From The Shores of Wally's Pond...

Fleeting thoughts and memories of unrelated moments in time and space.

So… now that I came up with the flashy title and trailer… what do I do? Let’s see… fleeting thoughts I have a lot of… Unrelated moments … there are tons of those… Time and space?  Too complicated a concept for a Thursday afternoon. Where do I start? ... maybe High School would be a good starting point...

1963… Fall. Just started my senior year in high school… Think I am going to ask Tresh to be my girl. Met her before and really liked her… good looking and seems to be a nice person… Hmmm… did and she said yes. We went out and I met her mom and dad; lives outside of town in an “outpost” called West Richland… Have to cross the bridge. She met my foster parents and they liked her.

1964… Spring. Have to make some decisions… my father wants my sister and I to go to Puerto Rico. My sister has to go; she has no other options but won’t go if I don’t go with her. Mr. C., my foster dad, tells me he has secured a working scholarship for me at Portland College, a good mid-size Jesuit University in Portland, Oregon. What to do?

1964… Early Summer. The decision process has been difficult. I am loathe to once again say goodbye to whatever little bit of stability I have found here, but understand I must go. I tell Tresh and she tells me that she is going to visit her family in Arkansas… a way to avoid being there when I leave.

1964… late Summer. Tresh has already come back from Arkansas and I am still there. She gets to say good bye after all, when I finally leave in early September. Not happy about having to say goodbye twice. It will be many years, several marriages with several children (on both parts) and many miles traveled and places lived before we connect again…

1966… After two+ years of family reunion, family separation, work, study and good times in general, I decide to study part time. Uncle Sam then decides he ”wants me”. In fatigue greens… not the most flattering color but, hey… the clothes and accessories are free. Only thing is that some of these could be fired. Didn’t really mix well with the high top shoes.

1967… Spring. Met Carol, my first wife and mother of my daughter Nikki… She was the captain’s girl… I a lowly private… we were married in early summer, before I was to leave for Okinawa.

1967… late Summer. Welcome to Okinawa… disputed island territory that belongs to Japan. But not as disputed as that other territory, Viet Nam.

1968… Fall… discharged from Army; a good standing record.

2009… Early spring… Admitted to Veteran Administration healthcare. Blessed payback for those years of service so long ago… I can honestly say this saved my life… Prostate cancer diagnosed summer of 2008… had no insurance and no means to handle it. By the time the treatment started, it was a “Gleason” (not the Jackie type) 9+… aggressive little cuss. All taken care of. Along with a couple of other issues, like a huge growth on my back (not malignant) and a lousy, old, overused and abused hip. I now “BEEP” every time I go through security stations… loudly.

1974… Early Spring. Divorced from my first wife… amicable… sort of. My daughter had turned four; her daughter from a first marriage was 9. Or 10.

1974… Late Summer. The relationship with my second wife-to-be develops and spreads. We are married sometime later… May of ’75.

1072 – 1975… assorted times… radio work as DJ in Connecticut and in New York City. Was supposed to be a “part time” job. I remember now that I think about this, what it was like to be in front of a microphone. Lots of fun!! If I had a choice… the kind of work that would really fulfill my wants. Had to stop because it interfered with family life… I thought… Hmmm… too bad I could not see into the future.

1980 – 1985… Absentee father. Traveled around the world as “good will ambassador” and consultant at large in the life insurance business… got to see lots of the world; got to see little of the family.

1985… Fall. Moved to Chile and then Argentina. Trying to recover the concept of “family life”. Worked somewhat; mainly with the children. Not with wife #2.

1990… back to Miami. Back to travel … only this time in Latin America . Marriage continues to deteriorate. Two sided issue this one… not one sided.

1996… Fall. Separation from second wife. Rent furnished “bachelor” apartment. End of year sees the start of a new relationship.

1997… Spring. Divorce from my second wife. Not amicable. Definitely.

1997… Summer… Marriage. Third time a charm? We’ll see… still here today.

2010… Fall. Tragedy strikes. My son Eric dies in a motorcycle accident. Death teaches that life continues. His memory is physically and painfully present every day. But very loving.

By now, the water at Wally’s Pond is getting a little cold… I look up and see… not much because it has become dark. I think it is time to gather up my mind and start the road back. Interesting, how almost 50 years of a life can be bit and pieced in two and a half pages… Hmmm… could be considered a depressing thought… but no… Life is promising and beautiful and of course, there are many details not included here… Those … well, those are kept under lock and key… for now.

Be Well … Be Back!!!

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