One Who Wandered into My Life and Stayed Just a While

 

Back from vacation one year, about 1966, I met a newcomer to the Hull Technical Department.  He was a strange sort of character, who will remain anonymous even though he's probably dead, or so old it wouldn't make any difference.  Let's call him Tom.

He didn't stay in the department long before he transferred to another of the technical departments, eventually he wound up in nuclear engineering, dealing with the reactors and associated problems.

He would wander into our work area from time to time just to shoot the breeze.  I'd always ask him, "How's it going?" His reply woulde be, "Fine." then off we'd go into a discussion of some philosophical or technical topic.

That he was in several different departments turned out to be quite normal for him.  He was reported to be a member of Mensa and I certainly think it was more than possible.  The shipyard, for some reason, attracted some very high caliber people.  It may still, but those were special times.

Tom was a strange character.  He had a proclivity for moving around.  He lived in a lot of different cities before coming to Newport News.  In Newport News, he moved lodging often, never staying in one place for more than a couple of months.  He'd lived all over town. 

Then one day he told me he'd bought a somewhat large sailboat.  He didn't sail, but he solved his moving problems.  Now he simply cast off his shorelines and moved the boat to a different marina, something he did about as often as he once moved to a new rooming house.  At some point he quit the area and went to Wahington, DC.

He came to mind a few days ago while I was writing in my journal. I have no clue as to why.

My Obituary 2048

 

Obituary

John Anthony Lina

Born December 24, 1939

Left this world on June 20, 2048

Louisville, Kentucky

 

He was born into this world in Saint Louis Missouri on Christmas Eve, a Sunday.  He participated in life to the fullest.  He was raised Catholic and eventually recognized that he, as well as everyone, was a collective noun.  He went from this world in peace having lived exactly 40,000 days.

 

He believed in good nutrition and fitness.  He worked successfully as a student, surveyor, shipbuilder, corporate executive, business owner, representative of France, and actor, on stage, screen, and voice recording studios.  He changed careers as opportunities became apparent and he enjoyed each to the fullest.

 

Carola Winker and he were married on September 9, 1961 and remained married until death did them part.  Together they are the proud parents of three children, Theresa, John, and Margret.  All of whom are contributing members of society.

 

He was an educated man, known as an Actor, Raconteur, and Gourmet.

In My Image (Haiku)

 

God, collective noun

Earth is a collective noun

I am one as well

The collective noun has a tendency to over-simplify the real meaning of what is.

Maxim for Social Media (Haiku)

 

Advice is wasted

Unless it is requested

Opinions are worse

Stoicism is sometimes the source of some personal philosophy, even if we aren't intentionally using it.  Another way of saying that Stoicism is pragmatic advice.

Patterns

 

My wife and I married; we began a life together that has lasted a long, long time.  On all of our major adventures, whenever there was a major change in the offing, I would go and she would follow, usually after taking care of lots of details.

There were the three children, all of which I began, and she followed through.  

 There was the move to Newport News VA, our first location after college, I left, and she followed after about 6 weeks.

Then the move to our second location in Houston TX, she followed through with the movers and came ahead.  

Then the move to Europe, she followed after the house was sold and the contents were stored.  

Then the move back to Wisconsin, I left her in Europe, and she supervised the move.  

Then the move to Louisville, I went, and she followed.  

Then the sale of our business, I went to Europe, she stayed and took care of the sale.

And so it has been.

Now we are very old.  She is in the best of physical health, albeit demented, and I may have heart problems.  So, will the past be prologue; will I go first, and she follow?

A Rose by Any Other Name (Haiku)

 

A white man named Black

And then a black man named White

A name means nothing 

A different way of looking at racial differences.  It seems interesting that there is rarely a reference made to the surname Yellow, or the surname Red, 

Character Sketch of Charles Waring for Mystery by the Sea (The Dark Veil Mystery)

 

As told by an all-knowing acquaintance, who intimately knows him and the family.

Charles was born into a family of moderate means in Newport, Rhode Island on December 24, 1840.  Raised and schooled there in the Presbyterian faith, he was a normal boy who enjoyed sowing his wild oats even beyond the age usually associated with same.  A favorite of the girls but not taken seriously by any except Alys Asquith. 

He was a frequent visitor to the Asquith home, she always denying him what other girls gave freely.  This, perhaps, was the allure.  

The Asquith household consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Asquith, Alys, and her younger, by six years sister, Agnes (b. 1860).   At the time of their wedding in 1872, Alys was (b. 1850) 22, Charles (b.1840) 32.  It was common knowledge that Charles married into "money" and brought little besides his personality, which was extremely extroverted and egocentric, to the family. 

Younger sister Agnes was an impressionable adolescent when Charles came into the picture.  It was commonly known, but of not spoken, that she had a "thing" for Charles. It was evident by the facts that she was always near him, and she had to get away, to India, for a year, from where she returned only recently with an infant.  Charles may be the father, but it isn’t an established fact.     

  Charles and Alys had two daughters, Chesney (b. 1874) and Melinda (b.1880).  Charles was a good husband, faithful and true, for duration of the marriage which ended with Alys' death, in 1892, from a sickness.  He was then 52 and continued to be a proper father to the two girls.  

After mourning the death of his wife, he was known to make his way into the bedrooms of some of the nicer homes in Providence and New Hartford.  Yet he was discrete and so were his partners in amour. 

During their time together, Alys and Charles were given charge of a young nephew who was orphaned after his parents were accidentally killed.  The boy was not manageable and went missing; unfortunately, no one seriously sought after him and he was, more or less, forgotten. 

More currently, Melinda is engaged to Lance Blair and the wedding date is tomorrow.  Unfortunately, Melinda has been having some difficulty sleeping due to bad dreams.  She called Dr. MacCrimmon and invited him to the house because he "specializes in finding answers to difficult questions." He has had conversations with Melinda and Chesney at the time Charles enters the room. Agnes has already entered the room.