New Years past

To the Editor,

Always when a holiday comes around I recall where I was on that day. One New Year's Day I will always remember is being in Chin Hea, South Korea, 1968. This was the first time for this family to fly off together. Grady had flew off a few times by himself. In Chen Hea there was a very tall mountain in town. One of the things one was to do, if one was able was to climb that mountain on New Year's Day.

It was 365 steps up the mountain. If one climbed the mountain each step was to bring good luck to the climber. So this family like dozens of other families climbed the mountain. There were two elderly ladies wanted to climb with me. Grady wanted to take a picture of me with the ladies. They would pose so nicely and just when Grady was read to snap the picture, they would fall in a heap at my feet. Grady never did get a picture of them.

Don has looked on the Internet to see if he could find any more about the steps. I did not find out why the steps were built when we were there. And Don did not find out why the steps were built. Found that there is now a building there that special meetings are held in. Don did not find out if there was a road so you could drive up. Surely is!! If I remember right there was nothing there except the top of the mountain when we were there

Will recall a New Year's Eve in Saudia Arabia. I for sure will never forget. There was not very many wives there with their husbands. Had a New Year's Eve dance. Of course we went. I must have danced with "hundreds" of gentlemen that night. Some of the greatest dancers ever. The next morning when I tried to get out of bed, I could not stand. Took almost a week to get my legs feeling good again. (now you do not need to remind me of this, if I should tell you my legs are worn out) Those guys were so nice and so lonely. Some of the guys told Grady the next day that his wife was sure a good sport. I don't think Grady every told then how my legs hurt for days. Oh well, it was not life threatening.

Back to South Korea, one of my great nephews and family are going to South Korea this spring. Hope they enjoy. I enjoyed every day I was in Korea, more than some of the other countries I have been in. I think one of the reasons was because we were near a small town, not one of the huge cities like so many jobs were. Grady enjoyed that job. Some of the foreign jobs were terrible for Grady.

I have read and heard in the news that maybe was time for the two Koreas to become one. Also heard that South Korea does not want that. Wonder what is going to happen to North Korea with that new leader now. Can always hope for things to be better.

Irma Houts Epps

Poplar Bluff, Mo.