After
graduation I taught 5th grade for four years, two in Covina and
two in the San Jose area. For our teaching team, I taught the
Great Books series and the Encyclopedia Britannica Spanish lessons.
A cameraman from a San Jose TV station followed me around one
summer when I spent six weeks studying Spanish in Mexico.
DeForrest and I were married at Claremont United Methodist Church
in 1963 by Dr. John Cobb (who, it turned out, was famous in his
field) . Our son, Alan, and his wife, Miriam, live 40 minutes
away in Redwood City. Our daughter, Roberta, and 13 year old granddaughter,
Sharon, live 20 minutes away in San Jose. When our children were
growing up I did lots of volunteer work with their schools, dissecting
organs for the Berkeley Project, raising money for the Kodaly
music program, and putting together Grad Night parties for high
school seniors.
For the past ten years DeForrest and I have attended the big Comdex
computer shows in Las Vegas every November. We look forward to
those trips. I enjoy volunteer work, and singing in the church
choir. I’ve been the co-editor of our church newsletter for
18 years, and DeForrest joined in when we switched from the typewriter
to the computer. We have just turned the job over to a new team.
I’ve also edited two photo directories for the church, and
two books of meditations written by members of the congregation.
Since DeForrest and I both attended Pomona, we have a special
fondness for the place. I am still amazed by the far-reaching
influence those four years have had on our entire lives. I found
it exotic to be able to take classes at the other colleges –
early childhood education class and Dr. Gray’s Shakespeare
class at Scripps, for example. The concerts were amazing –
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s recital in Little Bridges, and
foot-waving Glen Gould’s piano concert in Big Bridges. I
remember the kind and patient Senor Pronko taking the Spanish
club to the bull fight in Tijuana. I remember Dr. Learnihan fixing
me with his steely eye and intoning, “Miss Bennett, do you
believe in Providence?” I remember roller skating in Renwick,
and swimming in evening water ballet shows. I finally got into
the choir my senior year, and Mr. Russell conducted us in Brahms’
German Requiem which is still my favorite. Dr. Ferm had us write
our credos, and then told us which denomination ours most closely
matched. Mr. Sherman asked us to listen to all kinds of music
and write down what we liked, and that’s when I first heard
Dvorak’s New World Symphony. I still remember parts of the
songs from the Spring Sing in the Greek Theater and the Plug Ugly.
I admire the current students’ willingness to get their hands
dirty in the real world, and I do envy them their wonderful teacher
who has them stage scenes from Shakespeare’s plays all over
the campus. However, there was a certain charm in the more “genteel”
time of the 1950’s and ‘60’s, when women wore dresses
to class, house mothers ensured the dorms were quiet at night,
and served dinners made us take a little time out. Inevitable
trade-offs, I guess.
DeForrest and I plan to stay here in the small San Jose house
we have owned since 1964. I read the San Jose Mercury News cover
to cover, and talk back to the paper with letters to the editors.
For one of those I won the “Silver Pen Award,” which
netted me a dinner with the other winners, a tour of the presses,
and a “silver” Cross pen. Five years ago I organized
a book group, and the lively discussions once a month include
all sorts of books. DeForrest and I like the concerts and opera,
the museums and computer stores here. We like the people and the
scenery. There’s a lot to do, and we know where it all is.