Grandma turned 105 today and I’ll actually be in Chattanooga in time for her birthday party on Sunday. She is a remarkable woman and the inspiration for my novelette First Flight.
I had been on a panel about research we were talking about the importance of primary sources. One of the panelists said, “Of course, you can’t get a primary source if you want to talk about the Spanish Flu epidemic.”
It suddenly occurred to me that I could, because Grandma was born in 1905. It started me thinking about all the things she had seen in her life. In the story, the main character says:
I’ve lived through two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Collapse. I lived through race riots, saw us put men on the moon, the Spanish Flu, AIDS, the Titanic, Suffrage and the Internet. I’ve raised five children and buried two, got twenty-three grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren with more on the way.
I’m not making any of that up (although I am losing track of the number of cousins I have). I mean, the things she’s seen and the way the world has changed in her lifetime is staggering. She’s an amazing woman, still sharp and interested in everything. I can’t introduce you to her for real, but the story comes pretty close.
Your grandma and the story are both awesome.
Hurray for her birthday, and for you being able to be there for the party!
And First Flight a great story too.
I just read First Flight on thursday, and am thrilled to hear that the wonderful protagonist is based on a real person. Tell your grandmother that The Internet wishes her many happy returns.
CJ (xturtle on twitter; usually a lurker, here).
I will tell her although I’m not sure she’s ever been online. But she can still can a mean batch of pickles.