As you know -- or don't you? -- I met Maureen at George Washington University, in the student union, in the fall of 1964. She was studying sociology and I was starting to take up anthropology. (And if it hadn't been for her love and her belief in me, I would probably still be taking classes at GW.) She was living on F street about half a block from the White House, sharing a third-floor apartment with Susan Gould. She had the back bedroom, next to the kitchen, and from there you could hear the shouts and the squeak and thump of Keds from people playing basketball in the YMCA, which was directly behind on G street. Downstairs from her was a chinese restaurant called Jenny's, where we would occasionally splurge on a two-dollar dinner.
      I was living on F street myself then -- a studio apartment at 2114 F. Working at the Washington Post. When I think of that time I think of the songs that were popular. "King of the Road," the one that begins "Trailer for sale or rent" -- I wasn't too crazy about that one, but Maureen seemed to like it. And "Stop in the Name of Love" (the words always sounded like "Stop in the neighborhood). Those songs were there, but I didn't like them. The two songs I loved from that time were "Ruby Tuesday" and "Eight Days a Week."
      And I think of stopping by her place after work and sitting at the kitchen table with her while she finished her homework. Often Gary Goldsmith would be there too. We would drink coffee from big orange or green enameled mugs.

Maureen came back from Senegal in June 1966, after nine months. I met her at National Airport and she stayed with me the rest of the summer -- both of us working at the Library of Congress.       In the fall she came up to Waltham, Massachusetts, with me, and she worked in the library there while I did graduate work in anthropology. Here she is in our place in Waltham.

Maureen again at 6 Vernon Street. We were there for two years, though I was only in the graduate program for one and wound up not even getting my master's.       Our closest friends were Michael and Irit Saltman, and later we met Mark Cowell and Betsy Grady as well.

This is where we lived. I called up the map from the internet just out of curiosity, and just looking at it brings up too many memories. Walking over to the Waltham Super on Main street. Trying to get a bike fixed at the shop on Prospect street. Going down Prospect into the center of town, on the other side of the river, to look for inexpensive christmas presents. Biking over to Brandeis -- that's the purple area at the bottom left corner of the map. We didn't have a car then and had to use feet or bike or public transportation.       When we first went to Waltham it seemed exciting -- the first time I'd lived so far from home. But after a couple of years it seemed unfriendly and provincial, and we longed for California. And that's where we went. But now I am longing -- a part of me is, at least -- for New England again.

      Berkeley. Hollywood. The birth of our beloved son. I have no photos with me of any of these times (though you can see a couple of photos of Joel as a baby if you'd like). Nothing of Maureen for more than a dozen years -- till the photo below of her with her second son, Alex Johnson. Alex's father is Harold Johnson.

Maureen in the hospital on the day her second son, Alex Johnson, was born -- December 30, 1981.       That's Alex at the bottom. He's gotten bigger since then.

Maureen with Alex in the spring of 1984 -- Maureen waiting in my kitchen on Kimball road while Alex finishes his bagel and glass of milk.

Maureen at the party she and Harold had for Joel's graduation from City High (in Iowa City) in 1991. (Want to see more of his highschool graduation pictures?) Across from Maureen is my friend Sukie Kim, and that's me standing to the right.       Sukie was working with me and my other friends Carole Singleton, Alan Henkin, and Kathy Dee at the Center for Educational Experimentation, Development, and Evaluation (CEEDE) out at Oakdale -- part of the University of Iowa that used to be a tuberculosis hospital. Carole and I were editors, Kathy was the artist, Sukie the librarian, and Alan the boss. We were all employed on a bilingual-education grant.       It was a nice place to work, but in 1983 the grant ran out. Another victory for Reaganomics!       Want to see a (sort of shadowy) photo of Maureen with Joel the morning after Joel's college graduation?

[Nota bene: This page, like all the others in this site, is in progress. Please let me know if you find anything false, misleading, offensive, or intrusive to your privacy. It's hard to maintain privacy on the internet! Let me know too if there's a photo or something in the text that should be removed or something that should be added. I have not set up this site primarily for my own sake but for my family and friends -- and I welcome all corrections, additions, and suggestions about how to improve it!]

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Copyright © 1999 T. N. R. Rogers. All rights reserved. Last revised 18 aug 99.