My late dad was born in the Czar's Russia in 1907 and saw the Russian Revolution up close and personal being a distant relative to the royal family. He came over first class through Ellis Island (not steerage) and settled in Miami which back then was truly southern and called Miam-UH by the "locals." He graduated from the only high school in the county, Miami High in 1924. Then he went to M.I.T. and graduated top of his class there as well as captain of the Polo team. But my family we're O-L-D Miam-UH. Aside from dad being at Miami High we're a Coral Gables High dynasty with my two sisters, myself, my wife, her brother and our daughter all graduating from Gables. Where did you go to High School? What year did you graduate?
Eastern and Pan-Am were very sad periods in Miami History and I'm a history teacher. That was where I saw what the wrath of unions hath wrought. I watched the union bosses live high on the hog while the workers slowly starved. And I'm ashamed to say that I belong to the teacher's union here in Miami-Dade, but they have saved my conservative butt many times and they hated it every time but they did it very well from principals who violated the contract in trying to shut me up. Academic freedom in social studies helps me present all sides of every historical issue, not just the side the system would like me to tell (aka revisionist history)! Why did you move to South Carolina, if I might ask? We are contemplating a move to western North Carolina in the mountains when we retire in a few years, Lord willing.
My stepdad had retired from Eastern before they went bankrupt. He had Alzheimer’s and never knew what happened to his beloved airline. I graduated from Hialeah High in 70. You guys beat us for the state champion in football. I’ll never forgive you for that.:) Coral Gables had a great football team, I remember that. I was born in Knoxville, TN but my dad died when I was five in a tractor accident on our farm. My mom had a brother who lived in Hialeah with his family so after my dad’s death, she moved us down there. I moved to Asheville, NC in 98. The city has gone totally liberal, even twice electing an avowed atheist to city council. I moved to Greer, SC (Greenville area) a little over three years ago and love it here. WNC is beautiful and conservative outside of Asheville, for the most part (transplants excluded).