That August afternoon, we drove out in the new Saab to look at a building plot overlooking the town. Upon arrival, Mom and Dad carried me around in my carrycot while each holding one of my big brother's hands. My big brother noticed a frog escaping from a muddy rut just as Dad removed the "For Sale" sign. We all made our way down to the woods, catching glimpses of houses in the valley through the foliage. Our parents exchanged a look of quiet resolve, and, in a spontaneous burst of emotion, my godfather exclaimed: "This is where our children will grow up." That was in 1967. The boom was subsequently replaced by a depression-marked by more than half a century of spiritual impoverishment-in which modesty became a rarity and personal preferences were laid bare for all to see.