25 Words Or Less
There were lots of contests in the 50s and 60s on the order of “describe [something commercial] in 25 words or less, and mail it to us with a self-addressed stamped envelope.” My mother entered constantly and sometimes won trinkets. Occasionally they used her entry publicly. She was a master of pith.
…
Never Tried
My mother taught high school French. She liked to turn left at a sign: “No Left Turn, Thru Only.” Her plan was to tell the officer, if stopped, in a French accent, “I am French; I thought it meant Thursday only.” She never got the chance to try it.
…
Crazy Drivers
Mom was convinced there was the equivalent of social media in the 1960s. Which is to say, every time she drove somewhere, the story went viral and every terrible driver in the world competed to get in front of her or behind her.