42

Juni and Tom had a birthday party to attend this afternoon, so Forry and I decided it was a good opportunity for us to go see "42," the movie about Jackie Robinson's rookie year in baseball.

It is a really GOOD movie! Of course, we're baseball fans, so we might be a bit prejudiced. Set in 1947, the movie has lots of vehicles from the era, cars, trains and buses as well.

The love story of Jackie and his wife underpins the strength of Robinson in not responding to the hatred and vitriol that was directed to him by those who opposed the integration of baseball.

I'm sure the film showed only a portion of the truly offensive language of the era. There is liberal usage of the "N" word, with one very sad scene in which a young boy learns to copy his father's racism.

I only vaguely remember encountering southern segregation as a five year old child when my mother, Sister Sherry and I traveled by train to spend the summer with our Dad at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I recall Mom being told by neighbors that she shouldn't allow her daughters to play with the Negro kids down the street. And of going to the pool one hot day only to be told we couldn't swim because it was the "colored day." I always wondered if they changed the pool water ever day between the white and colored swim days...?

If you have a chance, go see 42!