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Category: Memories

Last weekend, when I was going through some stuff I brought back from my storage room, I found a letter that my Uncle Richard sent my Dad a couple of years before I was born. The picture is me with my Uncle Richard in my Dad's big black recliner (click it to see a bigger one).

The letter was fun to read. It starts off, "It seems a talent small, to my surprise has materialized, and may for all be, a blessing in disguise." Uncle Richard had started writing poetry.

Here's one of his poems:

It seems to me, that you and I
Could build a ladder to the sky.
We would start with heaps of things,
Building good and see no blame.
Planning always to be the chosen few,
To build a ladder to the Blue.
© Richard Novak, 1962

I love you, Uncle Richard!

Back in 1992, my Dad retired from his job as a pressman at the Houston Chronicle. I think he retired early due to medical reasons. I bought a new computer and gave him my old one.

Last night, I found a letter he wrote to me and my brothers on the computer. It made me cry a little bit. Here it is:

     Since this is the 18th of November [note: it was really October 18th] and this is the first letter I am trying to compose I will make a few mistakes as I put on paper a report of all my good fortunes.      I HAVE BEEN ENJOYING LEISURE very much. I go to see my Dr. once a month to secure a document that states that I am unable to perform my regular job since my delicate rib can not stand the trauma that exist in the work place.

     As you may know, I am trying to be a self taught COMPUTER operator, Since all of my children are experts on these machines I thought it would be easy to set myself down and do what ever a person is supposed to do with these onery pieces of equipment.

     I have only wiped out the processor just one time since Kim brought it home and that has been less than a week. Larryhad to come over two nights to reboot the critter.

     LU my ever loving wife is doing her thing. She is painting her Christmas houses for the nice people who like to add to their collections of prettys.

     AS YOU CAN SEE MY INDENTS DON'T ALIGN TOO GOOD BUT I never took typing in school but if this printer will print this letter I will put a copy in the mail for tomorrow, the addresses are on the envelopes so all can read the letter who so desires.

Love to all (signed) Fred (Dad--

It wasn't long after that he got an internet connection and took to emailing.

I don't remember a whole lot from my school years. But here are some things I thought about today:

• When asked to give examples of how rivers get polluted, I said throwing a rock in the river would pollute it. The teacher didn't buy it, so I explained that the rock hits the bottom and stirs up the dirt and the water gets dirty. The teacher told me that wasn't pollution because the dirt is already a natural part of the river. I was embarrassed.
• I found what I thought was a fossil in my backyard. I was really excited and wrapped it up carefully and put it in a baggy. I took it to my science teacher. She laughed at me and said it wasn't a fossil... just a leaf imprint in some dried mud.
• I had a hard time reading the word "nowhere." When I'd get stuck, the teacher would give me a hint... that it was two words put together. But I'd still be stuck because all I could think of was now·here.
• I also had a hard time with the word "determine." I would pronounce it like deetermyne.
• When I was in 4th or 5th grade, Kirk Blackmon called me to ask if I would be his girlfriend. Of course, I said "Yes." But at school the next day, he didn't even acknowledge me. I found out later that several other girls got calls, too. It was a prank call from someone else saying he was Kirk Blackmon.