An Old Guy's Random Rememberings #9

GOD BLESS PRESIDENT TRUMAN
2/22/00

“BILL, I GOTTA KNOW SOMETHING” SAID GAYLE THIS AFTERNOON. “SOMEHOW I NEVER PICTURED YOU AS A GUY WHO’D BE BIGOTED, OR HOMOPHOBIC, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT”.

“THAT WOULD BE RIGHT”, I REPLIED (THAT’S FOR REDNECKS AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE DEFICIENT IN SELF-ESTEEM). I COULDN’T HELP BUT WONDER WHERE THIS WAS LEADING. WERE WE GOING TO BE SUED BECAUSE I DIDN’T HIRE THE BLACK GIRL? GAYLE WENT ON WITH HER CONVERSATION, WHICH IS REALLY SOMEWHAT IRRELEVANT TO THE REST OF THIS. IT CAUSED ME, HOWEVER, TO THINK AFTER THE FASHION OF ANDY ROONEY, “WHY IS THAT?” (READ AS “WHY AM I LIKE THAT?”)

WHEN I WAS FOURTEEN, MY DAD, A NAVAL RESERVIST, WAS CALLED UP. HE WAS GIVEN A CHOICE OF TWO PLACES WHERE HE WOULD GO TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY, AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE HE WAS WITH CHOSE ALASKA BECAUSE “I CAN GET MY FAMILY UP THERE”. MY DAD, WHO COULDN’T STAND THE THOUGHT OF ALL THAT COLD, FAMILY OR NO, PICKED HAWAII.

I SUPPOSE THE GUYS IN ALASKA GOT THEIR FAMILIES UP THERE, TOO, BUT SIX MONTHS LATER MY MOM, MY SISTER, AND I WERE ON A NAVY SHIP HEADED FOR “PARADISE”, COURTESY OF THE US GOVERNMENT. THE MILITARY WAS A GREAT LIFE IN THOSE DAYS.

ON THE SECOND DAY OUT, WHILE WE WERE SITTING IN THE LOUNGE, MY MOM SAID “GO OVER AND TALK TO THAT LITTLE BOY”. I PROTESTED. THE LITTLE BLACK KID OF ABOUT 10 SEEMED HAPPY ENOUGH, SITTING WITH HIS PARENTS. HE HAD SOME “CUP TOWELS” AS GRANNY WOULD CALL THEM, AND HE WAS EMBROIDERING A SIMPLE NEEDLEPOINT DESIGN ON THEM. SHE INSISTED I GO OVER, AND IT TURNED OUT THAT HE WAS OVERJOYED TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK TO. I GUESS THOSE CUP TOWELS WERE NOT HIS PRIMARY INTEREST IN LIFE.

I THINK WE BOTH BECAME EXTREMELY EMBARRASSED WHEN, FOLLOWING MY LEAD, JUST ABOUT EVERY MILITARY WIFE ON THE SHIP FILED OVER AND GUSHED OVER HIS NEEDLEWORK. “GOSH, ISN’T THAT BEAUTIFUL! I WISH I COULD DO THAT! AREN’T YOU TALENTED!”

THE YOUNG FELLOW, BILL FINLEY FROM ST, LOUIS, SET ASIDE HIS HOBBY (WHICH HIS MOTHER MUST HAVE GIVEN HIM AS A CUSHION AGAINST THE LONELINESS HE WAS LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER ON THE TRIP) AND, FOR THE DURATION OF THE VOYAGE, BECAME A MEMBER OF OUR GANG OF YOUNG ROWDIES WHO PROWLED THE SHIP FOR ABOUT FOURTEEN HOURS A DAY.

I WAS NOT QUITE PREPARED FOR WHAT AWAITED ME AT THE END OF THAT VOYAGE, BUT I LEARNED VALUABLE LESSONS FROM IT.

I FOUND OUT ON MY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL THAT, IN HAWAII, MOST PEOPLE DIDN’T LOOK LIKE ME. INSTEAD OF BEING A TOP DOG, I HAD TO EARN ACCEPTANCE.

IT OCCURS TO ME, NOW THAT I AM AN OLD GUY, THAT BEING A MINORITY, EVEN IF ONLY FOR A SHORT WHILE, CAN HELP MOLD YOUR ATTITUDE ABOUT LIFE!