The BB Gun

Day two of the Family History Writing Challenge 2/2/15

** NOTE: The italicized font is creative non-fiction. Based upon the stories of my mother and uncle it is my creative writing of their memories. **

“Call your uncle, he’ll remember more,” was the encouragement from my mother. “Read him what you've already written, so he’ll understand what you're trying to do.”  So a long distance phone call was placed and an ever familiar voice came on the line. “Hi Unc, mom wanted me to read what I've written, To help you understand what I’m doing.” After reading, I encouraged him to share, to which he was now more willing. Stories of school, and visiting the local candy store were offered. But, then came the story with a vision … “I still have the BB gun my father gave me; it hangs downstairs on a pair of deer antlers he mounted. My father was a taxidermist, you know…” Over the line, I could hear the distance of the years melt as he spoke and together we journeyed back to the side yard of the house in South Lubec, where a young boy waited to finally get to shoot his new gun.

Wells stood by as his father cocked the new Daisy Red Ryder BB gun with a click and took aim at the ball atop the flagpole. Pfft, registered the little rifle as a shot was fired. Click, Pfft, click, pfft another two rounds. Wells was attempting to wait patiently as his father declared the gun suitable for his son’s use. Already three other rifles had been taken back to the store as the sights were off. Being a consummate hunter, Wells’ father knew his way around a gun and was a stickler on good marksmanship. Wells had seen his father come home with a deer across his shoulders in the autumn. There was a big snowy owl his father had “stuffed” that he had shot before Wells was born. Even his mother had been known to don hunting gear, for there was a picture to prove it. “Alright son, this is a good gun; we’ll keep this one.” Wells was thrilled, he had his own gun! Looking similar to his father’s, Wells would improve his accuracy by shooting at paper targets.

 

“He still has his BB gun? Yes mom, I replied, he still has his BB gun, hanging on a pair of antlers your father mounted.

Family History Writing Challenge - Day 1

Originally written in 2012, mom encouraged me to make this my first post, to provide some context to the ensuing stories. I am pleased to report however, I did write 270 words today, but am not sharing that at this time. 

On February 17, 1927 my mother flew in with “Lucky Lindy.”  Calvin Coolidge was president and life in the town of Lubec was life as usual.  My grandparents lived in a rented “bungalow” just below the big church on the hill in town.  It wasn't until my mother was 6 or 7 years old the family moved to South Lubec.

Each summer my parents would return to Lubec twice or three times, traveling the same route from Connecticut.  As a child in the backseat with my grandmother, tales of life in Maine were exchanged to pass the time.  My grandmother had standard comments now ingrained in my psyche for time and memorial.  Belfast: There was store there associated with the one she worked at in Connecticut.  Ellsworth: “I remember when Cadillac Mountain burned, you could smell the smoke and it smoldered for months.”  Route 189 in Trescott: “Look at the skyline of spruce.”  West Lubec: “I remember walking to the water tower.”  And lest I forget, Number 9 Hill, where if a car could make it up the hill in high gear, it was a good car.

Although my mother left Lubec at age 14 upon the death of her father and moved with her mother and brother to Connecticut, her memories, along with my grandmother’s, compelled me to move to Maine.  I have lived over half my life in this wonderful state.  When asked if I would ever return “home” meaning Connecticut, my reply is “No.”  I blame this on my mother, who year after year inoculated me with “Fundy Fever.” 

This  is a compilation of those stories presented in a both factual and fictional manner.  The pictures painted for me as a child are the basis of what I am calling fiction or better, embellished.  While writing these memories, I would read each night to my mother what I had written that day, for she is my editor and fact checker.  Often these sessions yielded more information; I only hope this work of creative non-fiction clearly conveys the pictures she drew in my mind.

See you tomorrow - J

The Family History Writing Challenge

As is intuitively obvious to most there are two things I value greatly, the first is my mother; the second is her hometown of Lubec, Maine. For a number of years I have been working on a pet project of writing about her childhood, growing up on the coast. Since I was an infant, my parent's took me yearly (sometimes twice or three times a year) to South Lubec, where we would stay with my grandmother's good friend, a woman known to me as "Aunt Hazel." Her house stood next to the land where my mother grew up (mom's house was lost in a fire after she moved.)  Now as an adult I continue to make a yearly pilgrimage "home." It is my childhood memories blended with my mother's and flavored with imagination that have been the basis for this "embellished work of fact."

I say all of this as an invitation and a warning.... I am announcing my goal of writing 250 words a day on this project for the entire month of February; starting on the 1st, ending on the 28th. This evening I signed up for the "Family History Writing Challenge" through the Armchair Genealogist.  The challenge encourages writers to announce their intentions as a way of accountability. I tried this challenge a number of years ago and made it half way, but did not post any of my writing. My plan for this year is to post what I've produced either the same night or the next day. Over the next two weeks in preparation I will be starting a list of what I'm going to write about. Fair warning to my mother and uncle... I'll be looking for fuel for the fire.

No offense will be taken if you choose not to read my posts, for this is a personal challenge. If you do read, I would love comments,thoughts and criticisms if you have any. This is a new adventure on an old project, I don't know where or how this will go. But it goes nowhere unless I try.

Kindie

This past Christmas 2014, my mother received a Kindle Fire from my sister. I learned of this gift on Black Friday when my sister called me and told me what she had done; I was concerned from the start. Mom didn't have internet in her house and had made it clear to me that she did not want the added expense, what proceeded for the next month was my attempting to pave the way for this change by making little comments like "if you had internet..."  I arrived at mom's house a few days before Christmas and shared my Facebook account with her through my cell phone connection. Oh I had her scrolling and swiping, watching videos and looking at photos. This whole time knowing what present she was going to receive, and still questioning if this was such a good idea.

Christmas day arrived and I had been able to arrange a "Skype" date with my uncle (my mother's brother) in Michigan. It was a wonderful time in which my entire family basked in the face to face communication we had and marveled at technology. As we opened presents, the Kindle was left until the end."  It was truly a tech infused Christmas.  The following day mom & I called the phone company and made arrangements to hook up the WiFi, only it was going to be two weeks from then; long after I had returned to Maine. Move ahead in time with me to the last week, Mom got her internet hooked up and fired up the Kindle. After some time of frustration, she was able to access her email account. The next day I signed her up for Facebook (FB) and that night we began to explore.

For the past week we have been spending up to 2 hours each night, moving back and forth in FB, and then checking email. Each day has been an adventure, but progress is being made. Mom's first post was something about loving and hating technology, with the next post being something about "going through the pucker brush" but making progress. She named her Kindle "Kindie" and says her little girl is unruly and likes to take off and fly in the cloud when mom least expects it.  This past week has been challenging to assist mom in learning how to navigate the Kindle, when I am 236 miles away and working blind on a device I know nothing about. But we have muddled through and today, just one week after starting lessons, mom is navigating with less support.

Why do I share this? First to say, my sister was right and I was wrong to be concerned. Our mother is so much more resilient and curious than I gave her credit for. I should have known she was ready to venture on her own when she would call and ask me to "Google" something for her, but her protests about having a FB page and internet sounded so real.  Secondly, and most important I want to say how inspired I am by my mother's curiosity, motivation, perseverance and intelligence. At a time when most older adults would shy away from technology my mother is heartily embracing the challenge. Her enthusiasm for learning puts me to shame. I have also had to learn how to teach a new way, and this experience has been a benefit to me. As always my mother continues to teach me, while I am teaching her.

During a time when Facebook and email are vilified for being so impersonal and "surface," I see a brighter side. A side where someone can explore and connect; learning to harness new technology. Before we totally shut down our Facebook pages and turn off our smart phones, maybe we can take a moment and see how we can use this technology to a better use than whining. Social media and email are powerful tools, but as C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity (paraphrased) evil never creates it only borrows from good. Let's reclaim the internet and make it a place of exploration and curiosity. Thanks mom for reminding me the fun of connecting on social media and flying in the cloud.

Grammie

Today is the 112 anniversary of my maternal grandmother’s birth. The fifth child of Marie (Vlasak) and Frank Mason, she was born in West Springfield, Mass. in 1903. Her mother was an Austrian immigrant, having been born in Vienna, Austria to parents (as oral history goes) who were teachers in the court of the Emperor Franz Josef and had an uncle who was lead violinist in the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Grammie's father was a native of North Adams, Mass, and per oral history was a childhood prodigy on double deck organ, giving lessons at the tender age of 9.  My grandmother trained as a Contralto Opera singer at the Boston Conservatory of Music, and was considering a professional career when she met my grandfather. They married in Nashua, NH, took the steamship, Governor Dingley to Eastport, Maine (where my grandfather was from), ultimately settling in Lubec and had a family. My mother was the first born, with my uncle following 3 years later.

To me she was known as “Gram” or “Grammie.”  To her great-grandchildren “G.G.” which tells something of what type of woman my grandmother was. She was a woman of elegant grace, who conducted herself well in any type of situation whether it be a formal occasion or camping, she was known for her graceful, polite manner. To others she was known as “Bug,” and collected lady bugs as a result.

One of the things I remember most about my grandmother was her love of the state of Maine. As we traveled downeast together she would remark on the beauty of the “skyline of spruce” so prominent in Washington County.  She loved to mow her lawn in Connecticut with a gas powered push lawn mower; then sit in the shade of a beloved ancient oak tree by the pond when the job was done. She loved to sing, and boy, could she sing. She loved camping, crossword puzzles and a good book, usually a mystery or western. I remember Grammie’s penuche, fudge, hard dumplings and hoska, an Austrian bread made for Christmas. And lastly, she loved her family… deeply.

There is so much more I could write about this woman but time and self-imposed space restrictions compel me to summarize my thoughts. Although physically not present with me any longer, my grandmother continues to influence me. Her legacy in my life shows up at the strangest of times. I baked beans today in her honor, for that was what she was doing the day I was born. Her love of Maine was passed onto my mother and then onto me; when I take the stage to sing she is there with me and is especially close when I sing “The Holy City” or some other classic style of solo. I can’t help but think of my grandmother while sitting at a campfire, for the fire was also something she loved dearly. I’ve included photos;  some of my favorites that hang on the wall of my house. This post has no moral, no witty ending, for this post is just a brief celebration of a life well lived, which endures through her descendants. Happy Birthday Grammie, I am grateful you were born; Love, your granddaughter, JJ.

Where has this year gone?

Where has this year gone?  I now sit here on December 30th; puzzling over where the year went. My mom & I saw a sign many years ago at a restaurant in Maine which read “be thankful for every dull and boring day for they are precious.” I believe that particular sign could sum up this past year for me, with a few exceptions. There was a wedding in my family, a wonderful summer vacation with close friends and family and two more weeks of vacation with family and friends over the holidays and a UCONN basketball game (go Lady Huskies). But again, I ask where did this past year go? I have to go to my calendar to remember… let’s see.  The year began cold and icy, and remained snowy for most of the winter. I was certainly glad to see spring come. As I looked through my calendar I saw some weekend trips, a couple of concerts and campfire sings. Frankly, my calendar is filled with the “minutia” of life and not much else. I am grateful the big occurrences this year were happy for me for LORD knows there were plenty of discouraging, difficult times for my friends and acquaintances.

I've bought my shrimp and meatballs for New Year’s Eve dinner, I do love finger foods. I can’t say I've done any soul searching for resolutions or goals for 2015. This post makes one more post to this blog than my highest number in 2012, and I posted 5 times to my new blog “5&2”, so overall I've done better in 2014 than I have before.  I remember in March posting about not giving into fear and making certain I am only using one electronic device at a time. I am doing better at not dividing my attention when speaking with others, although not totally there.  And as for not giving into fear, let me sum it up by saying… “I haven’t finished the song yet.”  In other words, this continues to be a recurring theme and a work in progress.

If you were to ask me, right at this moment “what do I want to do in 2015” I would answer something like, write more, read more, enjoy the little things of life more often, and not give into irrational fear. I will leave you with a portion from August’s post “Loving green because of white” which sums it up pretty well.

“….. I want to be able to look at difficult situations as a way of affirming simple day to day gifts, not just pains in my neck.”

Happy New Year everyone, may you be blessed with happy times and minutia!

Pluralistic Ignorance

Here is my post on voting. Next Tuesday is voting day in America and I will be voting. I always tell people the reason I make certain I vote is because my belief is if you want the right to complain about the government you need to be responsible and vote. If you aren't planning on voting, shame on you there are many places in the world where voting is not allowed. Now I sound like a mother telling her child to eat liver because, “there are starving children in the world.”

My brother is running for a state office and as all candidates, is hopeful of winning his election. He is running against an incumbent, but does have name recognition on his side. This however is not what has spurred me to write, but does play a part. What spurred me was a six o'clock news story about how a major supporter of one independent candidate has withdrawn his support from the candidate giving it to one of his opponents and is encouraging other to do the same. No biggie right, people change support all the time? However, the reason behind this move is what was so stunning, the reason is to throw support to an apparent party underdog to beat the other opponent. It wasn't for a difference in opinion, it wasn't because the supporter felt the other person was better suited for the job, NO! It was simply to attempt to ensure the other candidate did not win. Those common folk who were switching their allegiance even confessed that they felt their first choice was the better choice, but were not convinced he could win.

Enter pluralistic ignorance. Pluralistic Ignorance is one person acting a certain way because they believe that is what the “social norm” is, even though they privately reject the “social norm,” not realizing there are others who also reject that norm, but also think they are alone in this belief. This is my simplified understanding of the phrase and not the “technical” definition. In regards to the election mentioned above, I wonder how many supporters of the independent believe this person is the best person for the job, but because of “polls” and “opinions” are convinced he is going to lose? When truth be told, there are enough believers out there, who if they voted their own way, their own opinion, might win the election for this person.

As I look around at the world I have come to recognize many instances of pluralistic ignorance. On TV, at work, in the newspaper, in faith-based organizations...etc. People who say they believe a certain way, but act another. So here is my decision regarding this Tuesday's election. I am not going to cast my vote because of party affiliation, or because I need to vote the way (I believe) peers in my social circle vote. I am going to cast my vote for the people I feel are best suited to the job, regardless of whether they win or not. In regards to referendums and bond issues I am going to vote the way I believe is best for the state, regardless of what polls and news stories state. I encourage everyone else to do the same, especially vote!