June 4th, 2016
7:16 AM
Muskegon, Michigan
My grandparents on my mom's side saved their money for retirement, and the two enjoyed a bit of the sweetness of life. Stan and Stella believed in savings bonds and stacked them up in the kitchen cupboard above the coffee, bread and pop tarts. Jar full of pennies filled up in the cupboard, coins to roll and deposit.
Stella probably started to buy bonds during the World War II effort, after the Depression. She probably liked the idea of a bearer instrument one could hide in a mattress that had the backing of the government that won the war and paid back all those war bonds. GM sold them by payroll deduction and one could hide them in a mattress if needed. One time after toasting up a box of pop tarts for my brothers and sisters, she pulled down a stack and told us how the savings bonds worked.
Grandpa Stan had a long retirement from Generous Motors, and as the bonds matured, the two cashed the bonds for face value and gave themselves a trip. One Spring, Stan and Stella visited the travel agent and bought tickets for a cruise out to the Bahamas. The two came back with conch shells and embroidered bags and stories.
The two were astounded that children would swim out to greet their cruise ship coming into a Bahamanian port and coax tourists at the ship's rail to toss coins in the water. Grandpa Stan was always good for change, as we learned when he took us to a five and dime for penny candy. Grandma Stella let him throw nickels, about a dollar's worth. If Stan had lived today, his grandchildren would have watched him win big pots on Poker Stars. He was that good at Poker
He was that good at Poker. So he had a little loose change to toss for nickel divers to recover near the wharves of Nassau. I thought about them tonight as I visited the cruise ship landing built at Heritage Landing, soon to host about a cruise ship a week through the summer. I don't think we'll have any diving children working for quarters thrown over the rail.
The passengers tonight would have witnessed a lively scene, families fishing or taking selfies as the sun drop became more and more colorful. Guessing they'll bring down trolleys from the Muskegon Trolley Company to ferry those who step off to the breweries or maybe Smash, the wine bar. It reminds me of the lucky month I passed in Key West in 2000. Cruise ships hit the port daily and I seemed like a likely bloke to buy a drink at Sloppy Joe's. I never bought my own drinks on a day when the cruise ships docked in Key West.
Dean Blue Hole
Long Island, the Bahamas
By Ton Engwirda - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13524568
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