Memories--we all have them--a good thing, no?

Yesterday, Jennie and I were priviledged to be able to share our dinner time with three old friends of miue (“old friends?” have I any other kind? Well, of course, but....) Well, moving on, here I am in my bed, for a change, with my two bed partners ignoring, or pretending to ignore me and what I’m doing. Which is OK--it is Morningbrain time, after all, and this is what I do when I wake up and find I need something to do and the time is right. But what am I doing talking about being in bed? Back to those “old friends,” OK?

Judy, David, Barry, Jennie, and I, at Romas, OK with you, I hope? Good friends, good food, a good time of the day--everything I always need, you see. So here goes.

First, just a few things I need to remember. Really, people. There is Ms. McMillian, (change that is to are) Mrs. Carr, Ms. Verenes, and Ms. Bobo, at least that’s it for this time and place, and those ladies were all English teachers and were, three out of four, at least, favorite teachers of mine from my past. Ms. Mcmillian started things off for me and gave me an enjoyment of the subject that remains mine today. Mrs. Carr, my friend Steve’s relative, at that, gave me that book, “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,” for which I owe her my love of the subject and my wish to do one of my own. Ms. Verenes provided a reminder of how the words are to go together, and I remember her for two things, first comes the diagrams on the blackboard showing how a sentence is put together, and second is that time when dad and I stopped at a large house at the side of the road while we were looking for a certain address to deliver a thanksgiving meal to and found it was Ms. Verenes house and she gave me a pleasant memory while also giving us directions to find the house in question. And finally was Ms. Bobo, respected, sometime hated last teacher of the subject who gave me my only “D” and also my only “F” in the subject, why, I can’t really say. Guess there was something about me she just didn’t like. Oh. well, it didn’t come up till late in the year, my Senior year, and had no lasting effect on me, so that’s all I need to remember or to say. Excepting one thing which I will save for later.

Back to Romas, and to good times. The three people Jennie and I found ourselves with over dinner were three good people anyone might find themselves with most any time. I suspect my new years day meeting with Judy had the most to do with our dinner arrangements as anything. You see, Judy, like me, enjoys an occasional walk in the woods, Aiken’s Hitchcock woods, at that, and we almost passed without a word, which is what would have happened had she not queried, “Steve” at almost the last moment, giving us both the opportunity to stop, smile, and discuss why we were where we were at that time. Which was more than just fine. Seems I am able to pass by most anyone when I’m thinking about something and not even see them. Well, that didn’t matter. Judy saw, Judy said, and we both smiled.

In any case, that started the wheels turning that left us both sitting across a table at a nice restaurant enjoying each others company as well as the company of several other friends who we were fortunate enough to be able to call our own friends for one reason or another. Jennie, of course, was the odd “man” out in this group, but she was well able to take care of that and contribute to the conversation meaningfully, which made for a most enjoyable evening for all, I’m sure. The food was good, the conversation was good, and all went away with another good memory of another time worth remembering.

Barry and I had one thing we chose to discuss, and that was our time in scouts together. One trip in particular was brought up (really two, though) and the Edisto river started us off. That was the highlight of my Explorer scouting carreer, and it was something that Barry, too, remembered well. Barry brought up a bend in the river and a rather well-mannered water moccasin that we both had seen there. Having written about the very thing, I passed on my memories quite well, I think, and all now share in how my dad and I heard things differently. “Snake, stay in the grass” and “Snake, stay outta the grass” make sense to you? Well, it does to everyone at that table, at least today it should, and a good laugh was had by all, or so it seems! Dad and I fought over where we were going as we went through that bend in the river and the memory is still fresh. Hope the snake enjoyed it as much as we did.

In any case, none of us would have been able to predict that dinner at Romas or the laughter that ensued, I’m sure. The snake story reminded us of another, one where mosquitos were a major culprit, and Barry was able to correct me in my enumeration of the bites he got on that second trip. Seems jungle hammocks work quite well so long as one doesn’t roll over and leave one’s arm pushed up against one’s mosquito netting, Fifty bites sound like a good number? Have to ask Barry!

Oh, well, as they say, a good time was had by all. (And that doesn’t even count the mosquitos and the good time they had!)

So much for my memories, and Barry’s, and now, Judy’s, Jennie’s, and David’s too. Never thought dinner at Romas would be so much fun! And now for that “one thing” which I was to “save for later.”

It seems that last English teacher of mine was to get a “remembrance” she didn’t quite appreciate. You see, when I went off to Georgia Tech, one thing I took with me was a pretty good standardized test score that was meaning to summarize my abilities in the subject, that subject being English, and one thing Georgia Tech did with that summary was to exempt me from the need to participate in their fine English training courses while I was a student with them.

I was counseled on this decision of theirs and was asked one question--“Is there anyone at your high school you think would appreciate knowing about our decision on this?” Boy, was there!

When Ms. Bobo received that notification, she took it to our Principal, Mr. J. O. Willis, who, in addition to being the Principal at Aiken High was also a volunteer piano player in the High School Sunday School class at St. John’s United Methodist Church. Which, coincidentally, was also my Sunday School class. Mr. Willis passed on to my dad the comment he made to Ms. Bobo when she brought him the notification of my exemption to the English classes at Ga. Tech., with her question, “should I do anything about this?” His comment? “I think you’ve already done more than enough,” Dad could do little but share a laugh with Mr. Willis at that point. And that is, as Paul Harvey might have said, “the rest of the story.”

Till later,

Steve

Presidents come and (hopefully) go

When Donald Trump calls the leader of the opposition party, “Crazy Nancy,” and when he throws a similar epithet at Adam Schiff, the leader of the committee who brought impeachment charges against him, what does he think he is doing? Calling the leadership of the opposition in congress unsavory names is something a junior high student might do, but an American President?

How long should we give this guy to man up and become the leader he needs to be. He has been there almost three years now, and still he comes up with this baloney?

Really now. When does supporting the guy become something most reasonable people would begin to consider being an unreasonable response to his childishness?

Did we ever have a president who this guy might be said to be following on to? Not in my memory. He is, supposedly, intelligent, but, if that is indeed right, why does it not show through in his official comments? He’s more of a kid than anything, or, at the most, a fraternity pledge just trying to fit in, and is this someone we can afford to have as our national leader? Again? I think not.

One time is one time too many. It’s hard to believe some think this guy should be reelected.

Really hard. Guess some just do not think on a plane with some others of us. While I can see some who voted for him because they thought his opposition just was not what we needed--for whatever their reasons might have been. But, that being the case, how do those same people continue to think that was a really great decision. If hating Hillary was a reason one might have had, is that a good reason to like Trump? The two thoughts do not have to coexist.

And, if that is where you might find yourself, remember: The new year will bring on a new choice. Just because you voted for Donald Trump last time should not automatically bring on a need to vote for him a second time. I guess the opposition is who will need to make a few good choices here--choices that make sense to Trump voters who have come to see him as a good choice when Hillary was the other option, but not so good when someone else is the opponent. America can come through this a winner, after all. Next year, in any case.

Morningbrain, And a gift from my Dad

Well, it is 6:30, just a bit late for morningbrain, but that is because I ignored its call just a bit earlier--5:30 or so--when it began as I stumbled out the door and across the front lawn to field the paper which our carrier thoughtfully provided around 5 AM if she (I think) was on schedule as has been her wont for the past year or so. In any case, that being done, Tobi and I returned to our places alongside Jennie--he to return to sleep, and me to engage in my usual, if a bit later than usual, morningbrain activity.

That’s just how it works, although a bit later than usual, as I said, today. In any case, it’s still quite dark out, something that will begin to change pretty soon, though. And mb and I are slowly coming together with a few thoughts. (Have to laugh at myself here--when doing my first edit, I thought I had made a mistake. Not so, though, as mb well knows,)

First up is that business of those end days, starting with my dad.

When he passed on, I was there, but just in the beginning. One thing he did while I was there was to begin moving his arms, in almost a swimming nature. Which was something I did not understand. Nor did the three others who were there with me. In any case, if they, Leo, Walt, and my old scouting friend, had understood, they did not pass on any advice. I will pass on just a bit, since learning was accomplished, thanks to a bit of recollection about what Dad was wanting. A touch was all, a touch which I did not give. Something that I regret but need never regret again since it was the last thing I learned from him. His last gift to me.

And thanks to that learning, when Uncle Marshall was passing, and when he, like Dad, reached out, I was there and I took that hand and, hopefully, provided what uncle wanted, a small thing, a touch. He calmed immediately when I took his hand, and when I passed it on to another shortly thereafter. Which, I suspect was a good thing for us all. It was just a short time later that he left us--peacefully, it seemed. Something that may not have occurred, if Dad had not taught me what he did teach me as he was passing.

Just one more thing to thank him for, the next time I see him.

There. Morningbrain struck, and morningbrain did its job.

Thanks, mb.