In 1987, my wife and I took a one-week, island-to-island cruise of Hawaii on the SS Constitution. The SS Constitution was a large ship, 682 feet long, operated by American Hawaiian Cruises and featured on an episode of “I Love Lucy,” as well as in the movie “An Affair to Remember,” starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.
During our cruise, I bummed an empty wine bottle and cork from a couple who had just consumed the beverage. Washing it out and then drying the inside as best I could, a note was written with our Alaska address on it.
I can’t remember what the note said, but it was probably the ship’s name and what we were doing on board. The cork stopper was partially reinserted, and tape was securely wrapped around it.
Walking to the back of the vessel, I undoubtedly glanced around before tossing it, not wanting to get caught littering. It seems like we saw a sign about tossing bottles overboard right before we chucked ours.
Joleen and I always had high hopes that someone would find the message in a bottle and write us. Thirty-eight years later, and we’re still waiting. Perhaps in 100 years, some beachcomber will finally discover things.
On August 23, 1908, 117 years ago, Otto Oren mailed a humorous, yet also prophetic postcard to his 16-year-old sister, Miss Estella Oren, in Upland, Indiana. I seriously doubt he ever dreamed someone would be reading it in 2025 and writing about such. Otto lived in Norborne, Missouri, at the time, some 500 miles away from Estella.
The agricultural towns of both Norborne and Upland play a key part here, as they both had post offices where the card was safely mailed and then safely received, unlike my wine bottle.
Norborne, Missouri, founded in 1868 along the Santa Fe Railroad, is a small town in Carroll County known for its agricultural heritage, especially soybeans. Over the decades, the community has stayed close-knit, celebrating its rural traditions and history.
Upland, Indiana, another small agricultural town, was established in the late 1800s. This community grew as a railway stop and is now recognized for its small-town character and as the home of Taylor University.
A short note on the back of this postcard contains the following:
“Aug 23/08 Norborne, Mo
Say when are you coming over to see us come over and we will take a boat ride on the river and catch a big cat-fish they are catching some fine ones now some that weigh 40-60-80 and up to a 100 pounds come over please from your bro O.O.”
On front of the card shows two women, with one on an antique telephone while the other listens in. The one gal is saying, “Are you there? Take my advice. Don’t sow your wild oats. They are bad reaping.”
I had to look this saying up, with Miss Purdy, my talented AI helpmate, offering up a stellar explanation:
“Don’t sow your wild oats, they are bad reaping” is a warning based on the idiom “sowing one’s wild oats.” Which refers to behaving promiscuously or foolishly in life, with the understanding that this “bad seed” will lead to negative consequences – the “bad reaping” – later in life, such as regret, problems in a committed relationship, or a ruined future. The saying combines this idiom with the biblical concept of reaping what you sow, emphasizing that irresponsible actions will inevitably bring about undesirable outcomes.
It’s most apparent that Miss Estella Oren took her brother’s softly veiled advice, following the Biblical principle in her relationship regarding promiscuity. The Oren family came from a Quaker upbringing, so that had a lot to do with their upbringing.
Marrying Benjamin Harrison Atkinson in 1909, Estella remained with him until Benjamin died in 1965, at 77 years of age. They had one child. Estella “Cattie” Atkinson never remarried, passing away in 1973 at 81.
Otto and Estella had 7 other siblings: Jason, Jasper, Lenora, Bertha, Bruce, Fletcher, Warren, and Charles. For the most part, they all lived long lives, except for Lenora and Charles.
Otto Oren, born in 1873, made it all the way to 1958. He was 85 at this time and lived to be the oldest out of all his sisters and brothers. Several years before his death, Otto and his second wife, Nargaret, moved back to Upland, Indiana, most likely to be closer to family. His first wife, Minnie, died in 1918. Otto had no children of his own from either spouse.
Margaret Oren passed away in 1963. She had 3 children from a previous marriage.
I like to write junk... 