Monday, April 24, 2023

Monday, 4/24

It's been almost thirty years. I wonder how much longer it'll take before people stop referring to K.I. Sawyer as “The Base”?

I had a caller on Friday tell me she's at “The Base” when I've asked her from where she was calling. And that's not unusual. In fact, it probably happens every week or two. Oh sure; many people who call say they're either from “Sawyer” or “K.I. Sawyer”, but almost 30 years after the base closed, some people still refer to by either “The Base” or its old name, “KI Sawyer Air Force Base”.

Curious.

I can see why there are some people, especially old-timers, who still call it that. After all, if you've grew up saying “K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base” it's probably ingrained in your brain that way. But the person who called it “The Base” last week was younger. In fact, from the sounds of it she was either just a kid or not even born yet when “The Base” closed and K.I. Sawyer became just “K.I. Sawyer”, minus “Air Force Base”, so I'm pretty sure she didn't grow up calling it “K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base”. Yet almost three decades after the fact, they're still referring to it that way.

Like I said...curious.

Of course, it's not just K.I. Sawyer that falls into this category. Just a couple of days ago I heard someone talking about “the new school” in Harvey. The school they're talking about is, of course, Cherry Creek School, a building that opened over 35 years ago. But because it was built AFTER Silver Creek, which is actually no longer a school, it's still referred to as the “new” school. And don't even get me started on how long people will keep calling Tadych's “Econo”.

Because, sad to say, I kinda do that myself.

8-)

Anyway, if you happen to find yourself innocently referring to K.I. Sawyer by using any phrase which includes the word “Base” in it, you're in good company. And, the way it's going, you'll probably be in that good company for another thirty or so years!

(jim@wmqt.com)

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