2022-10-31, Monday morning
5am NYC ≈ 1957

Willie is a friend of mine, sage age, about 12, who lives on 97st one block over from Madison ave toward Lexington Ave direction.  One day Ruth asks me if I would like to take a trip to nation's capital, Washington, DC.  I say yes and I ask if Willie can go along.  She says OK if his mother agrees.  I tell Willie and he asks his mother and she says OK too.  We take the Gray Hound bus for the long trip.  We arrive and we go visit the many sights including the Washington Monument.  Willie and I climb up the stairs to the top.  Ruth says she will wait for us.

At end of day we return to the bus station and wait on the platform.  Ruth opens her purse and realizes that her wallet is missing.  She tells us what has happened.  Willie goes running up the platform hoping he can catch the pick-pocket man.  No no go.  Ruth goes into the station and talks to the manager.   I don't know how she does it but she comes out with a new set of tickets.

It is time to load up for trip.  Willie and I run to the door of the bus and start to climb the steps.  Ruth comes after us fearing we might get separated.  She barges ahead of a big black woman.  The woman looks at Ruth and says, "Just cause you a white woman ain't no call for you to push ahead of me."

Ruth starts to try and explain but then goes ahead and gets on the bus. We find seat on the passenger side of bus near the back.  Ruth sits across from us.  Then the big black lady comes down the isle and sits in front of us.  We two boys are rambunctious.  Ruth calls over to us and says, "You boys quiet down, you are disturbing the lady."

She starts to laugh. She says, "Lands no, they ain't no bother to me."  Ruth replies, "Are you sure."  The black lady keeps chuckling and say, "No, No, its OK. And chuckles a little more."

We get to Manhattan late that night.  Ruth hails a cab.  I guess some of her money was in a side pocket.  We drop Willie off at his apartment and then we come home to 12 E. 97th street where the door man greets us.

Willie and I continue our friendship.  But then one day Ruth tells me that we are going to move to St. Louis where she has got herself a better job. 

About a month later we move.  I never see Willie again.

Memphis, ≈ when Martin L. King was killed.

Ralph Abernathy and the others are walking to the court house in downtown.  I am following ahead only because I want to see what is going on.  Then I see they are going to go up the stairs to the court house doors.  I climb the stairs and wait at the door to watch them come up the stairs and see who is who.

Ralph Abernathy is leading the way with others next to him and behind him.  The see me at the store and I could see by their faces they were concerned.  But they pressed on and climbed the stairs.  As they got near the door, where I was standing, I just instinctively opened the door.  I wasn't trying to be noble – just was naturally opening the door as I would for anyone. But Abernathy gets a big smile on his face and as he gets next to the door he nodes to me and goes on in.  The others do similar. 

≈ approx. July or Aug 2022 Sy,

My Egyptian friend and Moslem and fellow EE from TVA calls me up. He talk a bit.  Then he says, "There is only kindness in you" and then says something in Arabic and then we hung up the phones.  See if I can retrieve the emails in our many exchanges.

≈ time James Merridith (so) was shot when marching to I think it was Old Miss. About 1965. Nash still playing lawyer.

Get my long  email to Sy about this event.  About 3 years ago I think. 

James Merridith (so) was shot when marching to I think it was Old Miss. About 1965. Nash still playing lawyer.

I ask Nash if he was going to represent the guy who shot Meridith.  He said he hadn't got a call from the jail.  I ask Nash how he would defend him. Nash replies "He was hunting out of season."  I asked him, really? Somewhat surprised.  Somewhat amused. 

Merrddith being shot creates a ruckus. They organize a big march to go down to the Jackson city capital.  I decide that I will follow them down since the way would be directly down by Belview Blvd. past Elvis mansion, as best as I remember.  I had my blue Ford Fairlane and it was good on gas.  I wasn't joining the march, I wanted to see what was happening and how people along the way reacted.

Along the way at night I would find a closed gas station and sleep in the car. 

In the day time I would walk up to the line of people along the road who were watching the marchers.  I didn't see no cops around but nobody was making trouble for the marchers except yelling at them and cussing them and saying vile things.  I hadn't heard that sort of stuff before.  I really didn't know people could hate that much.  One of the marches, a white guy, young, in his twenties best as I remember, and he looks at me and says, "Why don't you join us."  I really didn't know what to say.  First thing, I couldn't if I wanted to since I couldn't abandon my car.  But also, I was reluctant even to show a positive signal since I didn't know how the bunch around me would react.  I wasn't afraid.  I had been near death one time when I was at Ranch Roy L.

Memphis, ≈ when Martin L. King was killed.

Ralph Abernathy and the others are walking to the court house in downtown.  I am following ahead only because I want to see what is going on.  Then I see they are going to go up the stairs to the court house doors.  I climb the stairs and wait at the door to watch them come up the stairs and see who is who.

Ralph Abernathy is leading the way with others next to him and behind him.  The see me at the store and I could see by their faces they were concerned.  But they pressed on and climbed the stairs.  As they got near the door, where I was standing, I just instinctively opened the door.  I wasn't trying to be noble – just was naturally opening the door as I would for anyone. But Abernathy gets a big smile on his face and as he gets next to the door he nodes to me and goes on in.  The others do similar. 

≈ approx. July or Aug 2022 Sy,

My Egyptian friend and Moslem and fellow EE from TVA calls me up. He talk a bit.  Then he says, "There is only kindness in you" and then says something in Arabic and then we hung up the phones.  See if I can retrieve the emails in our many exchanges.

≈ time James Merridith (so) was shot when marching to I think it was Old Miss. About 1965. Nash still playing lawyer.

Get my long  email to Sy about this event.  About 3 years ago I think. 

James Merridith (so) was shot when marching to I think it was Old Miss. About 1965. Nash still playing lawyer.

I ask Nash if he was going to represent the guy who shot Meridith.  He said he hadn't got a call from the jail.  I ask Nash how he would defend him. Nash replies "He was hunting out of season."  I asked him, really? Somewhat surprised.  Somewhat amused. 

Merrddith being shot creates a ruckus. They organize a big march to go down to the Jackson city capital.  I decide that I will follow them down since the way would be directly down by Belview Blvd. past Elvis mansion, as best as I remember.  I had my blue Ford Fairlane and it was good on gas.  I wasn't joining the march, I wanted to see what was happening and how people along the way reacted.

Along the way at night I would find a closed gas station and sleep in the car. 

In the day time I would walk up to the line of people along the road who were watching the marchers.  I didn't see no cops around but nobody was making trouble for the marchers except yelling at them and cussing them and saying vile things.  I hadn't heard that sort of stuff before.  I really didn't know people could hate that much.  One of the marches, a white guy, young, in his twenties best as I remember, and he looks at me and says, "Why don't you join us."  I really didn't know what to say.  First thing, I couldn't if I wanted to since I couldn't abandon my car.  But also, I was reluctant even to show a positive signal since I didn't know how the bunch around me would react.  I wasn't afraid.  I had been near death one time when I was at Ranch Roy L.

Atoka, OK. ≈ about 1962 after I had got my driver license.

I take Ruth to Atoka. The family house is on C street.  I visit the pool hall.  There is a young guy, about 20 or so who stares at me and I know he wants to make trouble.  I'm playing solo pool.  He looks at me and asks in a belligerent manner, "You an Indian lover?"  I tell him in soft voice that I'm not either since I don't know any I can't tell."  I see what looks like an elderly India sitting near the door apparently sleeping and not paying any attention.  I tell this trouble maker that I have to go and start slowly to walk out.  I figured that was the best way to handle it.  I was still a student in Judo and knew nothing of karate.  But I wasn't scared.  I figured I would I would respond to the situation if the guy started real trouble.  He didn't.  He as just mouthing off. 

More later on Atoka and memories of Todd Downing, the Choctaw Indian author.

Winter of 1974 when Todd dies. I am at UT finishing up my last quarter.  Jan brings me message about Todd's death.  Offers to help and did big time.

From Memphis I drive Ruth straight to Atoka, but it is a very long and time consuming trip.  And dangerous.  Lots of snow and ice on the road, especially ice.  About 100 miles from Atoka I have to drive real slow, about 15mph to keep from sliding off the road.  I am almost out of gas.  Then I come to a small town and an old station opening up. The guy was an old man.  I ask him to fill it up.  Then I ask how long to Atoka and am I on the right road.  "You're almost there son, Atoka is just ahead about 15 miles. " Was I relieved.  I think this town where I was at was String Town which I later visited.  All I can say about it was that it was stringy. 

Dr. ?   [ it will come to me – Baskin I believe it was. ] the language prof. at college in Durant (now a University) comes to Atoka.  Todd had been teaching at Durant languages and stuff.  He was greatly admired.  Ruth gives me anything I want of Todd's. I keep the classical record collection, about 800 albums, but only select a few books as Todd's interest was different than mine.  I give Todd's whole collection, about 2,000 books to the Durant college where they set up a special room for him and his memory. 

Later I give Todd's entire record collection to covenant college on top of Lookout Mountain and this makes the paper.  This is when I am in Chattanooga and working so any way, I didn't have much time after work to be listening to records.

Todd gets an Indian funeral send off at the grave site. 

≈ Ranch Roy-L near Jones .. something, MO about 70 miles from St. Louis Co.

I am 15 years old (post me on the paint horse next to the big barn that has Ranch Roy-L painted on it.  There are about ten other boys, teenagers. Rodrick Knop tells Ruth about it.  Rodrick Knop was head master of the St. Louis Academy.  Down on Pine Street just over from Delmare Blvd. 

Tell about St. Louis Academy (post my diploma, 8th grade and academic test results from standardize test. That is where I went to school after I had left Jewish Hospital and the question was – what to do next with me.  Dr. Harte and also Dr. Anthony, a well known psychoanalyst and MD in Chicago, saw me for evaluation and recommended I not return to a public school. 

Trip to Chicago to see Dr. Anthony.

Trip to Chicago to see Dr. Anthony. We stay at the Palmer House.  I get to go to a real ballet. The dancers were from Soviet Union.  I hear Swan Lake for first time.  I had already listened to Tchaikovsky's 6th Pathetiqe many times.  Lena had bought me a small portable record player and Tchaikovsky's 6th Beethoven 6th, and Peter Gynt,  
 https://youtu.be/FuRhF7p4Kvw  Bethooven 6th

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kpqALC8IbI  Peter Gynt Suite No 1 No 2, Bjarte Engeset

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNIon17o5kQ   The Best of Edvard Grieg, 2h 21m 11s

Debussy, rt. Al  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyM2AnA96yE&list=RDdyM2AnA96yE&start_radio=1&rv=dyM2AnA96yE

And index  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyM2AnA96yE

I go to my grave happy, knowing that I have heard for myself the great classical composers.  Who cannot believe in a Supreme Creator – when hearing such music.  How does Darwin explain this?

≈ Tell about St. Louis Academy year.

≈ Ranch Roy-L. I steel me some gas but it was diesel fuel.

I was 16 now, with my license. At night I decide to drive to Ranch Roy-L where I had spent a summer with the horses and angus cattle. Place was around 1500 to 2000 acre. Roy Longstreet was a stock broker sr. manager in a place in Clayton MO close to where I lived.  I might tell it all – but then next year I am only one invited to his new boy's ranch on the opposite end near Jonesboro. MO where he had bought a large amount of property to start a boy's ranch.

≈ Ranch Roy-L. I steel me some gas but it was diesel fuel.

I was 16 now, with my license. At night I decide to drive to Ranch Roy-L where I had spent a summer with the horses and angus cattle. Place was around 1500 to 2000 acre. Roy Longstreet was a stock broker sr. manager in a place in Clayton MO close to where I lived.  I might tell it all – but then next year I am only one invited to his new boy's ranch on the opposite end near Memory dumps for autobiography – starting Oct 31, 2022 to
Font set to calibri and 8 point.
? where he had bought a large amount of property to start a boy's ranch.

≈ age 17, summer of that year. Boys ranch Roy Longstreet opens up.

Jonesboro. MO

"You just don't fit in"

Growing up I heard this many times, mainly from teachers.  But not all.  They don't fit into my world so as Jackson Hinkle would say, " ____ them"

"Don't like baseball! You're crazy"

Not long after arriving in U.S. I got invited to join some boys in a base ball game.  At the field I make the remark. "I don't like baseball"  It made some of the others mad. But in Australia when I had come to live with Radja those last 3 months I had learned to play cricket, not baseball.  But for culture differences there might be peace in the land.