This Day in History

This Day in History: BobBIE was born! Yay! Happy Birthday! We helped her celebrate her (something)^th birthday 20 years ago today.

This week also marks the 20th anniversary of the riots in Los Angeles, sparked by the acquittal of the officers who beat Rodney King. Fifty-four people died during the riots.

You can read more on Wikipedia.

Today I'm thinking of the 54 families who lost loved ones during those days.

We were a young family then. Kevin was about 15 months old. Annette was just a gleam in her daddy's eye. We had planned a trip to Yuma, Arizona to meet up with BobBIE and Poss to celebrate BobBIE's birthday and to visit with our friends Bob and Linda. We were to drive first to the San Diego area before heading to Yuma. It must've been the second or third day of the rioting, Thursday April 30 or Friday, May 1, 1992.

Despite the riots happening, we made the decision to make the trip. Why we decided to go I do not know. I suppose family love trumps all! ❤  It was a scary, scary journey. Traffic was not moving. We were driving down the 405, just 3-4 miles west of the flashpoint at Florence and Normandie. I remember passing the exit for Florence Avenue and thinking, Holy Crap we're in it.

We had the radio on, and all we could do was listen as rioting was happening all around us in the city we were stuck in! Of course, by the time we were down there enmeshed in the traffic, there was no point in turning back. I was frightened.

I didn't write much, but here is my journal entry from a few days later:

May 4, 1992 Monday

We spent the weekend in Yuma, AZ. Going down was hellacious. Traffic in LA was unbelievable -- THE WORST -- because of the rioting in LA. It took us 8 hours (incl an-almost-one-hour dinner break) to get to Chuckie's, a normally 4-hour drive. Of course, Kevin had started an ear infection and he was a little feverish and fussy but we could not would not stop in LA. (except Mike had to pee REAL BAD , so we finally stopped.)

I remember that. We had made jokes about getting out to pee on the side of the road since cars were. not. moving. But we finally pulled off into a gas station (no rioting there!), taking care of business, and then jumping right back into the car, locking the doors, and getting back on our way.  Scary times.

Of course you know we made it there and back safely. By Sunday the area had quieted down and there was no danger.

But while we're in the Way-Back Machine, let's take a look at what else was important to the Shoe family during those days, shall we?  Happier memories, yes?

 May 4, 1992 Monday

Kevin has begun talking! In the last couple weeks he has learned these words:

-- no (his first word) (14 1/2 months) -- he sometimes still does a raspberry for "no" & most of the time just shakes his head.

-- uh oh (though he just says the "uh" part)

-- hi (inconsistent)

-- dada (for both his father & me)

-- and, most recently, juice (used several times appropriately over the weekend)

-- outside (reported by Jovanna; he stands by the door and says /ɑʊsɑɪ/)

He's great! He's talking!

Tonight he was laughing in his sleep! It was right when Mike opened the front door and came home, so I think it's like he was when he was a fetus--excited when Dad comes home.

He has taken to carrying our lawn sheep around the house, in lieu of his sheepskin. It's not real sheepskin, but Kevin finds it perfectly acceptable. 

Tonight he was so happy. I think he was happy to be home. 

And life goes on......

Kevin at Bob & Linda's. The front of his shirt reads little and the back: terror

Oh, yeah!

That concludes This Day in History.