Darian
Duncan
Emily
Evan F.
Kelly
Milo
Nathan
Richard
Ryan
Teddy
Tom D.
Tom I.
Victor

Nathan: So, who are you?

Arnold: Arnold Sye Rothenbaum, your father

Nathan: And how old are you?

Arnold: I was born in July 15th, 1952, and I am 55 years old

Nathan: What was it like growing up in that time?

Arnold: We didn't have computers or video games, so we spent a lot more time outdoors with our friends. We would play pick up baseball games and riding bikes. My dad worked and I feel that my dad's relationship with me was not as close as the relationship with my own kids. Canned foods were very popular in those days, so you couldn't get fresh vegetables in winter. So canned vegetables were common. These days though, you will see fruits that are usually only available in summer, year round, very different from when I was young.

Nathan: Any stories of growing up?

Arnold: When we were kids, we went to Florida, and there were no Inter-States, so you drive very small highways, and traveled through many small towns. You ate at small local restaurants, no food chains. You got a real sense of the differences of the people between communities in the United States. There was a lot more diversity from place to place, than there seemed to be nowadays.

I remember when I was 11 years old, and I was in Florida in school. It was November 22nd, and my teacher was called into the hall, and she came back into the room crying. I knew something was up, and was told that the President Kennedy was assassinated. We were all dismissed early, and we went home and we watched the event unfolding on black and white television

I also remember that in school we would have air-raid drills. Were the siren would go off, and we would all go into the halls and sit cross-legged in front of our lockers. With our hands clasped behind our heads, and our heads pulled forward so our elbows touched our knees as we waited for the all clear. And at times we would hear a plane overhead that was probably just a passenger plane, and we thought they were coming to bomb us. And I imaged how I would meet up with my family, if I was ever able to do so, after the atomic bomb went off. The cold war was a scary time when we were little.

When I walked around down-town, I would see signs for air-raid shelters that again made me worry about the bomb.

Nathan: Thank you very much

Interview by Nathan, USA
Interview with his father Arnold, age 55
Background: Nick C., USA

Home

Anna
Arina
Dasha M.
Dasha S.
Dima L.
Ksusha
The Principal
Sasha
Ruslan