Free Form Writing
I’m Feeling Twitchy and Nostalgic and Old
Do you have a Muse to help you remember such things? Tell me her name, I want to know. No broken vows here, just memories. Do you Remember any of These Specific Things from the Past?
Here’s the deal — bullet points that are on my mind, chronologically, in staccati mode, not necessarily in strict order, just channeling freely:
Forbes Field, Pittsburgh Pirates, Bill Mazeroski homers
Fishing with Dad at №2 Dam, Ten Mile Creek, French Creek
Kennywood Park!
Signing the books at the VFW and Moose; pinochle with Grandpa; Dart-Ball and billiards (pool to most people) with Dad
Running all the way from VFW to Nana’s house, and getting a royal ass-whippin’ for it..but I knew she would have fresh-baked bread and fried chicken, so it was totally worth it
Bowling league
Giant eagle, A&P, Kroger
Pizza with a German Twist
Shorty’s burgers and dogs
The soda fountain at Viemann’s
Pittsburgh Condors — basketball, Baby!
Da’ Penguins, and getting a puck to take home, maybe even a stick
Wrestling at Bronson House
Osso’s (no pizza like it)
Scary Fathers and even scarier Sisters at St. — -
Picnics and softball games
Really noticing a girl for the first time, wondering what was wrong with my head, chest and, uh…other parts. I can still see, smell and feel her if I close my eyes and concentrate
Hours of basketball at 1st Street, followed by hours of baseball at Pony League; football in the dead of winter — feet and hands totally frozen; absolutely glorious sledding; blown ankle, and a Black brother carried me home to my mom
Saving up my allowance for weeks to buy baseballs, Pixie Sticks, Red Hots and Pumpkin Seeds, and Bags of Gold bubble gum
Not knowing there was supposed to be a difference between white and black people; and still not buying it now; learning about southern food from the Black families who treated me like their own — southern fried chicken, collard greens, grits and cornbread, Yes! Never could stomach the chitt’lins
Bart Starr, Broadway Joe “Willy” Namath, Johnny Unitas, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Rocky Blier
Visits from my favorite Uncle and Aunt, and cousins — feeling inadequate
First solo bike ride, ending up in a creek
Very sporadic secret meetings with a girl who would someday become my ma cher amio
Illness and death of my beloved Nana — still can’t talk about that..something goes wrong with my eyes, and my chest, and I don’t like it
Chiller Theater — with Chilly Billy Cardilly
Fright Night Theater — with Whitey Gleason…scaring the crap out my kids on Saturday nights
Drive-in movies
Bruno Sammartino and George Steele
Elton John, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, and fights over who was better
Da’ Steelers and Da’ Rats..champeens all over da’ place
Having the entire Hobbit and Lord of the Rings stories told to me by mouth; and doing the same for my kids when it was their turn
Tokyo Disneyland; Magic Mountain; Great America — kids goin’ crazy
Discovering that I loved watching videos about good sportsmanship, and began to hate the other kind…pitchers beaning batters, temper tantrums; realizing that Joe West and Angel Hernandez were sent to earth by Satan — that was a sweet realization
On a number of Big Grey Boats, all over part of the world
Charles and Diana’s Royal Wedding; and her awful death;
Children: 1981, 1983 and 1986…and wonderful grandchildren (5, with №6 coming)
Anger and frustration at injustice, inequity, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, people who claim to be patriots but are not, and so many unrighteous phobias,Trump and GOP, married with disappointment at both parties who should know and do better
Thankfulness that I got to see Dad before he died — and so did my eldest son
Nothing but work, pretty much 7 days a week, for the last two decades; but with occasional Caribbean cruises with my ma cher amio — gold and diamonds, but now brass and glass since no cruising allowed
Extreme fatigue now
But, Hope, still and always, that things can get better and I will be here to see some of them. Hope you are here too! Be careful, and stay strong and healthy — it’s bound to get better, and there will be some more memories
Finis