1968: Fifty years ago and theBig California Trip.
It has been fifty years since 1968, a pivotal year in history, and in my life the. I was 12 about to go into junior high 7th grade. Back the we did not have any graduation or celebration, you just went. But in the romantic sense it was the first phase of childhood ending. There should have been something. But it really wasn't done other than a trip to the Detroit Zoo with the 6th grade class. Today they take the fifth graders (common last grade of elementary school now) and let go of balloons...very dramatic, as a symbol of letting go of your childhood an into teenager years. I think it is more traumatic for the parents than the kids. The parents know as the children get bigger they will cost more! And hormones? Well as the Rolling Stones sang, "Here's comes your 19th nervous breakdown..." But our parents came through with a trip to California for 3 weeks. We had a fold out camper hitched to the car. But we also would stay in a motel or two when needed for showers ...