A BIT OF HISTORICAL HISTORY

I just got the most fantastic reminder of my personal history as a 'demonstrator' imaginable! When asked how I got involved in the protests I've participated in for disabled rights, I've told the story of how a friend and I took our high school out in protest over the Viet Nam war in 1970. Now, I can prove it to the sceptics, thanks to Sue, a classmate who saved the newspaper clipping of that demonstratio,n which appeared in the local paper in 1970, and again in 1985, when a retrospective was done on the year 1970. It's interesting to note that the expression on my face hasn't changed at all in my 40 years of protesting! I still look as fierce today, as I did then. The one thing I do wonder about, is why it looks like I have two black eyes. I don't recall having had a fight with any one at that time! It's kind of hard to see in this copy, in the

original, it's quite clear. Ah, the memories this brings back. In case it's not clear, that's me in front on the right with one of my favorite bags at my feet, and Lise Barratta on the left. I can identify most of the ones in the rows behind us. So, there you have it! Proof positive that I started demonstrating for causes I believed in way back then, 40 years ago. Never mind, that I grew up and am now not at all pleased with my choice of a first cause. I have moved much to the right since then. My father's reaction to this was, even stranger to me then. He was not a great supporter of that war, but, neither was he against it, as so many were then, but he was proud that his daughter went out and did something about an issue she felt strongly about at the time. Having my picture in the paper WAS a surprise to him, even though, as the Chairman of the School Board he was well aware of who was behind the walk out. Yeah, I did have a cool dad.