(N.B 12/05: Added a little update at the very end...)
In the summer of 1958, my mom took her first airplane ride. Not just to any city, either; she took a two month trip to visit her cousin in London.
This may not seem like a big deal, although I suspect back then it wasn't as commonplace for a European or American girl, either, to take a transatlantic flight by themselves (heck, two of my sisters-in-law had never flown anywhere until they were well into their 30s!). It was more than a big deal for my mom, especially since it could have only happened as a result of several good things happening after a few tough years for her. First and foremost, the trip was made possible because, after 3 years, my grandfather had been able to actually visit his orchards in person, no longer under the threat of being killed by a mullah incited rabble, and was able to sell some of his land and money was freely available for his family, for something other than just bare necessities. Second of all, my mom had, as expected and anticipated by everyone, been accepted directly to medical school the first year it went formally coed (there had been other female graduates, namely my mom's aunt, but they had transferred as physician's assistant into the upper years; my mom's year was the first year they actually started out with female students from freshman year). Not only had she been accepted, though, she had placed 4th nationally in the country-wide college placement exam (the "concours') in all of the country, which my grandfather felt was worthy of a [belated] graduation gift on a grand scale.
(Tangent: All her other siblings went on to place in the top five, with the youngest placing first in her year. Did I mention I come from a family of overachievers?! I placed 127th out of 3/4 million applicants my year (you could take it for as many years as you wanted, at least back when I took it *cough* eighteen years *cough* ago, in order to get a placement at the college and major of your choice). In my defense, I did not study at all, having taken the summer off, and I also knew I had no plans to go to college back home. I did place first for the English language portion of the exam, heh.)
There was another reason for the trip however, that my sister and I didn't learn about until much later from our mom herself. The previous year, a particular young man, a very nice one, who was the son of friends of the family, had come home after finishing his undergrad studies in the U.S., had gotten reacquainted with my mom and had, in short order, fallen head over heels for her. Apparently, my mom had fallen pretty hard for him, as well. Long story short, he wanted to marry her as soon as she graduated high school and have her go back with him to the U.S., where they could both go to school (him for graduate, her to a language school and then to medical school, once she got in). My grandfather, whose motto for his girls was to first get an education and then get married (not at all a prevailing point of view back then or, quite frankly, even now, among Iranian families for their daughters), was afraid that my mom would not put in as much effort to get back to school once she was married and moved away. To put it bluntly, he was afraid she would get pregnant right away and basically put everything on the back burner. So, rather than put his foot down and cause some sort of immediate teenage backlash--and because he really actually liked the fellow, just not right then, as a potential son-in-law--he arranged for the trip, and asked my mom to take some time to enjoy being a single adult before committing to a relationship. Then, if she still wanted to, they could discuss the next steps for her and the young man. My grandfather basically bought some time before having to say one way or another whether he approved of them getting married.
What I don't think my grandfather realized, at least not then, is that my mom, though at not yet quite eighteen and even in the flush of first love, was already a pragmatic person and that, ultimately, she had had no intention of getting married just then. I think part of my mom knew that she wanted to have some time to herself, before ever settling down--she was her father's child, after all, and had grown up hearing nothing but how great it would be for her to be a financially independent young woman by finishing school and college. What's more, my mom also believed in being emotionally independent, too--at least for a while, if not longer. I know this, because I am her daughter and in a lot of ways, like her: when her last piece of advice to me before sending me off to college was "Never marry or stay with the first person you fall in love with; come out of college unattached", it didn't sound weird to me. I understood perfectly what she was trying to say.
***
The trip to London was a great success; my mom stayed with my cousin at the boarding house he lived in while he was getting his engineering degree over there. (Another example of the difference between my grandfather and most of his peers; no Iranian father would have allowed his daughter to live, chaperon free, with a male relative other than a brother. They apparently pretended that my mom was actually staying with a family, for her 'reputation's' sake back home (there was enough trouble what with being of the B___ faith, to welcome any more gossip.)) She was a huge hit with her cousin's friends, which made sense, because my mom was (and still is) absolutely gorgeous, and between her Bette Davis, hooded eyes that totally grabbed you, and her accented but pretty English, and her outgoing personality (she is the original extrovert in the family), they pretty much all became enamored of her. Unfortunately for them, my mom was still a teenager at heart and she in turn became enamored of (as much as her sensible heart could become enamored of anything!) two young men she'd seen...on the television over there!
***
Marty Wilde has been active in the music scene in the U.K. for over 50 years. And while he may have waxed and waned in popularity, over all and averaged over the years, his success rate and popularity, as a solo artist and with the Wildcats, is not to be sneezed at. Similarly, Cliff Richard has enjoyed a long musical career, again both solo and with The Shadows. The two were established teen idols by the summer my mom made it over to England, and she had no problem falling in line with all the other fans. She even had the great good luck to see Marty Wilde in person and, through all the comings and goings of newer British sex symbols, he remains her favorite to this day. (She liked Cliff Richard, but thought he had too much of a baby face. Cliff looked like he'd take you out for a bike ride in the middle of the afternoon, and Marty Wilde looked like he'd take you for a motorbike ride in the middle of the night, she told my sister and I, reminiscing about that trip. Heh.)
And yes, Marty Wilde is Kim Wilde 'We're the Kids of America' 's father.
Here is an excerpt from a TV program from back then with both Marty and Cliff. I am fairly sure this is the program my mom saw, although I'd have to check with her (if she remembers).
When The Saints Go Marching In - Marty Wilde and Cliff Richard
Poking around, I came across this excerpt. It cracks me up for several reasons, mostly because I can't help but think that poor Dickie Pride must've felt awful getting few screams of desire yelled at him, standing next to the so called pretty boys Marty and Cliff. He's like the ugly best friend you take to the bar with you to boost your own ratings. By the way, Marty ended up marrying one of those 'cool chicks', far as I know.
Three Cool Cats - Marty Wilde, Cliff Richard, and Dickie Pride
***
By the by, I actually was a bit of a Cliff Richard fan, especially when I was still in the single digits(!). I think I saw all of his movies (which, if I recall, were on a par with Elvis', heh). This is from what was my favorite movie of his:
The Young Ones - Cliff Richard and The Shadows
And ending with one, just for my mom;
Teenager in Love - Marty Wilde
P.S. The young man of the story? Not my dad. My dad was one of the many, many male classmates in her year who also tried to get in her good graces. My dad was the smart one: he never, ever appealed to her romantic side or tried to insinuate any kind of interest in that way, although he fully admits that he was completely knocked over by her the second she walked in the class the first day. No, he appealed to her brain and asked that if she could tutor him after he almost failed the first exam. And since it was always dark after they'd get done studying, and since he of course would have to walk her home, and since my grandmother couldn't turn him away without offering some refreshment, he became a fixture in the house...
...my mom did keep him guessing for 6 long years, though, ha ha. My dad has always said that up until the very second they exchanged vows, he wasn't even 1% sure if she would got through with marrying him and that after they did get married, he knew that it would only last for as long as she wanted it to and not a second longer. They just celebrated their 45th anniversary and he still is not complacent about her sticking it around for the 'long run', after all these years.
Which is exactly how he should feel, I think. (Like mother, like daughter!)
