Delivering and collecting the papers this
morning with the air temperature minus seven reminded you of those young days
of delivering the Columbus Citizen and Citizen Journal in the early to mid
1950’s. – Amorella
0839 hours. It was not so bad as it
might appear, first I had white athletic socks, insulated boots, warm clothes (long underwear) and
coat and hat with earmuffs, fur-lined leather gloves, scarf and a sky mask plus
I walked the two mile or so Minerva Park route. Carrying the newspaper bag was
not difficult and the constant walking kept me warm. I remember wiping off the
ice crystals that formed on the ski mask that was the novelty. And, sometimes
the early cold morning affording the sight of the sometimes heavy northern
lights in the sky, some of which I thought was due to H-bomb testing. I usually
left on my route about 5:10 and folded the paper for a short toss to the porch
as I left the street and walked up the driveway, turned and walked back to the
street to either cross it to the next house or turn to the left continuing the
route to eventually home. I have not thought on this deep winter experience for
quite a while. I remember the wind, usually out of the north rather than the
west, didn’t help. Still, I enjoyed the morning silence more than anything
else. Once home I read the rest of the paper and got myself ready for school,
school bus 8 (Johnny Beaver was the friendly driver) came about 7:20. In junior
high and high school I would wing most classes doing no more work than needed
to get a C. A ‘B’ or two would help offset the occasional D in math class. I
always had an A in physical education; it wasn’t worth much but it looked good
with that D on the grade card. Such was life in the 1950’s.
Lost yourself in thought, boy. What do you
think? – Amorella
0904 hours. That was pretty much my
‘professional’ life in those days. After school was free time and I took
advantage of it doing pretty much whatever I wanted to do as long as I stayed
out of trouble, which was never too difficult. I liked to read – everything
from comic books to the encyclopedia. I wanted to explore ancient sites like
Tiwanaku and Machu Picchu and the Amazon jungles. What is very cool is that we
visited both places, walked in rain forests and flew very low over the Amazon
when running out of fuel and had to land at Manaus to refuel at about two in
the morning. It was a Pan Am flight that took a very long time to leave New
York for Sao Paulo. Anyway, some childhood dreams were satisfied enough for my
general purposes. I am rather carried away with thoughts this morning. At least
no one has to listen to my stories over and over. And besides, this way I am
quiet about it. I always like the quiet – library quiet preferably – not all
the time of course.
1412 hours. We had lunch at Piada
Street Italian and Laney was there with three friends from Jazzercise. [She sent me a note later.] Laney came
over smiling and gave me a nice warm hug and said hi to Carol of course. She as
going back to Peru next week and said we’ll get together when she returns. She
takes students for field experience in the local Jesuit schools; this will be
her fourth trip and her fourth trip to Machu Piccho near Cuzco. It was a very pleasant surprise to see her. I deliberated getting up, going over to her table to
say hello (I didn’t think she saw us) but I did not move. Typical Laney, she
just got up made her way through a couple of occupied chairs and came to our table instead. I
miss her. We have a deep bond. No one has encouraged the romantic in me
more than Laney. She got me a black leather motorcycle jacket for retirement
but it was too small so I took it back or maybe she did, I don’t remember. I
guess she thought of me as an old rebel with a cause rather than without one.
We are at Kroger’s on Tylersville. Carol is picking up a few things as well as
a prescription for each of us. Tomorrow it is supposed to snow so I doubt we
will head to Kim and Paul’s until Sunday, if then.
You had a very nice surprise indeed. It has
been at least a year since you’ve seen that smile and felt the special warmth
in that hug of hers. – Amorella
1636
hours. I have given the above much thought and choose to post with your simple
conclusion.
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