After all those scary Mayan Calendar predictions about the year 2012, now new research says earth's flaming finale won't actually come for many years later. Therefore, fans, the never-ending, end-of-the-world cottage industry marches on. However, here's one non-Mayan who found a finale of sorts just a few weeks ago.
Despite today's exotica of GPS systems, such paraphernalia can only get you to places. Not to feelings. And so it was I ventured into my old west-side community of Austin without paraphernalia. Only passion. A passion to re- experience the feelings of my young days poring over the great books here in our neighborhood's small library.
The local demographics have changed dramatically. But the cozy, brown-brick building remains proudly intact. [Right alongside Austin's 1900 replica of Philadelphia's Independence Hall where I was to meet my wife-to-be exactly 50 years after it was apparently built for us!]. In these same dusty stacks, this pre-teen explored the classics...the biographies...most especially all those self-help books boys crave in order to improve everything from their dating personality to their curve ball.
A quiet Saturday morning and clearly out of place. I crumpled into a back chair, and pretended to be reading a magazine. What I was really doing is trying to re-live the hopes and yearnings of a skinny kid in the early 1940s looking to make sense of his place in his world's large wars and dramas. [Oh, and also trying to re-live what it felt like to be desperately in love with Rosemary, reigning beauty-queen of our 7th grade!].
It was then that my pre-Mayan finale hit home.
It was that photo on the wall. Could it be? Yes, it was. It was an old B&W group shot on the library steps of some Saturday morning kids years ago. And, gee, the skinny kid with the unkempt hair was among them. A tiny moment in distant time frozen forever by a nameless photographer. You examine it and you say to yourself the only words that fit: "That was once me. This is now me. From a finale to a prologue. All in the Biblical four-score-and-ten. Not great...but not bad!"
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This was a pleasant moment of reminiscence to come across on a Sunday morning Jack ... much thanks for the shared memory ...
ReplyDeleteDear Dear Geezer ~ I've missed you. And your warm thoughts from up Canada way. Will you be re-joining us???????
ReplyDeleteJack
I am back for some time now Jack having taken a 5 month hiatus from all things "Digital" to spend a quality summer with family ... I am so grateful to have you amongst the literati i am privileged to call friends ...
ReplyDeleteI remember your hiatus...Joan and my daughters say I may be a little addicted to this...but at my age and stage, it's really ideal for a retired teacher who misses the dynamics of the classroom ...oh, and of the teachers lounge with its scintillating colleagues...I'm glad for new colleagues like you
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