Look in My Heart and Let Love Keep Us Together.

In keeping with my weekly half a century birthday theme, this week, we are entering into my 2nd decade on earth - 1975.

"Fun Facts":

-The Unemployment Rate in the US reaches 9.2% and recession is recognized by President Ford

-The Vietnam War ends as Communist forces take Saigon and South Vietnam surrenders unconditionally 

-Oil goes over $13.00 per barrel

-Jimmy Hoffa ex teamsters boss disappears never to be seen again 

-Patti Hearst Becomes Most Wanted and is Arrested for armed robbery

The number one song for July 16th 1975 - "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain and Tenille

The number one movie for July 16th 1975 - "Jaws".

The best selling novel for July 16th 1975 - "The Money Changers" by Arthur Hailey.

For me personally, 1975 was a huge year. I started it out living with my mom, 2 sisters and one brother. (my dad disappeared in 1969.) in Mesa, Arizona. My mom died of a stroke at the end of October of that year and we moved to Alsip, Illinois with my abusive aunt and uncle, their three kids and my brother and middle sister. My oldest sister stayed in Arizona and lived with a friend of hers for the first 6 months after my mom died.

I remember the Vietnam War ending. Some girls were doing a report on Vietnam and they got to end it by telling us the war had ended. We all cheered at the news.

We saw Jaws at a a drive-in. My mom was too scared to see it at an indoor movie theater. At one point, my brother and I went to get drinks at the snack bar, and thought we were going back to our Toyota, instead two hippie guys rolled down their car window and clouds of marijuana smoke came pouring out. We ran so fast away from them.

I loved John Denver, riding my red, white a blue Liberty Bell bike with an awesome banana seat, and my kitten Priscilla, that my mom got me for my 10th birthday.

After my mom died, we moved to a Chicago suburb where I saw snow and basements for the first time,  and the streets were all beached out from being salted in the Winter. We couldn't take my kitten or my bike to Chicago, so I never saw them again. We found out that everyone in the Midwest played sports. No one I knew really did much organized sporting in Mesa, so it was all strange to me. I was never good at paying attention, which meant I sucked at most team sports, but I found out I could run. It was one of the best things I've ever done for myself and 40 years later, I'm still running today.

I also started writing a journal when I was 10. We had to keep one for school and when my mom died, I was able to work-out a lot of my feelings that way. It became more and more important, the longer I lived with my aunt and uncle and things got worse and worse with them.

I still miss my mom every day.