Letters from Marcy #1: 29 December 1964
Marcy wrote this when she was 21 years old. She was attending Antioch College, which had a co-op program in which students would spend a few quarters doing practical work elsewhere; in this case, she was on her way to Arizona to teach at Keams Canyon, which I think is and was part of the Hopi Reservation.
Here’s the letter (which I previously posted as a blog post):
[pencil: 12/29/64]
Accept or not as you will, but I'm typing this in a plane
about to take off from Austin, to San Angelo to somethin'
else, to El Paso, where I'll have about an hour's layover to
look up an old friend from school, thence to Tucson
(pronounced too-sahn) to stay with Rhodes, Carolyn's
boyfriend and an old friend of mine, and his family and get
the driving test out of the way. ..... fgoog. god bless
dramamine. this is a prop flight (propellor) which is very
cheap and quite bumpy. My milkshake and paanutbeuuter, no,
peanutbutter crackers are coming out of my ears and may
xxxxx come out elsewhere pretty soon. The hop from San
Antonio to here was pretty damn rough. No, nobody minds if I
type--they can't hear it.
Reason is, that Carolyn just got accepted to the peace corps
and had to go back to school early, so her mother wouldn't
let her take three more days to drive me to Tucson (we are
pretty much flying on the left flank, which happens to be
the side I'm on, and is a teensybit x disconcerting.)
anyway, her mother won't get to see her for two years after
June, so she's a bit reluctant to give her up. (it is a FINE
looking world out there. nothing but miles and miles of
nothing but texas.) (and clouds, below us for the moment,
that really ARE torn tufts of cotton, and the sun drawin
water through them, and we go through q a t thick greay-blue
one, and are out and above and free )..............
anyway, the bus would have cost about ten dollars xxxx less,
and taken about 22 hours longer. total plane fare $45.45,
because I got part of the flight at half-fare, being under
22. (the part from san antonio to El Paso) I still do not
face with equaminity the wonder of flying, of being above
the clouds and in the blue part of the xxx sky and just some
thin cirrus streaks above us and then the stratosphere, 'way
up there. Stewardess says we're at 8000 feet, which isn't a
lot, but it ain't a little either.
Mexico was glorious. We drove to Monterrey, stayed in a
luxurious motel, ate out at a very very posh place (due to
Carolyn's family being extremely well off) and drove up a
high, fine mountain--with pines and firs and the whole
valley spread out beneath. Saw some fine cactus and all
sorts of beautiful crafts and exciting people. Carolyn's
family used me to buy their liquor, as they're only allowed
to bring in a quart apiece, but I'm from out of state and
allowed a gallon. Mrs. Awalt is a very sweet, charming
southern lady, a lady all the way and a very very shrewd
businesswoman. She runs a whole string of food concessions,
and has done it all herself since her husband died nearly 8
years ago. Makes a damn fine living, with a new cadillac
every year. (Ick! I dislike big cars--I'll take a new
Hillman Minx every year, thanks, or a new Karmann Ghia every
5 years. The latter is the Volkswagen sportscar. I'LL take a
new Volkswagen every 5 years too, if anyone is so
interested.)
Today is Tuesday, 4:30 pm. I'LL be in Tucson by 9 tonight,
and in Keams Canyon by saturday, I think. We were in Mexico
saturday and sunday. Yesterday, two of Carolyn's friends
from High School came and took me on a grand tour of the old
missions, San Juan Bautista, San Jose, San Francisco Espada
(Sword)....they were really fine places, the last one was on
a river, and was falling apart and exciting. We saw the
Alamo, numerous times as it's in the heart of San Antonio,
but it's said to be very boring and no one cares to go
except the greenest tourists
How is the stereo? I have lists and lists of records
(mentally) I wish I could rush xxxx right out and buy for
you, and a few I'd like to buy for me...all of which I'm
sure you'll hear at the end of March or thereabouts, when I
get there.
what else have I done....hmm. Listened to lots of live
Flamenco, played by some old friends of Carolyns friends
friends etc. Ate more rich expensive food than I care to
think about, and gained xxx some weight in the wrong places
in the process. Drank tequila, which x is very good in small
dosages. Rode around the countryside. Went shopping in San
Antonio's Better department stores and bought mostly nothing
but some slacks and a bathrobe. Had an awful xx turkey
dinner for christmas day, and a good texas steak last night
and a lobster in Nuevo Laredo, mexico and veal steak in
monterrey and a preponderance of shrimps everywhere. Haggled
in a Mexican Market, for earrings and a silver ring (15
pesos, or $1.26, about) and had a glorius time altogether.
We're losing altitude fast, approaching San Angelo. Next
stop Odessa. Time to take a nap.. .....what a weird, pretty
city this is.
[handwritten] and what a messy touchdown. Plop. We are now
(in theory) spread out all over the runway and our pilot
loses his job.) and there is black ink all over me.
3 cheers for Trans-Texas airways.
Love,
Marcia
[handwritten on back] YEEK! No envelopes. Keep hoping - if
you see this you'll know I found one. Happy New Year.
Postmarked Tucson, Dec 31 1964. Written on front of envelope, probably by Marcy’s mother, Ethel: “Rec’d this 1/2/65.”