Marlene Wagman-Geller

In the film Forrest Gump, Lieutenant Dan snarls at Forrest saying, “They gave you, an imbecile and a moron, the Congressional Medal of Honor.” While President Johnson conferred the award for Gump’s valor in Vietnam, an earlier President Johnson conferred the award for a lady’s valor in the Civil War. Dr. Mary Edward Walker was the first and the only woman to have received the Medal of Honor.   

    In lyrics laden with nostalgia, in Bookends Simon & Garfunkel sang, “Time it was, and what a time it was, it was/A time of innocence/ A time of confidences/Long ago, it must be…” And one of the memories from the 1950s involve Tupperware parties where housewives envisioned themselves as mini moguls. A time when Tupperware and the rotary phone held sway. The ground-breaking plastic marvel sprung full-blown from the mind of Earl S. Tupper.

Chapter # Om (1949  )

     Airports have their own DNA and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, called the “busiest square mile in the world,” has an intriguing one. Passengers needing a zen moment can visit terminal 3’s yoga room, the famished, head to Gate 8 for the renowned Chicago hotdog, paleontologists can migrate to Terminal 1 to gawk at the 72-foot model skeleton of a brachiosaurus. And hovering over the 7,600-acre airport is the shade of Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare.  

     In a bid to dispel February blues-a situation that arose from a lull in sports and wintery weather-André Laguerre, the editor of Sports Illustrated, willed into existence “The Swimsuit Edition.” Soon a burst of Malibu arrived in mailboxes across the nation featuring bodacious babes clothed in Barbie-sized bikinis, frolicking against a backdrop of white sand and azure seas. Then came Megan Rapinoe.

     In a bid to dispel February blues-a situation that arose from a lull in sports and wintery weather-André Laguerre, the editor of Sports Illustrated, willed into existence “The Swimsuit Edition.” Soon a burst of Malibu arrived in mailboxes across the nation featuring bodacious babes clothed in Barbie-sized bikinis, frolicking against a backdrop of white sand and azure seas. Then came Megan Rapinoe.

    Before the first female presidential nominee of a major political party was a twinkle in the nation’s eyes, before there was a female speaker of the House of Representatives, a female attorney general, or a female secretary of state, there was the F.W.O.T.S.C. – the first woman on the Supreme Court-an acronym Sandra Day O’Connor used when she ascended America’s loftiest bench.

A Simon and Garfunkel song describes a boxer who “carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down.” The lyric describes Rocky Balboa and the real Rocky: Chuck Wepner.

       The staccato bark, “Going, going, gone!” followed by the banging of a hammer, signifies the transfer of a coveted object to the highest bidder. The auction house, Christie’s, has made historic sales, some that would have astounded its founder, James Christie.

      Certain denizens of ancient mythology were hybrids: Pan- man and goat, the Minotaur- man and bull, the Sphinx- woman and lion. In the 20^th century, the coalescence of human and animal occurred when Yogi Berra was the inspiration for Yogi Bear.

    “Ritz” describes over -the -top- ostentation; it is also the name of the iconic French hotel. The part of speech and the place owe their existence to César Ritz.   

      Whether performing chopsticks or a concerto, the gold-embossed name, Steinway & Sons, tells the tale of a dynasty founded by Henry Steinway.

    Just as no man is a hero to his valet, no man is a hero to his employee- if the boss sends seismic tremors into the heart of an underling. The movie, The Devil Wears Prada, centers around Miranda Priestly, a roman à clef of Anna Wintour.

       Through the recesses of memory, baby boomers can recall their terror that PETA Enemy No 1 would separate Dalmatian puppies from their skins in to satisfy her passion for fashion. Hidden behind the scenes: Disney based Cruella de Ville (cruel devil,) after Tallulah Bankhead.

     In 1905, residents of the Russian village of Anatevka congregated to see Motel the tailor’s new arrival: a used sewing machine. The townspeople were too caught up with the modern marvel to think about the name embossed in white against a black background: SINGER-after Isaac Merritt Singer.

      While chowing down to a meal of fried chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes, one is too engaged to think about the gentleman behind the Kentucky Fried Chicken mascot. But when the feeding frenzy abates, it might be interesting to learn about the famed father of fast food, Colonel Harland Sanders.

    Lucy Pevensie, the heroine of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, has delighted millions of the young-and the young at heart- as they accompanied her on a fantastical adventure in the land of perpetual winter. Her non-fictional counterpart was her namesake, Lucy Barfield.

     The New York Four comprised the most popular personalities in television sit-com history. While it is common knowledge the titular character portrayed comedienne Jerry Seinfeld, what fans may not realize is the show’s producer modeled attorney Jackie Chiles on legal eagle Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. 

    Forest Gump observed, “My mama always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where they going, where they been.” While Forest never wore Birkenstocks, the footwear of the flower power generation trod quite the path since its founder, Johannes Adam Birkenstock, fashioned the first pair.

   For patriots, the name ‘Jefferson’ conjures the image of the Declaration of Independence. For rockers, the name ‘Jefferson,’ (along with Airplane,) conjures the image of The White Rabbit. The band’s moniker alludes to Lemon Jefferson.