Holiday writing jogs timeless memories

By Steve Blackmon [a long-time Kiwanian]
My mom died when I was 14, and I had a little brother [Harris*] who was not quite seven at the time. It fell my lot to be his caregiver since my older sister [Norma] was in college. The stores stayed open until midnight then, and my older brother [James]was always with Dad [Jim*].
[*Also long-time Kiwanians.]

On Saturday nights after I milked the cow and had supper, we would build a fire in the cookstove, make candy, and listen to the Longines Hour of beautiful classical music. Longines was the “Timepiece of the Airlines.”

When I graduated from high school in 1943, Dad wanted to give me a Bulova watch from Ellington’s Jewelry in town, but I told him I wanted a Longines and that it could be bought at Bush Jewelers in Athens. He gave me the money, and I rode the bus to Athens and bought my watch for $55 – a lot of money at that time [retail price now of the pictured  Longines is $1,400, sale price $645].

About four years ago, I wrote the president of Longines USA and told him the story of my watch along with the serial number and how my love of classical music came about through the Longines Hour in 1940. I also told him about its going through the washing machine but that it was perfect after it was cleaned by a jeweler immediately.

He wrote me back that he had personally researched my watch and that it was billed to Longines USA on February 15, 1943. I bought it in May. He sent me a Longines carry-on, a CD, two coffee-table books about the famous people who wear Longines watches, and a Longines cap. He also stated that he was sending my letter to the world headquarters in Switzerland because they enjoy stories like mine.

My Longines watch is still running and keeps good time, but I have to remember to wind it every day.

(Steve Blackmon wrote this as one of the Learning In Retirement Memoir Writing group’s holiday memories assignments. Group instructor Anita Latimer submitted it for publication.)