Echoes

Thirty-five years ago a gallon of gas sold for $1.19. Ronald Reagan was president, Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean was on top of the charts, and the only thing worth seeing in theaters was Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie. February 28, 1983 was a Monday. 77% of the country – myself included – watched the 150 minute final episode of the 11-year-old series M*A*S*H. I didn’t have much use for the show when it was in its infancy. I was never a fan of Larry Linville, Wayne Rogers or McLean Stevenson. Maybe the Korean War was a weighty subject for a 13-year-old. But as the show progressed it became more character-driven, and I did like Mike Farrell, Harry Morgan and David Ogden Stiers. I’m considerably older than thirteen now, but the thought of war still troubles me; especially when I remember the Korean Armistice of 1953 was a cease fire, not a peace treaty. Technically we’re still at war with North Korea.