Letter: God make us all simple again

Editor, The Friday Flyer:

First of all, I am not oblivious to the problems we now face in America. I taught in a lower-economic area of Montebello Unified Schools for over 38 years and I have seen my share of deaths of my students and home violence. And with hatred and violence now that is prevalent everywhere, I find myself looking for answers that I do not have. So, I have reverted back in my memory to what truly made me happy.

I yearn for the days when I saw the great Willie Mays catch those baseballs over the shoulder in center field or Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris hitting those home runs for the New York Yankees. I want to see Norm Van Brocklin throwing TDs to Elroy Hirsh.

I still listen to the great Ella Fitzgerald sing “A Tisket, A Tasket.” Oh, and the wonderful voice of Nat King Cole singing, “Unforgettable.” I tune into the Dominoes singing their rendition of “Stardust.”  There are no better movies than “Gone With the Wind” or Casablanca.” I remember Hop Along Cassidy telling children to be good citizens and to obey their parents on television.

And then to top this off, this memory still creeps into my dreams. Myself and a good friend, Wayne, went to the local drug store and sat at the malt counter. We only had one dime! Not embarrassed, Wayne asked the waitress how much a cup of coffee would be. She said, “10 cents and a nickel for a refill.” Wayne looked up to her and said, “We will have two refills!” I still love that line.

God make us all simple again.

— Paul Parque

Letters to the Editor are an opportunity for residents to voice opinions and comment on city, POA and other community issues. Letters are limited to 300 words and one signature per letter. Neighbor/customer disputes or testimonials, letters directed to other persons and political letters directed toward an opponent will not be printed. Readers are reminded information presented as “fact” may not be factual; and if anyone has a question, they are urged to contact the appropriate POA, City of Canyon Lake, Canyon Lake Police Department or other entity to receive a clearer understanding of the issue. Letters should be emailed to news@goldingpublications.com or submitted at fridayflyer.com and click on Submit News/Photos. Deadlines are Tuesdays at noon.