Hybrids, Utah and Baby Boomers
Shirley C. Van Batenburg
I was born 5 years after WWII along with lots of other people. I grew up in Ogden, Utah and yes I went to a Mormon Church. My Father, Raymond, was a Navy man for 10 plus years and loved cars, mostly Fords. I grew up with a 57 T-bird, a 40s Continental, tan 63’ Galaxie 500 and many other cool cars. Van Batenburg‘s Auto Sales was on Washington Boulevard and I spent my time there as a kid. My Mother, Shirley Caroline Finacom was born in Worcester, Massachusetts and was an East Coast girl. The two of them had six kids, I was sandwiched in the middle. They have both passed away but left me with some valuable lessons. Here are a few things this “Baby Boomer” learned from Ray and Shirley.
1. Push your chair in after you get up from the table.
2. It takes just as long to do it right as it does to do it wrong.
3. It is OK to buy some else’s used clothes.
4. Drive a 4 cylinder car. That is all you need.
5. Go to Church
6. Vote
7. Vets have defended our “freedom of speech”, so speak up.
8. Take care of your grandparents.
9. Take a young person into your home if they are homeless.
10. Keep your car clean.
11. Homework before TV
12. Play Music, Sing and Dance.
13. Bring your friends home to meet your parents.
14. Get out into the woods and enjoy nature.
15. Wear a seatbelt.
I have has many young interns in the last year and I have come to realize that they want more than to learn how to fix a hybrid. They want to learn the lesson above and many more. I hope they enjoy learning as much as I enjoy their discoveries. Running your own business is so much more than making a profit. It is always the people that give it meaning.
