In the meantime my father’s trip was also an adventure. There was an accident along the way. I don’t know the details but the man who was help- ing my father with the tanker truck lost a couple of fingers in the accident and returned to Califor- nia. My dad continued on his own. Afre near- ly a month on the road he made it. He showed up in knickers and boots looking very handsome. My mother was always proud of my father’s good looks. So that was how my life began – first in pros- perity, then in dire straits. I went from Philadel- phia to California and back before I was little more than seven years old. I watched my parents struggle to make ends meet, saw their shame when their few possessions were taken away, then saw how strong they were to continue on despite the worst
economic times in the history of the United States. It was a time when the word “depression” was used to describe not only the economic conditions but the state of mind of very many people. It was a time when suicide was an almost ordinary event. My parents loved each other and they loved their children. I believe that love made them strong enough to handle the difficult circumstances they found themselves in. They also had the toughness that comes with the immigrant experience; they knew they had to work hard for anything they would get in this new world.
Mr. & Mrs. Leon and Sadie Schluger
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator