Monday, May 10, 2021

For Grandpa

An unseen photograph,
a trip back through time.
You wonder who that fellow was?
He was one of mine.

The stories that he could have told.
Of what he'd been and done,
all have now been lost forever.
Never told; just gone.

There's a sadness in his eyes
that cannot be explained.
It's as if he's seen too much
of life, of death, of pain.

And though I've never met the man,
I see some of him in me.
But that thought is just subjective;
we see what we want to see.....


May 10, 2020
Photo of Grandpa Wm. S. Williams
1919 Seamans Certification photo.
Courtesy of Cousin Patsy Williams.

2 comments:

  1. Bob,

    I came across your site by accident, while looking for information on Capt. Ellison. You and I met at his school in early 1982, when I was studying for my Master's license, which I received in May of that year. Both of us were working for MSCLANT at that time. I left that organization in November 1983 for MSCPAC in the hopes of finding a better situation there for a Master's billet, alas to no avail. Unfortunately, the MSC corporate culture and I were not well matched, with opportunities being limited. I resigned from MSC in June 1986 to work in American Maritime Officers contracted vessels, where I landed a Master's job in December of that year. I held that billet until the company lost the MSC contract in 1990. I stayed for a couple of more years sailing mostly as Chief Mate. Jobs became difficult to get after Desert Storm due to an overabundance of deck officers, coupled with a lack of billets. I managed to land a job with MARAD in January 1993 and stayed there until I retired in September 2016. Moved to Europe with the wife after I retired and been here ever since. Andy Jordan. PS you and I sat next to each other in Capt. Ellison's over by the far window. The place was a culinary school last time I was in Baltimore.

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    1. Thanks for commenting and I think i do remember you..... I took long lunches so some things are hazy. 😀 Got my 3rd, worked about 2 years more before leaving the ships to get married. I took up estimating earthworks and utilities because, along with surveying the mathematics, and the variables involved, are similar in both astronomy and earthworks. A bit of art and skill is required with the math. My youngest daughter is 34 and has a PhD as an Epidemiologist. Keep in touch via the email address at the top of my title picture. By the way, that's Baltimore at Charles and Monument Streets. I lived around the corner while going to Ellisons. He was at my wedding in 1986. Lynn, his daughter was there, too. She was wild! You had quite a career after I knew you! Hope you are happily retired! Be well and smooth sailing!

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