July 6, 2020
Dear Andrew,
Yes, I am the Robin G. who wrote to the Happy Hollisters Club in 1964, submitting my poem for consideration as an ad! You cannot imagine my thoughts when I saw the return address on your letter. The letter was lying on the floor where it fell when the mailman put it through the mail slot. At that time, we were letting the mail “age” a few days on the floor to protect ourselves from COVID. But I was intrigued. The name, The Happy Hollisters was immediately recognizable to me, evoking a slew of instant memories about my love for the books when I was in the 4th grade. In fact, I recall reading the entire series that year, many of the books over and over. There was a contest in the school in each class for the girl and boy who read the most books during the year. At year end, the winning children were treated to ice cream sundaes by the school’s reading teacher. I read over a hundred books that year and won the prize for my class. The Happy Hollisters were a big part of that.
Thank you for reminding me of that memory and bringing me back to my 9-year-old self. Isn’t it interesting to think about the little parts of ourselves that are lost to us but tucked away in other people’s photo albums or memories or, in this case, a box of letters stored at your aunt’s house?
I would love to have the original letter. In the meanwhile, thanks again for a wonderful gift!
Robin G.