Joy Searles

American Dreams: (Or the Trials and Tribulations of Chasing Them) Joy Searles

At break time, most of us girls would huddle in a corner of the playground and fantasise about going to visit America one day. My girl friend Shirley and I would go to the cinema with her mom at least twice a week, so we got to see so many exciting places, houses, and scenery. Some of the films that come to mind were "State Fair", "Home in Indiana", "The Thief of Baghdad", "The Arabian Nights", and "Sabu the Elephant Boy". Stars like Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, Maria Montez and Esther Williams were pure escapism, although Elizabeth Taylor was always my favourite. Little did I know then that one day I would meet and marry an American soldier? This is my story . . . .