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OUR YUCAIPA | JULY 2015 17 FREE a/c perForMance cHecK Expires 8/1/15 Expires 8/1/15 (909) 570-8794 $10 OFF any oil cHange The Middle of the Road: By Randy Peters, a middle-aged, middle-income, middle-school teacher Forever a Yucaipan Sometimes I wonder about the magnetic forces in Yucaipa. This city doesn't seem to let too many people go. The other night my wife announced that it was the anniversary of the day her family moved to Yucaipa. "So, how many years has it been?" I asked her casually in the way husbands do as they hit pause so as not to miss a minute of NCIS. "Forty-one years," she said. OK. This was worth putting the remote down and paying attention. My wife's family moved to Yucaipa from the Los Angeles area 41 years ago. Disco was just an idea. President Ford was tripping on stairs. Apple II still hadn't been introduced. No one heard of Three- Mile Island. Only men had ever been on the Supreme Court. Our parents weren't even middle aged and qualified to read this column. I asked her what the biggest change was that she remembers about the evolving Yucaipa. "Traffic lights," she answered. "I remember my parents driving from the top end of the boulevard to the freeway only having to make stops at stop signs." She and I were told that once you could roll a bowling ball straight down the boulevard and never have to worry about hitting anything. My wife reminisced about taking the bus from her home above Douglas Street to the TG&Y (where Fitness 19 is now) with her cousin. She got her first pair of dittos pants there. She bought fabric to complete her eighth-grade sewing project. "My cousin and I felt so grown up, being able to travel on our own. Of course, we would always stop in Thrifty's and get a nickel ice cream cone." She went on to explain about how they would shop at a small stationery store on the boulevard near Adams Street. She told me that this store – a stationery store - "rocked my world." Now that may sound weird for a lot of people, but not my wife. My wife loves to organize things. If there is a special tray, drawer organizer, or plastic tub for a specific purpose, my wife has it or is in the process of ordering it. A special vacation day for her is a trip to The Container Store in San Diego. "This stationery store had calendars, cards, and every kind of pen or pencil you could imagine." She explained that she could go in there and fantasize about how she could organize papers, shelves, and kitchens one day. Now this is something that I, a man who believes as long as my shoes are in the house, they are put away, should have known prior to our 30 years together. It would have saved a lot of headaches for my wife as she tried to teach me those 'everything in its place' lessons. Do I blame Yucaipa for my wife's need to organize? Was it her trips to TG&Y that taught her to explore discount shopping? Was it the absence of traffic lights that today make her tend to avoid red lights whenever possible? I don't know. I think growing up Yucaipan had to have had an impact on her. I think it was a great impact. She learned to make some great choices in her life. She chose to stay in Yucaipa to teach in the school district for more than 30 years. She chose to help some politicians take their places in various offices. She chose to support and organize various charitable events in town. But most importantly, she chose me. And together we chose to raise our children here in Yucaipa. We've chosen to stay in Yucaipa and be close to other family members who are still here. Oh, sure, my wife and I sometimes fantasize about leaving Yucaipa, especially when the temperatures are in the triple digits. We think about waking up to hear the waves crashing on the shore, the sea gulls screeching for attention, and the children wondering what our new address is. But for now, we choose to be here. We continue the memories and wonder what will happen next. Keep your eyes on the road. Learn how to generate rising income in a low interest rate environment Jeff dewan Financial Advisor 33733 Yucaipa Blvd. Ste. 8 Yucaipa, CA 92399 909-790-2135 living in the now. preparing for the future. Member SIPC • California Insurance License 0C23409

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