[October 22, 2023] It didn’t look like much. It was old, with fading paint, rusty rims, worn-out seats, a cracked passenger window, missing window handles, and terrible gas mileage. Shortly after starting High School as a sophomore, I finished my Driver’s Education and obtained my Texas Driver’s License. A friendly neighbor sold me his old car, a 1953, brown over tan Chevrolet One-Fifty four-door. The car was almost older than me. But it was a car; in Texas, a car is a must to get around. But it was my car, and I paid $100 cash. It had a straight-six cylinder engine, a standard three-on-tree shift on the steering column, vacuum windshield wipers (that didn’t work when it rained), and yet built like a tank. If I’d ever hit anything, there would be minor damage.
I took the car everywhere. Of course, like any 15-year-old, I wanted a sleek, fast, sporty, and cool muscle car. Not my car. “Douglas, you’ll have to just suck it up until you get enough money to upgrade to a better car,” my father said. I felt everyone staring at me wherever I went: the goofy car with the skinny kid inside. One of my close friends had a 1965 green Camaro; another had a white 1964 Chevrolet Corsair. I envied them for their newer, great cars. While I had the less desirable car, mine was more reliable. I learned a lot about cars working on it, as cars were required then.
I had my first blind date that year shortly after getting my car. I must have been unimpressive on the date; I don’t remember her name. I was nervous. It was my first formal date as a teenager. After picking her up at school and we sat down briefly to talk, l tried to scratch my eyebrow, and my finger went up my nose, just the first of the embarrassing mistakes I made that day. Later, I dropped an ice cream cone on her chocolate, which didn’t look too good on her brightly colored dress and white shoes. I’m sure the young lady was horrified. We saw the movie, “Cool Hand Luke” starring Paul Newman with a famous cast and the movie was actually what I’d planned as the highlight of the date. She hated it. I thought it was great. I dropped her off at her parents’ home, walked her up to the house, and gave her a handshake good night at about 7 p.m. And that was that.
“Don’t get wrapped around the axle.” My dad used to tell me this often, or at least it seems that way. I would get mentally worked up over my school work, part-time job, friends, going on a date, and the stupid family dog (a spaniel without brains or good disposition). Yes, maybe I was a little high-strung too. We had just relocated to Abilene, Texas, and our family had moved five times to three different states in three years. It was tough on us kids, tougher on my parents, and with our new sister Paula, born earlier in 1966, those were stressful times.
I’ve always had the mind to be free, roam without restriction, run, ride my bike everywhere, yell, and “do my own thing.” But America in the 1960s was the decade of the hippie, dressing in ragged but colorful clothes (or Nehru Jacket), having long hair, peace signs, VW vans painted in psychedelic colors, harmful drugs, motorcycles and hotrods, rejecting conventional rules and insulting the main culture. It was also a time of the Civil Rights movement, protests against the Vietnam War, high crime rates, and a general unease. My dad was a great guy and always tried his best to teach me the rules of the grown-up game. Despite being a stubborn learner, I occasionally listened to what he said. Stay calm, even when circumstances are out of your control; be a rock in the stream for others. Good people do this. They are calm, ready, capable, and don’t get wrapped around the axle.
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Please read my books:
Another wowzer for this series. Making my day, one letter at a time.
Happy Halloween and welcome to Gen. Satterfield’s wonderful blog where he covers enormous topics, mostly focused on how to make our selves better people. 😀
These letters to you granddaughter are great. I think that is something I will do but also focus on what my thoughts are on current events too. This will give my grandkids a taste of what was happening at the time it was happening. so, my initial focus will be the Israeli War on Terror and how the western world coward in a time of crisis. That is so important as a future thinker looks back upon what we did and what we didn’t do.
Made me laugh.
” It didn’t look like much. It was old, with fading paint, rusty rims, worn-out seats, a cracked passenger window, missing window handles, and terrible gas mileage. “
Nothing like owning a clunker to start out with. That’s how I began. Made some cash, and upgraded to a better used car. Even if my girlfriends didn’t like them, i still got around town without any problem.
Hi RED, big fan here. Thanks for your contributions to a big world.
I too remember my first car. A real clunker. Makes me appreciate nice things more.
Powerful. Fun to read.
Good evening Wes and my friend Gen . I am catching up on the blogs. I on my way back home to New Jersey from a week in north Carolina for my 45th high school reunion. We had an awesome time. I enjoyed reading Gen blog especially the ones to his granddaughter. My take aways are when you work hard to get something you want ot like, you will greatly appreciate it. Things given to us that we didn’t work for are often not valued as much. Teaching our young children how to valued and appreciate what their parents made many sufficient to make sure our lives were better. I 👀 seen this first hand with family and friends parents. I was poor, I had to work in the hot tobacco field during the summer to get money to purchase my school clothes and other stuff. I appreciate the stuff. Hard work never hurt anyone. This is what older people told me.
Sorry Gen on your bad first date. You learn from all the mistakes you’ve made. We’ve all experienced this. It’s called life lessons. I didn’t purchase my 1st car until I at my first duty station in Warren Robin Georgia in 1982. A 1982 Mazza GLC
Another great comment Eddie!!!!!!
Yes, thanks all. Great comments on these letters.
Sir, thank you for these letters!
Wow, another great letter. Who else finds themselves waiting for the next story to drop? I do. These “letters to my granddaughter” the one who is the eldest of that generation, is worthy of everyone’s attention. ✔
Hi Gen. Satterfield, great letter. I’m missing what Eddie Gillem has to say here. he is becoming one of the celebrated commenters here on your pages.
Indeed, Wesley. Eddie is a good friend of mine, veteran, patriot, religious, smart, and dedicated.
Hi sir, it is hard not to like these “letters.” Keep them coming our way. I know that I’m repeated others with that comment but I just couldn’t help myself. Love your website. ❤
😊😊😊😊😊
Gen. Satterfield is outdoing himself in each of these letters to his granddaughter. I’m curious how far he will go with them.
That is the real question, Emma, is it not? I do hope this series continues. I know that Gen. Satterfield wrote that he originally was going to write 365 letters to his granddaughter. Now that seems a little too ambitious and maybe just a tad too much. Let’s see where these go. A few of our regular commentators wrote they would like to see Gen. S. ‘connect the dots’ on how these letters tie into his military career. Now, that will be very useful.
Bless this series of stories by Gen. Satterfield.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Gen. Satterfield, you sure know how to tell a good story.
Gen. Satterfield wrote, “I’ve always had the mind to be free, roam without restriction, run, ride my bike everywhere, yell, and “do my own thing.” ” Now, I’ve gotten the idea from his other writings that he never liked being told what to do. That is a certain personality type and excels in the senior ranks of the US military. And, I think he did well just like his peers. The struggle is in the early junior years as an officer because you always have someone holding you accountable and giving you orders.
This is funny in a way, Gen. Satterfield being part of an organization that is built upon following orders, yet he doesn’t like taking orders. Must have been difficult, esp. in the beginning of his career. I read somewhere that he wrote he originally hand no intent to stay in the Army, that idea slowly developed over time.
I like the idea that Gen. Satterfield is writing these stories about his youth. What I would also like to see is how he ties these stories into his success as a senior Army Officer. He can do it within his articles here (hard to do, IMO), or he can put it into a book and tie them together that way (easier), or he can do both. I hope he does both. but, the assumption will have to be (on the latter) that the reader is familiar with the entire series.
Good point, Good Dog. I hope he starts with the latter of these three choices. That will make it easier for him to move to a book. Most of the work will be done but not easy for the writer, Gen. Satterfield.
Excellent suggestions. 👍
Yes, and i will be re-reading them too. His tab that lists all these makes it much easier.
Yep, and that does make it better but I’m waiting for the book to come out too. In that book, he will be tying together his main points to tie leadership with his lessons from childhood. Let us not forget that. And it gives those of us with young children a chance to pick up on some of the secrets of raising kids.
LOL
…….
“It didn’t look like much. It was old, with fading paint, rusty rims, worn-out seats, a cracked passenger window, missing window handles, and terrible gas mileage. Shortly after starting High School as a sophomore, I finished my Driver’s Education and obtained my Texas Driver’s License. A friendly neighbor sold me his old car, a 1953, brown over tan Chevrolet One-Fifty four-door. The car was almost older than me. But it was a car; in Texas, a car is a must to get around. But it was my car, and I paid $100 cash. It had a straight-six cylinder engine, a standard three-on-tree shift on the steering column, vacuum windshield wipers (that didn’t work when it rained), and yet built like a tank. If I’d ever hit anything, there would be minor damage.”
Indeed, God bless, General Doug Satterfield.
Thank you for the sentiment, Ayn. Great to have you here.
Thank you, Gen. S. for this ‘letter to my granddaughter,’ as this is clearly your best series. I hope that the man called Eddie Gillem comments. He’s becoming one of my favorite posts in this forum. Go go go. Gen. Satterfield. Love your blog too.
Just sitting back, enjoying reading this series. The very best, Gen. Satterfield has given us so far. I hope they continue for a long time. I like that there are two this weekend to read. Kind of a getaway from the craziness of world affairs. Pres Joe Biden is making the world a much more dangerous place and these letters are a great diversion away from Biden’s horrible foreign policy results.
YES! Two letters to my granddaughter in a row. Haven’t had that before, Gen. Satterfield, you made my weekend. Lovely series. I hope it continues for a very long time.
Yep, thinking the exact same. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
✔ Indeed, a great series. The trick now is to put them all togehter and read them as a full series. Should they be read chronically or as written? That is the question I’m asking myself. If Gen. SATTERFIELD publishes these into a book, then he will be asking himself that question. My bet is he will put them as they are written here.
Except the into will be firs.t
I agree, Lady Hawk and good to read these comments.
Wow, a twofer.
❤
Exactly what I was NOT expecting.
Of course, and those that are regular readers here already know but for those new to this forum and Gen. Satterfield’s blog, best start with his books. The best of the two to understand where he comes from philosophically is in his latest book from last year “55 Rules for a Good Life.” Get that book now and leave a comment on Amazon. That is how you can personally help him get the word out.
I agree, good suggestions.