I’m reminded of another time. Richard Nixon was President. The country was off balance. Anti-war protestors were loud and everywhere. May 4th, 1970 is a  day etched into my memory.

I was watching the speedometer, about to tell my mom she was speeding, when she burst into tears and pulled over. The Kent state murders were breaking news. Four students shot dead by members of the Ohio National Guard. Allison Krause was one of them. Her aunt was a friend of my mother’s from a long ago life in Pennsylvania. She also knew Allison’s mother. Her overwhelming grief was too much for me, never having seen a grownup bawling with their entire body.

I did not understand what was happening to her. She tried explaining while gulping down tears. “Was Allison a hippie?” Hippies were a wonder to me. I knew about Vietnam and that hippies were against the war. Years later, my mom told me........

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