow the links, it was the first of a six-day exercise in nostalgia that was a lot of fun, and—remarkably—came very easily to me. I’ve always enjoyed an excuse to revisit it. Thank you, Mark! (Remember: click on the link below the comic strip to see the rest.)


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61 responses to “When I Was a Boy”

  1. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    TR, “That there’s some good in the world and it’s worth fighting for.” That’s right for sure. The hundreds of thousands that died for democracy are a testament to that.

  2. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    You’re right, Jerry. Thank you for that reminder.
    And as far as 11/22/1963. I was in third grade and my class was out for recess on the playground. Suddenly everyone was called in and dismissed to go home. At 8 years old I didn’t really grasp what was going on when I got home and saw my family’s reaction to the news. My later recollection makes it seem like there was nothing else on tv until after the President’s funeral, but I realize that can’t be right.

    I know this is early, but I wish all of you God’s blessings, safe travels, good health and as much family time as you can stand. I wish I could still have the kind of Thanksgiving I grew up with, but that is gone for good. One of the inevitable parts of getting older.

  3. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    I was in my 3rd year of grad school, more specifically, getting a tank of regular at my favorite gas station [probably at 20 or 25 cents/gal!] during a lunch break. The station had either a radio or television going, and that is where I heard the news of the shooting. At the time, his death had not yet occurred.

  4. Jackie Avatar
    Jackie

    What froze in my memory were the two college professors who met on the stairway in my college following the 1962 election. Enraged, one of them pointing like he was aiming at the other, screaming “You elected him! You elected him!”

    We all froze in horror afraid of what was happening. Sixty years and I remember.

    No Mark, nothing else was on television from time it came on until it went off.

  5. emb Avatar
    emb

    I was in my 5th year in the biology dept. at BSU, but cannot remember how I learned of it. Probably Elaine phoned from home.
    Peace,

  6. emb Avatar
    emb

    Perspective re today’s A&J. They had a “life” class in the mid-’40s in a friend’s H.S., but it was an all-girls school then. In a 2019 or ’20 “LuAnn,” it was in a coed college, & the model was a hunk all the girls admired, & LuAnn couldn’t make herself look. A very pretty, laid back girl who is not a major player in the strip had also modelled previously. Her response to the other coeds’ concerns was basically, “So? I got 50 bucks.” Am guessing that would be typical today, at least in many urban settings & schools.

    https://www.gocomics.com/arloandjanis/2020/11/23

    Peace,

    1. John L. French Avatar
      John L. French

      The Luann comic sequence you refer to began in 2018.
      https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2018/04/09

  7. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Re the 11-23-20 real-time cartoon: The heck with your old classmates, Janis, let’s hear more about your “advanced figure”.

  8. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Oh, well. Apparently, ETs don’t want to talk to us anyway. Not that I blame them…
    https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3110623/brink-collapse-famed-arecibo-space-telescope-close-down

  9. TruckerRon Avatar

    Ghost: It’s just occurred to me how odd it truly is that so many in our local astronomy club are mourning the Arecibo disaster when few of us (certainly not this former trucker!) have ever had anything to do with it or any other radio or radar telescope! We’ve all read articles talking about the discoveries made there and at other sites, but very few of us have ever visited them. I guess we owe our emotional attachment to this one to a James Bond film?

    1. Ghost Avatar
      Ghost

      Yep. And don’t forget its costarring role in Season 2 Episode 1 of “The X Files”.

  10. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    A 95%-effective COVID-19 vaccine is expected to ship for US vaccinations within 24 four hours following formal FDA approval, which is said to be scheduled for December 12th.
    “All I want for Christmas is my new vaccine…”

    I discussed the vaccine with my Primary Care Physician when I saw her last week. She was encouraged by the news.

  11. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Jackie and I are rethinking our Thanksgiving Day meal plans. We will be travelling to Tulsa on the 25th for a regularly scheduled PET scan, and typically the trip, the radiotracer injection, and the procedure itself leave her pretty wiped-out for a couple of days. Today we discovered one of the local purveyors of BBQ will be serving on the 26th, so we will probably go that route and do our home-cooked meal over the weekend.
    “Burnt ends” for Thanksgiving dinner? Well, we are in Oklahoma, you know.

    1. Mark in TTown Avatar
      Mark in TTown

      Rib Crib?

      1. Ghost Avatar
        Ghost

        New Q joint in Eufaula, Hang 8. Sort of across from Burdine’s in a previous Q restaurant.

  12. TruckerRon Avatar

    All of our parents have passed, my wife’s younger sister has hosted the family dinners. This year, because she is most at risk of COVID (Crohn’s disease), we’re on our own. So, we’re down to a 14 pounder, which is going into the fridge as soon as I get home. Given the thawing advice that I just read, I’ll probably cook it on Friday. It’s been years since my wife or I have had food poisoning, and it’s my goal in life to keep it that way!
    .
    Our one married daughter and her boys won’t be able to stop by until Friday anyway…

  13. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    I had food poisoning which was my own fault because I at some cold sausage that had been left out all night at a hotel. Boy was it bad.

  14. Oldbear Avatar
    Oldbear

    Glad to hear from you emb – was starting to worry.

    Was standing in line to get booster shots — 86th Engineers @ Fort Dix when heard about President.
    We went on Alert.

    Just 2 of us (& 3 Cats) for Thanksgiving. Corned Beef cooked with Sauerkraut, Boiled Potatoes, Squash, Pumpkin Pie.

    1. Charlotte in N.H. Avatar
      Charlotte in N.H.

      Oh boy, Old Bear, the perfect meal! I love sauerkraut, and the other foods too. And not too complicated. I will be alone but daughter Nancy plans to bring me a meal.