I bought this ragged old map at a yard sale a few days ago and was surprised to discover when I got it home that it was a map of North Dakota, ca. 1904. I moved to Williston, North Dakota in 1959, and arrived the same night that Buddy Holly died in a plane crash. He himself was enroute to Fargo, North Dakota that night. I have a very vivid memory of us arriving late at night in our 1957 Buick station wagon. My little brother and sister were asleep in the back seat with me, and my older sister was sitting between my parents in front. I remember looking out the window in awe of the northern lights and thought that I was in the land of Eskimos. My second grade class had been studying Eskimos just a week or so before we moved from Texas and my teacher had told me that I might see northern lights in North Dakota. Sure enough, I did, however, I was a little disappointed upon finding out I was still a long haul from any igloos or Eskimos.
The next day the moving van arrived and we went to our new house while the moving men carried in all our furniture. My sister invited an old friend over to see her. We had lived in Williston briefly back in 1952 during the first big oil boom in the area so my parents and sister already knew a few people. That was when I found out about Buddy, because my sister and her friend were talking about it.
The next day my Dad took me to enroll me in Central School. I had dreaded that moment, being the "new girl". But the kids were really great. I noticed right off that I was about to freeze because the coat I had was not warm enough for North Dakota winters, plus I didn't have any snow boots. After school that day my Dad picked me up and took me to a shoe store next to the Piggly Wiggly and bought me a pair of red boots. My joy knew no bounds. Red boots! One of the best moments of my life. Funny how the simplest of things could make you so happy when you're a kid.
No comments:
Post a Comment