Early Years

Early Years

I am on the leading edge of the Baby Boomers. I was born exactly three months after the first official Baby Boomer entered the world, March 1, 1946. I was either going to be Susan Lyn or Linda Sue. My mother chose Susan Lyn and decided on the one "n", as a bit of a rebellion to the usual spelling. That's my mom and me at the top. Well, actually, I was going to be named Michael, as they thought sure I was a boy. I would have been one of the gazillion Michael's to have come into the world post WWII. Instead, I was one of the gazillion Susans to appear. In the second grade, there were 5 of us. I remember that because each of us Susan's had a different variation. There was a Susan, a Susie (which is what I was called at that time), a Sue, a Susan Marie (or whatever her middle name was, I forget.) and me, Susan Lyn. I truly did not like to be called that, as it sounded like somebody was mad at me all the time. At the end of that school year, I became the Susan that was sick and threw up in the hallway on the way to lunch. That night I had my appendix taken out, and my classmates sent me get well letters written on huge pieces of brown paper that we used for practicing our handwriting. "Dear Susan Lyn," they wrote, "I hope you get well soon." That was nice, but I really hated the Susan Lyn.

I do remember this. I was in that big, fluffy all in one snow suit kind of thing, and I got in that plane, and then got stuck and couldn't get out. I panicked and was having a fit, and my mother took my photo! This was not my plane. But I wish that it had been and still had it. Probably fetch a great price.

Today I'll leave you with this photo of me and my proud mom and the hairdresser who gave me a permanent wave THE DAY AFTER MY THIRD BIRTHDAY! Now, I ask you, who does that? Well, my mom, obviously. My thin, straight hair must have really bothered her. So for awhile, I had thin curly hair.