Back in 1964, our family arrived in Wisconsin.  We learned a lot of English back then playing baseball, figuring out why they kicked an extra point after scoring a touchdown, and watching TV shows like Leave It to Beaver.

It was an old black-and-white TV that the parishioners at the church had donated.  We were so grateful for such a gift, even if we had to punch the back of the TV once in a while to make it work.  By the way, my father showed up one day with a new TV that he purchased because my mother was concerned that one of us would get electrocuted trying to move the TV.  It gave us a clearer image for watching the Beaver, now in reruns.

We remember Jerry Mathers, who was born in Iowa on this day in 1948.  Who would believed back then that I’d be writing a post about his 76th birthday?  Are you kidding me?  All we dreamed of back then was to have your father’s letter published in the newspaper.

Mathers will always be “The Beaver” in Leave it to Beaver, one of the most popular TV shows ever.

The show had four characters whom everyone could love: dad Ward Cleaver, mom June Cleaver, Wally, and Beaver.  The parents had a lot of characteristics that a Cuban kid could relate to.  A serious dad who always wanted to tell you about the big picture.  A loving mother who got dressed up when she was preparing dinner.  My mother was elegant but not when she was preparing dinner or yelling at us to do our homework.  Ward and June were about their kids, and that was so much like my parents. 

And let’s not forget Eddie Haskell, who was the zaniest kid ever to be on a TV show.  I do recall kids back then calling someone “Eddie” because he was a fake in front of your mom and a jerk with everybody else.

Learning English with “The Beaver”!  I can identify with that!  Enjoy your day, Beaver, wherever you are these days.

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Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.