The Espresso Shot (#003)

The following two pictures are of one postcard.

Two Sides

The postcard is of a boy on a hill, and he’s apparently sleeping. It seems to me that he’s covering, shielding his eyes from the sun, which is not purposefully shown. A shadow covers the boy’s eyes.

At the top of the card, the message reads: DREAMING OF YOU

The date of the postcard reads:  April 25, 1945. This makes the medium of communication just over 69 years old.

The now outdated or retro card was purchased in Germany, which is clearly stated above the date.

In 1945, in Germany, World War II was less than a half of a year away from ending.

The message is addressed to: My dearest wife.

The message reads: Yes, I am dreaming of you all the time.

The sender: Your husband.

***

Wouldn’t it be interesting to find such an object in a used book purchased at a garage sale, in the shelves of a library, or some random place where one could stumble across a relic? It would raise eyebrows and generate curiosity. Who are these people? Where they German, English, from The States, or were they from another country that offered an education for a person to communicate fluently in English?

Sure enough, it was during World War II.

It had to presumably be from some soldier, writing to his loving wife.

Fortunately, the people in question are known. The postcard was found in a photo album.

It was from my grandfather to my grandmother; these are my mom’s parents.

***

They say romance is dying, chivalry is dead. War tears countries and people apart. People are the foundation. Long distance relationships don’t work. It’s obvious that war had presented these circumstances in full force. However, my grandparents stayed together until my grandfather passed away in February 1983, one month before my birth.

They say romance is dying, chivalry is dead. The statistics today boast — not just say — the divorce rate is rising steadily. People are getting married later in life, having children later as well.

They say romance is dying, chivalry is dead. Are we not willing to communicate? Are we growing impatient as a society? We seem to be overly dependent on technology and our electronic devices that we fail to recognize or pay attention to the other person sitting next to us on the couch.

They say romance is dying, chivalry is dead. We can hope one arm — at least — is over the other person while a movie, game, or show plays out in front of our eyes. What about the holding hands while walking down the street?

They say romance is dying, chivalry is dead. From experience, it’s difficult to be consistently a gentleman. It’s probably just as difficult to be a woman, giving it her all in the relationship. It’s easy to open doors, and it’s easy to progress to a greater sense of self-worth from that simple action. It’s easy to say no. It’s easy to give up. It’s easy to walk away. Yet, these easier options leave our tongues tasting sour. Honesty, when given properly, relaxes our shoulders and puts our minds at ease. It sprouts trust and success. We can melt successfully.

They say romance is dying, chivalry is dead. It’s time to shift the statistics.