"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" - An Eternal Gift

 I just finished re-readin "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" for, well, I really can't hazard a quess as to what number of times. Safe to say, probably the hundreth. And, what have I gotten out it? Quite a bit, actually.

The beauty of it is that none of the following can be found in the book. They are merely referred to. Yet the characters are so firmly etched in your heart, that you want to know them on a deeper level. And, knowing what they are referring to is an  obvious way of doing that. 

I was ahead of the curve on "The Little Flower" because of my Grandmother. She'd already told me the stories of the Saints.

"Annie Laurie" was easy because I'd heard it somewhere before. It's a Scottish song, based on a poem by William Douglas, about his romance with Annie Laurie, with the tune added and words modified by Lady John Douglas Scott in 1834/5. I like to think it was a romantic collaboration. 

And during my early teens I had to look up the two verses by Shakespeare shown below. Although I didn't understand them as fully then, as I do now at the age of 70. 

At any rate; know your Bible, know your Darwin, Melville, Dickens, Poe, Hugo, Twain and Dostoyevsky, just to name a few of my favorite authors. But don't ever discount Betty Smith and "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." It was a gateway to greater literaure in my life. 

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In the Catholic Church, "The Little Flower" is Saint Therese of Lisieux, a Discalced  (Catholic friars or nuns who go barefoot or wear only sandals) Carmelite nun known for her simple message of holiness through everyday actions and her "Little Way" of spiritual childhood.

Marie Francoise-Therese Martin, known as Therese of the Child Jesus,  lived from 1873 to 1897.  Her life was short, but her impact enormous. Her Nickname is "The Little Flower".

Her spiritual teaching, known as "The Little Way," emphasizes that anyone can achieve holiness by performing ordinary actions with great love and trust in God, even in the smallest ways. Deed over Doctrine.

Her autobiography, "The Story of a Soul," is a testament to her simple yet profound spirituality.
Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925, her feast day is celebrated on October 1st. She is the patron saint of missions, florists, the sick, and those who are homeless.

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Annie Laurie
William Douglas | Lady John Scott

Maxwellton braes are bonnie
Where early fa’s the dew
And it’s there that Annie Laurie
Gied me her promise true
Gied me her promise true
Which ne’er forgot will be
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I’d lay me doon and dee

Her brow is like the snowdrift
Her neck it’s like the swan
Her face it is the fairest
That e’er the sun shone on
That e’er the sun shone on
And dark blue is her e’e
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I’d lay me doon and dee

Maxwellton braes are bonnie
Where early fa’s the dew
And it’s there that Annie Laurie
Gied me her promise true
Gied me her promise true
Which ne’er forgot will be
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I’d lay me doon and dee

Like dew on the gowan lying
Is the fa’ of her fairy feet
And like wind in summer sighing
Her voice is low and sweet
Her voice is low and sweet
She’s a’ the world to me
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I’d lay me doon and dee

Maxwellton braes are bonnie
Where early fa’s the dew
And it’s there that Annie Laurie
Gied me her promise true
Gied me her promise true
Which ne’er forgot will be
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I’d lay me doon and dee
............

Macbeth

She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.

William Shakespeare
............

The Merchant of Venice (Portia's soliloquy.)

The quality of mercy is not strain'd.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptered sway.
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute to God Himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this:
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy,
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea,
Which, if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.

William Shakespeare

Joe Barnes - Foreman for Life

I had worked at DeSantis Coatings in Willoughby, Ohio, making traffic paint under the supervision of the factory’s “Foreman for Life”, Joe Barnes. No kidding, that was his actual title- Foreman for Life. I was very curious about this position and especially the title. So one day I saw Joe Barnes at the pump station as he was bottling up some tuelol (the active ingredient in airplane glue) for a 3 day weekend. Tuelol is addictive and Joe had the “monkey on his back” when it came to inhaling the stuff.

Joe was a friendly sort and always telling stories. He was the most senior of employees- he had been on the job for about 18 years and as I said, he was “Foreman for Life.” This particular day he was jabbering away when he asked me , “Do you know how I got be Foreman for Life?” I replied , “No, but I am curious about it.” And that was all it took for him to recount the following;

“Well, you see, it was a Friday and Old Man DeSantis (the founder/owner of DeSantis Coatings) was drawing off some thinner to do some painting at home over the weekend. Stupid bastard owns the factory but he don’t know one damn thing about making paint. So he’s over here at the pumps and he’s got a metal bucket and holding it under the spigot- presses the pump button without grounding and zap- a spark ignites the bucket which spooks the old man and he falls with the pump running and now he’s soaked with thinner and on fire and he’s really burning. Now I hated Old Man DeSantis and so I looked around and I realized we were alone. So I go over to him and getting as close as I can I kick him in the ribs- hard. And he rolls over on his side. So I kick him again and he rolls some more. By now I’m really into it so I keep kicking and kicking and he keeps rolling and rolling. Just then his son, Vince Jr comes in looking for his old man and sees me kicking him. So I figure- well I’m done here and so I give him a couple of more kicks for the hell of it and he rolls some more and now the fire’s out. Vince Jr is hailing me as a quick thinking hero for saving his dad’s life and they give me a raise and make me Foreman for Life. And that was about 15 years ago.” 

( Note: The patch at the top is actually from my work shirt at the factory. The map below shows Timberlake, a village of 300 people, where I lived in late 1973. You can just about see the lake in the upper left corner. I lived in the last house right on Lake Erie. Follow the blue line Southeast and that is where Willoughby Coatings was. Still is but someone bought the business out. I used to ride my bicycle to work until it got too cold and then I bought my first car, a 1964 Ford Galaxy 500 with dual exhaust.)

  

"Tunes of Glory" (1960) Alec Guiness and John Mills

One of Alec Guiness' finest films is perhaps one of the least understood. He plays Major Jock Sinclair, a highly decorated officer, who is the acting Colonel of a Scottish Highland regiment after World War II. When he is replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Basil Barrow, played by John Mills, his behavoir becomes increasingly erratic, culminating in his assaulting another member of the regiment in full uniform in public. This is a  Court Martial Offense. The outcome of this is the crux of the film's message.

Where does a soldier's duty belong? To a book of rules, or something higher? It all boils down, and over, to the age old question of Doctrine versus Deed. In this case the result of following the Book of Rules would publicly tarnish the reputation of centuries of hard won glory, paid for in lives. And so it goes that this decision between Doctrine and Deed may cost one man his life by verdict of a Court Martial. With masterful performances by both Alec Guiness and John Mills, this film may not be for everone. But the question is one we all face at sometime in our lives. Do we follow Convention, or do we follow our hearts?

What a Wonderful World (Spoken Intro) - Louis Armstrong (1967)

In these troubled times it's often helpful, and hopeful, to look on the brighter side and think of what could be. Back in 1967 Louis Armstrong recorded his version of this wonderful song. And now, when the leaves have all fallen, and the calendar is about to change once again, I always think of this song......

Wishing you all a Happy, and hopefully a safer, New Year in 2025! Withgood health to all!

The Balcony Story - 1984

Of all the stories I have told, or written down for posterity, there is one which I have overlooked until recently. It involves a 7th story hotel room in Virginia Beach back in 1984. Sue had come from Baltimore to see me when I returned from a 6 month contract aboard the USNS Sirius, AOR-8, a supply ship which was part of the Defense Department's Military Sealift Command.

We had spent the day at the Botanical Gardens, had dinner, and walked along the beach that evening. It was mid April and not quite warm enough for swimming or sunbathing yet.Virginia Beach has the Labrador Current and the water is quite cold from late fall through Memorial Day, but still, walking on the beach in the evening was a nice way to end the day.

Returning to the hotel, and the 7th floor, I found that neither of us had the room key. Going back down to the lobby and the front desk, we were amazed that, for some reason, the hotel had neither a duplicate, or even a master key to our room. All of our clothes were inside that room, as well as my stash of Moroccan hashish fresh from the Mediterranean. There was no question about it, I had to get in that room.

Neither of us remembers why the hotel did not simply call a locksmith. It may have been a holiday, but there was nothing to be done. I have always been in the habit of leaving the balcony door unlocked and slightly open to get that heavy scent of room freshener out and some fresh sea air in.

So, knowing that door to be open, I requested, and the hotel clerk acquiesced, to allow me entry to what I remember as the adjoining room. Sue remembers it differently. She recalls the vacant room as being one floor above, or below ours.

Either way, we accessed the vacant room and I went out on the balcony with the intent of my climbing out and reaching across the gap between the two rooms and reaching the balcony to ours. This is why I believe it was the adjoining room rather than the one above. I didn't have access to any rope with which to lower myself to the floor below. It was a bit of a stretch, about 7 feet, maybe a bit more, but I was always a good climber, be it of trees or ship's masts, so I was game. And, of course I'm sure there was a bit of showing off involved.

I remember thinking that this could turn out badly, but you have to take a risk if you want to make a gain, and so I got up on the railing and tried to reach across the divide. No go. I was about a foot shorter in reach than the gap.

There was a thin brick ledge below the balcony so I decided that I could use that and inch across  to the other balcony by holding on to one balcony with my right hand, while clinging to the brick with my left until I got close enough to the other balcony and grabbing the railing there with my left hand. Of course, there would be a moment when I would not be clinging to anything but I still believed it could be done.

I remember being a bit concerned while performing this feat, but I don't remember being scared.  And, once I'd started there was really no turning back, so onward, or more accurately, sideways, I persevered. When you are just 29 years old you take chances. Plus, I admit, there was a bit of "showing off" involved. And, there was that hashish to be considered.

Obviously I made it to the other balcony, and am still here, at 70 years old, to tell the tale. I never doubted that it could be done, but still, there was just that one moment, while letting go with my right hand, and reaching out with my left, when there was nothing but faith to hold onto.

So, there is the story. Sue can verify it. And now the tale is written, as I said, for posterity. And to think, the accompanying photo here, could well have been my last!

Leaving IKEA

 

The first IKEA in the Baltimore area was located in White Marsh off Rte 40. I had, by that time, moved on from simply estimating Earthworks, Utilites and Heavy Highway Construction, to Contracts Administration and Design Building of shopping centers, etc. IKEA was one of those projects.

Sue and I had gone to the Grand Opening. I have never enjoyed being tightly enclosed in heavily populated spaces. Ships are different. With the exception of Temporary Active Duty on an aircraft carrier, with thousands of crewmembers, I had always enjoyed vessels with small crews. 40 crewmembers on a 28,000 ton ship to a maximum of 272 on a ship like of 38,000 tons was my comfort zone. All my other ships were manned by crews of about 180. Rock concerts had ceased to be enjoyable and I sought music by Independent Artists in small venues.

So, when I found myself in the zoo like atmosphere of the 7 story IKEA, built like a maze, where you are forced to roam through the entire store beginning at the top and winding downward, I wanted out. And quickly. I knew there were Emergency Fire Exits on each floor, but there were no visible signs, which were required by law. I was there for the Fire Department Inspection, which was passed in order to receive the Certificate of Occupancy necessary to open. But I could not see the signs, as they were obscured by draperies, carpets and the like.

At the first two levels I asked for the location of these Exits and was repeatedly told there were none. I finally approached some store Manager, who told me the same thing. I handed him my business card, explained that I had built the store, modifying, as necessary, thier corporate plan. Moreover these Exits existed by law and I made it plain that I needed to use one immediately, if not sooner.

Of course, over the years, Sue learned early on to detach herself  from me when I was in "one of my moods." So she was merrily moving along with the crowd and shopping. At this point the Manager was getting on my nerves and so I suggested that he show me the Emergency Exit post haste. When I am initially annoyed I can be quite rude and loud. When pushed further my voice becomes ominously low and my speech deliberate. This is the point of danger.

I now demanded to be shown to the nearest Fire Exit and the steps which would lead me outside and down. He again refused my request. I replied that he really should reconsider his opinion before everyone would need to use the exits. He got my meaning, called Security, whereupon I was immediately escorted out via the hidden Exit. This was clearly my intention. Within 2 minutes I was breathing the fresh air of White Marsh, and listening to music in the car while enjoying my favorite pasttime of having a smoke.

About an hour later Sue returned, laden with packages, and smiling said, "Well, I see you got out of there." I looked at her and smiled back, saying, "Don't I always?" Then we went for dinner and we had forgotten the incident until she posted her experience in the store in Berlin today. We both had a laugh on the phone with her asking me how I had managed to get out of there.

The kicker to this story is that on the following Monday I phoned the Fire Inspector and informed him that the Fire Exit signs had all been either removed, or obscured. I met him at the store, he asked to see the Manager. The store was cleared of customers for about 90 minutes while all the Exits were cleared and a Warning issued about the repercussions of further Violations.

On another occasion I left the Convention Center in Baltimore by climbing over the railway and leaping to the top of the ticket booth and out to the street. The couple we were with, and their children, were all shocked. Sue was merely amused, especially when our younger son followed my lead. He, too, hates crowds. 🤣 
 

"Madhouse on Castle Street" - (1962 ) BBC-2 Bob Dylan, Andrew Loog Oldham, David Warner

In late1962 Albert Grossman brought Bob Dylan over to England to perform in a beatnik style drama called "Madhouse on Castle Street" for BBC 2.  The play was written by Evan Jones and directed by Philip Saville. The production featured a  young Bob Dylan, who was soon to become a major star. (You can find the full 57 minute documentary on You Tube. I was unable to upload it here.)

The original film was made between December 18th,1962 and finished by January 3rd, 1963 and broadcast on January 13th. Starring David Warner, Maureen Pryor, James Mellor, and Ursula Howells, the play was about a young man who is so disillusioned with society that he decides to lock himself in his room until society changes. That part was supposed to be played by Bob Dylan, but his inability to learn his lines changed that. Another problem was keeping him on the set. He kept wandering off to smoke pot. 

The play was made with electronic video cameras, but recorded onto film rather than tape. No full copy of the show survives because in those days BBC erased the tapes for re-use. Britain was still suffering shortages of everything due to the Second World War. There were just 2 copies left, but these, too, were destroyed in 1968, which is odd because by that time Dylan was a world wide sucess. 

Peppered with hits of the time, the archival footage provides an insight into the winter of 1962, which was one of the coldest on record. 

Dylan performed 2 songs,  "Ballad of a Gliding Star" and "Blowing in the Wind." His "minder" for the week was Andrew Loog Oldham. He earned £5 for the trouble. This was just before he began to manage the Rolling Stones.