Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Words Worth 1,000 Pictures

Pancakes & Strawberries; 
Kittens & Dogs & Young Children 
in Bathing Suits at Beach or Pool.

7/7/77:  You, me & Liz were up 
on Cape Cod staying at the Barry’s 
cottage. We’d spent a day at Hershey 
Park, a night with the Barry’s in New 
Hope—scooted over to Buckingham
Friends  School and played tether ball,

At the shore we made a VW in the 
sand.  Later, got you some shoes 
and went to see “The Deep” at a 
drive in.  Mom was in Durham
taking care of  Grandma Clark.
Drove the black and white Valiant.

This morning  I got up showered &
dressed at 4—thinking it was 5. 
Ob la dee ob la da. Life goes on.

Do you remember going to Fiddler’s 
Grove & camping out?  Davidson River
—with Tommy, camping out?  Bee Tree
–with Mom and Liz, camping out?  
Mt. Mitchell with Moshers, camping out? 
Dirt track in Minnesota? Asheville Speed-
way?  Lime Rock with Paul Newman?


3 years later, sitting in Duke library 
reading George Steiner’s “After Babel”
—dread. Panic. When I got out of  the
hospital this time I was agoraphobic: 
hated  outside.  Sunshine.

10 years earlier, reading “Self Reliance” 
to a class at N.C. State. I began to cry.
Wept thru the hour.

Six months later, a shot of thorazine  
left me speechless for 3 days—unable to 
talk. I had been walking on water, so to 
speak.  As it were.

Walking but no talking.  I became a
chairman, a dean:   I flew to conferences
in airplanes to give speeches, hire and
fire,  chair faculty  meetings, host
accrediting  and funding agencies.
Professional.   

Words worth 1.000 pictures.



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