46 OCTOBER 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL A farewell party for Susie and Johnny Shaffer (seated on couch) arranged by the Anschuetzes’ daughters, Susan (holding dog) and Nancy (seated next to Susie). Inset: Kirsten Rytter dancing The Twist with Richard Driscoll, after release of the Chubby Checker hit song, 1959 or 1960. Party games included musical chairs and spin-the-bottle. One difficult aspect of being a preteen and teen TCK is the cycle of Foreign Service posts. During eight years in France, where Dad was heading up Marshall Plan public relations before joining Voice of America, we lived a dulcet life in a village along the Seine with home leave every two years. Then came Cairo. Upon arrival, I was transfixed; clearly, Egypt would be a keeper for the rest of my life. At CAC, there were more than 200 students in kindergarten through high school from some 16 countries. Unlike in the U.S., French and Arabic were no longer foreign languages. Students were welcoming, friendships were blossoming. But sadly, with postings often just two years, goodbyes were common. We were just getting close, then off my friend went. I got good at hiding the pain by not showing up. Decades later, “Cairo elevators” arrived, distilling years of separation into an elixir of reacquaintance filled with memories still sweet. —Richard G. Driscoll, Newfield, New York When my family lived abroad, we always spoke of Norway as “home.” Now connecting with old friends in the Cackle network is like coming home. A place to share childhood experiences, discovering that the American kids also sometimes felt that their childhood experiences were sort of out of place. The group’s success is due to the interesting topics that are brought up in the introductory part by the network members. Having an effective moderator helps. —Kirsten Rytter, Oslo Spun out like yo-yos with very long strings, each of us were launched into the life journey and discovered ourselves enmeshed in a version of a cat’s cradle for a season near Cairo, Egypt. Once again, then, we were projected off to the far reaches of the planet to expand the potential entanglement of that cradle. Over the past couple of years, the return cycle back along varied paths, we discovered ourselves bouncing within each other’s spheres in closer proximity. The kaleidoscope of world adventure brought to the table each month has rekindled aspects of our childhood and onward travails that have been a delight to share. —Jeff Peters, Port Ludlow, Washington The gift of living my formative years in the Foreign Service, for which I am eternally grateful, has shaped the meaning of my entire life so far. Who could possibly understand the value of this good fortune? Mining this meaning with those who would most understand is certainly a benefit of reconnecting on a regular basis. Not having this group would be like reading a book and not being able to talk about it with other readers. Even more apt, we are learning directly from the other protagonists in the actual story. Every Cackle provides further insight. In this way, the Foreign Service continues to offer felicity and fulfillment in life, long after our last post. —John R. Whitman, Chicago, Illinois COURTESY OF JOHN R. WHITMAN COURTESY OF JOHN R. WHITMAN
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