Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water; after enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. — Zen proverb.
Category Archives: Photography & Ephemera
Indians weren’t real
Growing up in a small town in the 1950’s, I had a Davy Crockett coonskin cap and rather amazing “Indian” war bonnet. Don’t recall who gave it to me or why.
Native Americans (don’t think we ever heard the term back then) were mentioned in our history lessons but rarely and inaccurately. The American “Indian” simple wasn’t real to us. Mostly they were the bad guys on TV and in movies. Tonto one of the rare exception.
My thanks to John Robison for sharing photos from his mom’s scrapbooks.
Destin: September 2021
Memorial Day
When you could buy a home for $7,000
This is the house were my brother and I grew up. Our parents purchased (newly constructed) the little two-bedroom/one-bath house for $7,000 in 1955. We’d been living in tiny rent houses and my mom was determined to own their own home. My father was terrified at taking on so much debt (30 year mortgage). I’m guessing it took them the full 30 to pay it off.
“John Mays for Mayor”
In 1971 my pop ran for the office of mayor in the small town where we lived. He was 45 years old at the time. Not sure why he wanted to be mayor. He’d served on the city council for six years and must have found that satisfying or interesting (or something). According to his answers to a series of candidate questions in the local paper, he left radio in 1964 to take a job doing public relations for the local light and water utility. Held that position for three years.
Even with the positive name recognition that comes from being on the radio in a small town, he lost the race by 56 votes. A day or two after the election, he put a concession ad in the local paper.
Recent events (on the national level) make my pop’s little ad all the more… gracious? After losing the race, he stayed in radio for another dozen or so years. And then ran for County Assessor (and won)! My mom was in poor health and I think he was looking for a more reliable income than sales commissions from selling radio ads.
John must have had more of an interest in politics than I remembered. Six years on city council; a run for mayor; and a stint as Dunklin County Assessor. I recall him saying he spent “33 years in radio” but now I’m thinking he meant “a span of 33 years.”
Immunity
Barb got her second COVID vaccination (Pfizer) this afternoon. I’ve been trying to think of a more anticipated event in the 40+ years we’ve been together. Our wedding was a big deal but I think we were both more excited about the after-party. But that wasn’t a life-or-death moment. Given our age and other factors, getting COVID could put us in the hospital and/or kill us. So we hunkered down. Way down. Rarely indoors away from home. Always wearing masks. Avoiding friends and family.
That last part has been really hard on Barb. She never complained but it was really hard on her not to spend time with her sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews, and all the “littles.” And her countless friends. But she did it. She did it for the people she loves and cares about and she did it because she loves life and wants hers back without the fear of a deadly virus putting her on a ventilator and maybe leaving her crippled for life.
For a long time the idea of an effective vaccine was just a tiny speck of light at the end of an endless, very dark tunnel. But the scientists came through and gave us a couple (so far) of vaccines. And good ones, that will keep us from getting really sick and winding up in the hospital. And the wait began.
As a former nurse, Barb appreciated the need for health care workers to get vaccinated first. And people in nursing homes. You know the story. Next in line were people over the age of 65 and those with health conditions that put them at higher risk from the virus. Hey, that’s us! So we put our names on the lists and waited for the call and checked our email.
Most of Barb’s friends have been vaccinated and some of her family. And in a week or so, this second shot will do its thing with/to her immune system and she can slowly and carefully take her life back. It’ll still be masks and social distancing (god, how I hate that term). She’ll be able sit indoors with her (vaccinated) sister and talk and plan their trips to Florida. She can hang out with her pals (the vaccinated ones) in the garden club. She can be with people besides me (and our two dogs). Truly, I can’t imagine what this has been like for her.
The vaccine has taken on an almost magical aura. A few drops of a colorless liquid from a tiny vial that changes… everything. Sure, there will be “variants” and “mutations” and the guys in lab will have to find ways to tweak the vaccines. And they will. But today… today Barb has as much protection as modern medicine can provide. And I have never been more grateful.
Found photos
Taken in the Peck’s backyard in Kennett, MO. Buddy Peck, Joanne Peck and Jan Miltenberger on the left; Pam Pylant and Alan Johnson in the middle; Barb and Steve getting frisky; Richard Peck looking at the eclipse.
This was taken after one of the sad little promotions at the radio station. A watermelon seed spitting contest, as I recall.
RP’s Saudi Arabia Adventure
Sometime after Richard Peck‘s abbreviated and tumultuous stint in the U.S. Air Force, he signed on with an overseas construction outfit to work in Saudi Arabia. As I recall, he had to sign a two-year contract but he didn’t last the full two years. Allan Johnson recently unearthed a couple of Richard’s letters from that time (1977). One to John Robison and one to Allan Johnson and me. Vintage RP.
Life Is Good
