America’s last turning symbolized by retailers

In the book “The Fourth Turning,” it explains the United States makes a dramatic turn in its future direction eveiy 80 years. The last turning occurred in the 1940’s and the next turning would be in the 2020’s. For some time, I thought it would be 2024 as by then a significant portion of my baby boomer group would be in the nursing home or cemetery and missing in action as a force in the country. However, it is looking more and more like 2020 will be the turning. As to how this turn wifl be, it is anyone’s guess.

The last turning could be symboflzed by the two great retailers at the time. Sears & Roebuck and Montgomeiy Ward. Sears bet on a new era of optimism and expansion and began building new fantastic stores near what was then the suburbs. Relics of those glorious days can be found in stores on North Shepard and South Main in Houston. I stifl remember going in those stores in the early 70’s when we lived in Houston and to boys off the farm, they looked like Harrods in London. Sears stores along with their ubiquitous catalog became as famous as the slogan “See the USA in your Chevrolet.” America seized the day with cheap college education and bestrode the world like Superman.

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