West 42nd Street

In 1940, my mom was a very young woman, who left her hometown and moved to the "Big CIty," New York, New York. This was a significant event in her life, and resulted in her being away from her primary suitor at the time. (My dad.)

On this clear, beautiful day in February, 2012, I snapped this photo as I waited at a red light on 12th St/West Side Highway/Route 9A North. It did not come out as clear as I had hoped, but the zoom on my iPhone is not reliable. I think I need a camera!

During my days, months, and year+ writing my novel, I had occasion to research 1935 through 1940, and spent hours learning about the Great Depression and the events leading up to WWII. The large object in this photo is "The Intrepid", built in 1943, and now the home of a Sea, Air & Space Museum.

I find myself in Manhattan several times every month, as my older daughter goes to college at New York University. I pass The Intrepid each time I visit her, and think about how amazing this aircraft carrier must have seemed when it was built.

It's still amazing now, almost 70 years later. New York City is far different than it was in 1940, but when I look at this ship, I am awed by the fact that it was not even built when my mother was attending post-graduate nursing school in Manhattan.

How can it be a museum? I'm not THAT old....yet.