Today’s old A&J is from 1989. It’s going to be a short work week around here, but I’m OK with that. It’s the week of Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. I like Thanksgiving, because it’s a difficult occasion to mess up. I know, I know. The big retail chains are trying, and they make inroads every year, but I’m not launching into that rant now. Besides, it is possible to ignore all that. Just stay home—or go to the home of family or friends—and whip up some comfort food; make it as lavish or simple as you like. Enjoy, pausing occasionally to remind yourself how good you have it. That’s it! What could be better?
There’s the rub, and there’s the rub.
By Jimmy Johnson
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86 responses to “There’s the rub, and there’s the rub.”
Guessed it: shower & shave. Couldn’t resist! A 3s was priority upon return to civilization. 🙂
I was seen as a “brain” from the Second Grade on — I had skipped the First Grade — and in my small town, all the kids knew this. But I didn’t care! Sure, I took some teasing for reading books and “using big words” but the enjoyment of reading made up for that. I was happy to get pretty good report cards — not too happy to finish homework on time, but did okay anyway.
When I got to college, I had the wonderful good fortune to meet a nice-looking fellow student, who just like me was a life-long reader and used many long words; and we loved the same kind of music. It didn’t take long for us to fall in love and get married. And I finished college, too!
I’ve had a very quiet life here in my corner of New Hampshire. I am so in awe of the amazing life that Jackie has led! If she ever covered up her “brains”, that was a long time ago. Her remarkable brain power shines through the stories of what she has done and how she’s done it. She is an inspiration to this rather timid and retiring person!
I will admit I have NEVER been timid nor retiring. And honestly I never tell all the stories for fear I will sound like I am making them up. I have always loved people and wanted to be loved in return, so I didn’t want to have people envy me or resent me, even as a child. I too skipped grades and in any school, especially small ones, that sets you apart. Reading was my “real” world where I could go and be anyone and I used to say I read anything with print including cereal boxes.
One regret is that I never experienced a school or teachers that could deal with children like me. I’d like to think education departments now can challenge children to learn at any level and take pride in their abilities and grow.
Love, Jackie
“In the 50?s and 60?s no girls/women wanted to be labeled as a “brain”, the equivalent of todays geeks.”
Fortunately, wife didn’t mind that in the late ’40s in H.S. She was valedictorian in her small town graduating class of 37* or so. Continued to do well at Cornell in Ithaca and at CUNYH School of Nursing in Manhattan [BSN ’53] and straight A student at the local college/univ., BA biol. and Engl., summa, ’70, and MA Engl. ’73. Actually, at both Cornell and here, I’ve run into lots of women, perhaps more than men, who aren’t the least concerned about being known for their smarts. A more common problem is that, in mixed discussion groups, male students do most of the talking. Too much female reticence there.
Another local problem is that many smart American Indian students won’t speak up in groups. There’s a cultural “don’t stand out” value that’s hard for many to overcome.
*Same town, same distance from Manhattan [50+ miles, Amtrak] had a graduating class of 150+ at wife’s 50th reunion in ’98. Brewster, NY is now largely a bedroom community. Peace, emb
So, Jackie, you’re saying you were a “spirited” child? 🙂
Seriously, I know whereof you speak.
Will be going out to eat with our Corps officers (pastors) and their brother this year. Don’t know how that came about, it just did. It is their first year without a big family get together so it will be different for them. My better half and I quit cooking for Thanksgiving about 12 years ago so we have been going out for a while for Thanksgiving. It doesn’t make sense to cook a big dinner for just the two of us, so we are going to share our time with them. The big Salvation Army Corps Thanksgiving dinner for the community was tonight so we have done all we need to do in cooking and serving for this year.
Yay, Salvation Army! I pride myself in never passing up a bell ringer’s kettle without dropping in a dollar. Of course, that’s in addition to the check I send the local SAC office around the first of each December. That stems from my military days, where it was my personal experience that the SA did more for the troops than other service organizations.
I used to keep a framed Charlie Brown poster for a long time of Schroeder I believe , “The heaviest burden is a great potential.”
Took me a lot of therapy and analysis of myself to begin to understand what drove me to a lot of what I did in life. Part of it was a fearlessness and another was coping with rejection and neglect. Two of my favorites at an early age were Holden Caulderfield and Holly Golightly, neither anti-heroes you’d choose for your children. Loved the authors but I identified with the characters unfortunately!
Not a good memory probably for a Thanksgiving memory! Both authors had unhappy lives all the way to the end I think. My one chance to meet Capote as he sat next to me and Mike kept threatening me if I spoke to him or even smiled.
He looked so sad, all alone in his little red toggle coat and his little legs dangling off the bar stool, shorter than mine which are VERY short! They were making him eat in the bar because he didn’t have a coat and tie on, despite fact he was staying in the hotel forever. Manager was a friend, so heard sad story of how alone he was.
Think I’ll give up and take my dog off to see the cats and go to bed. And finally take a turkey out of freezer I keep forgetting.
Love, Jackie
Mark, I forgot to tell you about the contact you found for me about my ghost that was killed in our house! I found quite a bit more information but I also found two Smiths who were researching a lot of family members and they were indeed the ones looking for him. So, I wrote them and promptly got a reply the next day.
Sad part is his son died last week who I suspect was one of the genealogical researchers. He said he will contact me as soon as he returns home. So, after 90 years we may get some resolution on this poor man’s death? Genealogists feel like television detectives sometimes.
Love, Jackie
Such a difference, Jackie — my childhood was a very happy one. Teen age, not bad either. Loving parents and grandparents, and their friends. Most of my friends were adults! My whole life has been happy, in fact. I give thanks for my good fortune, every day, and feel sad for folks who haven’t been so lucky.
I’m sad that you didn’t get to meet Truman Capote, and am wondering why Mike didn’t want you to talk to him.
I am troubled by any group that, when denied the “justice” that they seek, burn down, loot, or otherwise destroy their own neighborhoods and the businesses owned by their neighbors. To me that is insane… I happen to be a volunteer chaplain at a state psychiatric hospital… So, I do know what “crazy” looks like.
A further thought. When toddlers throw a tantrum, tossing their toys about, we step out of the way and do our best not to laugh while calming those children. When adults throw a tantrum, destroying their own neighborhoods, what should we do? What can we do?
Good morning Villagers…..
Granny Carol and Denise….my pleasure, you’re welcome.
Off subject….we brought George the Rooster into the packing room yesterday….we’re going to start doing that as he’s getting so big. He flaps, he struts, he crows, and I smile.
Husband bought a pork loin for Thanksgiving dinner…..pork, the other white meat!
And Rachael and Andrew are back together, they will be spending Thanksgiving supper with us, as we all have to work. Rachael is a CNA, and works in a group home for the mentally handicapped. Will be going in to the nursing home and spend some time with Mom this evening. My one sister will be having the family Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow….too many people for me…swarms of fam damily. But I love them.
Ya’ll have a blessed day
=^..^=
GR 😉 dem be da days
https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/8382948608/h52EF04F3/
AND David…glad you’re home in time for the holidays…..I always thought it was the 4 “S”s…___t. shine, shower and shave…..don’t know where shine came from though.
And Bryan is feeling well enough to cook the turkey and pies….you can drop the pies off at my house 🙂
I’ve not yet read the newer posts above. Here’s the current TIP BlogSpot.
http://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/
I found Matthew McConnaughey on a search. Does one of these nuns resemble him? I don’t think so, and you cannot see the faces of the two unprepossessing guys on the left.
The TIP comic is less confusing.
http://www.gocomics.com/that-is-priceless/
Peace, emb
Hey Debbe! The “shine” was for the shoes. Gotta see your reflection in them!
emb, look at this photo and compare it to the nun in the center of the TIP blogspot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_McConaughey
Well, gotta see your reflection in your right shoe, anyway. (See my previous post re starched fatigue uniform and spit-shinned boots.)
Coming soon: Ghost’s Top 10 List of Things I’m Thankful for This Thanksgiving
When I was in the Army there were 5 S’s. Shower, shave,shine, shampoo and s..t.
I was considered brainy or geeky or nerdy because I read a lot-which tells you something about the other students at my school-but I have never been good at math or sciences. I failed miserably in high school because I had not grown up in that small rural community and was not kin to any of the old families, so the teachers ignored me and I couldn’t get anything explained. The funny part is, if you give me a series of math problems on paper I can’t do them but move them into the kitchen as working with recipes and I’m good. 🙂
Yesterday was grocery shopping, and today is baking pies, biscuits, and cornbread and getting the dressing ready to bake, and brining the turkey. Oh, and making the cranberry sauce.
Week in the field training. Followed by Saturday morning full field inspection. Assured you had no sleep Friday night; time spent: scrubbing, cleaning, and polishing. Gigged on Saturday morning, no pass on Saturday night; repeat and rinse as needed. 😉 Those were the days!
I think having everyone know I was a “brain” was part of my burden. By second grade they wanted to skip a grade for me. By third they did, then I hit junior high and same thing, by high school and graduation I was taking driver’s ed, typing, Senior English and P.E. That was all there was to put me in and mom wouldn’t let me just go on to college.
By college my picture and articles were in all local newspapers and television because I had been a Merit Scholar, scored highest scores ever achieved on Louisiana’s college entrance exams and the SAT’s. That is a heavy burden to put on a young person so I have always been sympathetic to the unfortunates who go through football super stardom. When I threw my hands up over all the college scholarships I just took a local college since I had full scholarships to all the state colleges.
So I started class there with a huge article on front page of the college newspaper, along with a local gay guy who had come in second to me. He was no doubt even more confused by all this than I, although we both had sexual identity issues!
I think Mike got it right when he said the aliens dropped off me and my three gay buddies who were born on same night, day, year in the Delta. I met these guys as adults in Houston and yes, we could have been hatched from the same pods. They never fit in anywhere either and headed for the big city.
There was no way to avoid being “different” so I suppose in many ways I just embellished it. Hence the Holden Caudlerfield and Holly Golightly comparisons all my life.
The reason Mike wouldn’t let me talk to Capote, which he knew I would, is that Mike believes you do not bother celebrities by acknowledging who they are, you leave them in peace.
I say he was lonely, not in peace necessarily.
Love, Jackie