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Who I'd Spend An Imaginary Day with
I wouldn't mind spending the day with Abe Lincoln, Carl Sandburg, Jesus, my grandpa, my uncle Larry, or maybe aunt Trinna. But I think if push came to shove It would be a toss up between Jesus and great uncle Bert Lockwood. Uncle Bert was the black sheep of the Munday clan. Died on the streets of Wichita - an alcoholic wreck or so we're told. Died 44 years ago.
Uncle Bert was a poet- his only published work a very intuitive and wrenching portrayal of war and war profiteers. 'Panorama' was written in 1939 as Hitler was rising into power. He left wife and children for a life with the bottle and the streets and his name was seldom mentioned again. And only then in whispers. He was looked after on occasion by a nephew, my uncle Jerry, who felt a soft place in his heart for the old man. He lived in a different part of the country but would drop in from time to time, check the bars and alleyways until he found him, buy him a meal and a pair of shoes and put a few bucks in his pocket.
Sandburg's poetry gave me a deeper comprehension of incomprehensible territory of the heart, Abe Lincoln, Jesus and my grandpa Reiley all showed me staunch and steadfast ways through difficulties, always trusting (even if sometimes with hesitation) the road ahead. Aunt Trinna - another black sheep- showed me how to me to laugh during good times and bad. She lived her life to the fullest in a series of giant gulps no matter the consequences. No regrets, no apologies.
Grandpa Reiley was a man of his word and his faith. The only kind of work he knew was hard work,
responsible work. He was a diligent man and faithful to his wife of 69 years and to his six children as well. He could laugh with the best of them and pray with bold reverence. His name is on the cornerstone of the First Church of God here in my hometown. I would have liked to have known him better and maybe go fishing together one more time.
Uncle Larry was a loner whose wife left him after he returned from WWII. He remained single, a loner, working in a northern California logging town for the next 40 years. He was kind to us all. I'd like to spend time with him asking about his broken heart.
After all of this I suspect I would opt to spend the day with uncle Jerry Munday. The kindness he showed his uncle Bert, the kindness he showed the rest of the family, his career in radio, his children, his wife....
He died at 50. Far too soon. He was also connected to the rest of the family as well so perhaps he could enlighten me on the unanswered questions concerning uncle Larrry, aunt Trinna, uncle Bert and maybe even tell a few stories about grandpa Reiley.
And being Catholic he could inform me of a few things about Jesus as well.
Yes, today, at this moment, if I had the opportunity I'd spend the day with uncle Jerry. His big brown eyes and wavy hair seem to be looking at me from the shadows as I write this and I can almost make out the gesture of him tamping tobacco into his pipe. Maybe he'll invite me into his dream tonight and tell me the stories I long to hear. Somehow I think even old Abe would approve.
It's time for bed. Goodnight everyone...
Uncle Bert was a poet- his only published work a very intuitive and wrenching portrayal of war and war profiteers. 'Panorama' was written in 1939 as Hitler was rising into power. He left wife and children for a life with the bottle and the streets and his name was seldom mentioned again. And only then in whispers. He was looked after on occasion by a nephew, my uncle Jerry, who felt a soft place in his heart for the old man. He lived in a different part of the country but would drop in from time to time, check the bars and alleyways until he found him, buy him a meal and a pair of shoes and put a few bucks in his pocket.
Sandburg's poetry gave me a deeper comprehension of incomprehensible territory of the heart, Abe Lincoln, Jesus and my grandpa Reiley all showed me staunch and steadfast ways through difficulties, always trusting (even if sometimes with hesitation) the road ahead. Aunt Trinna - another black sheep- showed me how to me to laugh during good times and bad. She lived her life to the fullest in a series of giant gulps no matter the consequences. No regrets, no apologies.
Grandpa Reiley was a man of his word and his faith. The only kind of work he knew was hard work,
responsible work. He was a diligent man and faithful to his wife of 69 years and to his six children as well. He could laugh with the best of them and pray with bold reverence. His name is on the cornerstone of the First Church of God here in my hometown. I would have liked to have known him better and maybe go fishing together one more time.
Uncle Larry was a loner whose wife left him after he returned from WWII. He remained single, a loner, working in a northern California logging town for the next 40 years. He was kind to us all. I'd like to spend time with him asking about his broken heart.
After all of this I suspect I would opt to spend the day with uncle Jerry Munday. The kindness he showed his uncle Bert, the kindness he showed the rest of the family, his career in radio, his children, his wife....
He died at 50. Far too soon. He was also connected to the rest of the family as well so perhaps he could enlighten me on the unanswered questions concerning uncle Larrry, aunt Trinna, uncle Bert and maybe even tell a few stories about grandpa Reiley.
And being Catholic he could inform me of a few things about Jesus as well.
Yes, today, at this moment, if I had the opportunity I'd spend the day with uncle Jerry. His big brown eyes and wavy hair seem to be looking at me from the shadows as I write this and I can almost make out the gesture of him tamping tobacco into his pipe. Maybe he'll invite me into his dream tonight and tell me the stories I long to hear. Somehow I think even old Abe would approve.
It's time for bed. Goodnight everyone...
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Comment by wiffledust on November 20, 2009 at 6:14pm
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i'm thankful for all of you!
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Comment by Janet Stinson Therrien on November 20, 2009 at 5:34pm
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No Lisaaaaa......not picking of teeth....but aren't you thankful when you need a toothpick? LOL I want to pick his brain about his business strategy, his vision of marketing this product. I know, I tend to wander off on silly tangents. I am very thankful for all my blessings of more than I deserve.
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janet are you saying we have to spend thanksgiving talking about the picking of teeth? because i can't go along with that. the making millions part, well that sounds like fun. how did we go from Jesus to this? LOL! what's next? the guy who invented the zipper??? ;-)
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Okay, does the name Charles Forster ring a bell with anyone?
Well, I just have to tell you that I would love to pick this gentleman's brain for sure, mainly because he made his fortune on, are you ready? TOOTHPICKS!!!!
Now, I want to know just how many toothpicks can you get from a tree and what was his first inkling of a thought as to how to get this awesome and versatile product marketed as I'm picking up my drink with those cute little umbrellas in it or deciding which hors duerve with the colorful toothpicks in then I want to taste first, then have the availability of flicking it out from between my teeth. I know, not very lady like at a Thanksgiving dinner but hey, what was he thinking at the time back in the late 1800's. A self made MILLIONAIRE on TOOTHPICKS no less. Amazing!
It's one of those items that you sit and ponder over and think, "I could have done that!" and kick yourself for not realizing it sooner.
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i think we forget about that part in all of our awe and wonder. we forget that he was a fun charismatic fellow who probably WAS lots of fun, or nobody would have paid any attention to him. i can see how someone could have the "power" to light up souls without the personality, but i don't think that's how it happened, since he did his work as a man. interesting, interesting....!
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Comment by Rick Reiley on November 20, 2009 at 11:17am
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I think he must have been the life of the party. How could one person leaving no written word, who only met a few hundreds of people in his lifetime have had such an effect on humanity unless he touched everyone he came into contact with to the very core of their souls? Yes I think he must have been the life of the party. And for many the party continues to this day. That's some kinda host.
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i would really like to know his thoughts on the women too, rick, because i maintain that Jesus was the first real feminist. before him women were truly chattle. but seems to me that he said to women, i give you a way out of all that. you don't have to be the property of someone. follow me instead. and then he gave incredible powers to women for that time period. so i'd love to hear him talk on that. i think what i'd like mostly is to see his sense of humor first hand. apparently he had quite a sense of humor and charismatic personality, but that is lost on us, because the references are all based on his historical time frame. wouldn't it be great if he were the life of the party?
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Jesus is on my list because he is the example I use of a life perfectly lived, always seemingly to a higher calling than to one's own self interest. Of course that's a two edge sword because
it could be argued that his own self interest was being served by achieving martydom. But that's another matter altogether. I'd like to know his thoughts on Judas, Thomas and of course the women that surrounded him.
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rick before i so rudely deleted your first attempt at posting this, i was telling you here how much i enjoyed this response to the writing assignment. i would like to spend thanksgiving with these folks too now that you've described them so well! Jesus is a frequent appear-er on lists like these, and I'm curious what would you want to talk to him about specifically? I mean is it more of a personal thing or would you like to just shoot the breeze? I always wonder that, because I don't tend to put Jesus on my list only because I think I would just be there with my mouth hanging open and no great conversation would take place! ;-)
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