I recently came across this photo of the library staff at Atlas Chemical from 1975. The company had already become ICI Americas in 1971. The photo is actually a Xerox copy that poorly reproduced the mid-tones, but was only meant to be glanced at and thrown away, certainly not saved. A Xerox copier was amazing technology back then. People even dropped their pants and sat on the scanning bed to get a most unusual selfie.
But that is not the point. One girl (the second in on the back far right, Janet something-or-other) had been in a bad auto accident. One winter day, her car had slid on ice into an oncoming vehicle, but, miraculously, no one was hurt. She saw it all develop in slow motion. I asked her if she had been killed, what her last words would have been. I still remember her reply: “Oh, shit!”
I suspect they are the last words of many others. Not very inspirational, but true to life, I kid you not.
RWalck@Verizon.net
Lansdowne-Aldan High School -- Class of 1954 