Do we try to understand others? I thought the little film below was timeless, I showed my husband and he too thought it was very good. I think we know how things like this can be. There are so many kinds of snobberies and injustices around, insider-outsider, better than others, reverse snobbery, name dropping brands, acquaintances... you name it. (Hows that for a quip..haha, you name it referring to name-dropping!)
I grew up in a town that was very nice in the way that newcomers were treated, the people who lived there were good and decent people. There was a problem though. NASA moved in and us oldtimers were suddenly snubbed by many of the newcomers! I won't bore you with details at this time, hopefully I will never bore you! *smile*
It was a privilege and fascinating to grow up the way I did in so many ways, it trained me to love all and to accept all people. I didn't realize it at the time though.
Here are two postcards from our family business on the bay.
This was my German grandparent's business on the bay, it was considered a resort and many from Houston and surrounding would spend their time here. There was paper bill money hanging from the ceiling from all over the world, there were airplane models hanging from the ceiling, there was an Egyptian mummy that an anthropologist traded my grandfather a plane ticket for. There were real monkeys and just all kinds of neat stuff. There were boat shows with young ladies water skiing for show. My mom and dad later owned this place and I can tell you the people who would come here were from all walks...
There was precious Spook, he was a hobo looking man, very fair with almost pink pasty coloring with longer hair, rumpled hat and dark almost black soulful eyes who spoke almost as if something was wrong with his vocal chords, very quietly like a shy little child, squeaking when he spoke. I'm not sure what his history was but I remember having such compassion and care for him, I would stand behind the bar at the end and just look at him as a little girl wondering what his life must have been like and where he lived. There was Dr. Bradley who would come and stand at the bar too when my grandfather owned the place years ago. His son would later become a doctor too and remained friends with my dad, the older Doctor would exchange rental for his boat slip for medical care for our family way back when. It was one of those places where you may have a person of means next to a very poor person, little children would come in too with their parents, the souvenir shop was incredible, handmade seashell jewelry made by my mother and Grandma Jeannette, period now vintage ceramics and all kinds of things from the bay abounded. It was once written in the Houston Chronicle that this place should be encased in glass and put into the Smithsonian. There was that beautiful mahogany bar there where Coca-Colas, 7Ups and all that jazz was served and beer. Do I drink alcohol? No, I don't, I've seen what it can do to people and I know what the dangerous tendencies are and the influence it has on others, I understand the warnings in the Bible, I guess you could say the warnings are there for a reason. I don't want to come across as priggish, a priggish attitude stinks but sometimes we learn from one another right? I try to use caution not to give wrong impressions and give false okays on things I feel could be dangerous.
I do truly hope to write more stories and memories in the future, I think you may enjoy them!
I remember this scene quite well, my parents owned a Gulf gas station there in front of the resort for the boats. Once again, many kind of people. Shrimpers, boat owners, many, the salt of the earth. My Italian grandpa down the street was a shrimper. He came to the water from Houston where his Italian family was because he loved the water. He had also been an opera singer as a young man, an Italian immigrant in New York. Yes, it's true. He was from the same town, Bisaquino, Sicily as Frank Capra. I can say my family on both sides are very entrepreneurial and I am so glad and thankful for that.
The reason all of this is brought to memory is because at the time I didn't realize it but I had such a fascinating world and the chance to meet and listen to all kinds of people.
My husband and I have learned to always see everyone for what is inside.
I'll have to write another time of the tragedies of young and old men in prison that we have seen and what was on the inside, the way they were raised and the lost gifts.
Both of us have had whammies so to speak in life and get what it's like to be snubbed. Too metropolitan, too homie, if it's not one thing it's another right?
We must be the first class versions of ourselves and don't worry about it.
I say, remain your true self, and God will send those He wants us to be friends with, we really don't want any other do we? My mother was always very much a quiet artist and I never heard her gossip on the phone just for the sake of blathering with another woman. There was no announcement from either of my parents that they heard 'scoop' and certainly no talk of what kind of cars people drove. My mother always taught me to never have a best friend, at least never let that show, in other words. Don't clique up. It amazes me that grown women clique up!
I always get tickled in our little area. You. Just. Never. ...Never, never know who you are dealing with. My son in law tells me that he and his dad stopped at a home business for some service needed and a man came out in his underwear. They were ready to leave thinking surely they were at the wrong place. The man turned out to be a nice person (who wore overalls usually!) and when the man passed away it was found out that he had been somewhat of a philanthropist and lover of the arts, and had traveled the world over. He had moved in our area to enjoy nature and simplify.
The rancher who sold us our land drove around in an old beat up jeep, wore an obviously favorite checked shirt with a slight rip at the collar bone. He was a darling, he knew my girls by name wrote down their birthdays and even knew which bedroom each girl was to have upstairs as we were building. Our family felt such love from that precious man. This man was born in the oil camps and was now worth no telling, just a huge amount. Jed Clampett, get out of the way. He played with money and land as if it was monopoly money. We called him Dan, the oil man. When he passed away we found out he had started organizations much like Boys Town and others to help troubled youth.
Us? I'm a Seabrook girl and my husband is from the city grown up in an Italian grocery store. So, we aren't going to fit in any box. I've learned now later in life how right-on my mom and dad were on much of this. ...Yeah Daddy, some can go jump in the lake, you ain't just-a-kiddin'.
Yep, lots of people living to impress people they don't even like and many gems of folks are being overlooked.
Here is the poignant video:
I have this framed and hanging in my guest bathroom, my guest bathroom is an exhibit of my thoughts and interests. I have pitbull art, old black and white retro movie ads, a genuine old black and white movie still from the files of a major studio in Hollywood.
I also have the following book on display there:
My Uncle Wesley's book from the 30s.
Uncle Wesley's dress gloves he wore in military school in Mississippi. A seashell from our old place of business where I grew up.
One of my favorite pretties. Janie, our oldest daughter bought this for me, she found the lovely piece at an antique store. It shows my love for animals perfectly. I love Grace Livingston Hill books...especially those old original copies. Wonderful, wonderful books!
A little ceramic vintage piece I found at the resale shop in smalltown...It had been neglected and I prettied it up cleaning it and now I so enjoy one of my favorite little poems. I also love birds...God's messengers.
How do you Make Friends?
I love wearing art skirts that I make. Here is just one of them that I wore many times this past summer. You would not believe the wonderful conversations that are started when I wear my art skirts! Maxi art skirts. See the art in me!
Who wouldn't want to talk and comment about these wonderful fur angels?! Precious little doggy faces on light blue cotton. Pattern is (out of print) Simplicity 4881 tweaked to a maxi and self designed tie belt.
Perhaps I can post one of my art skirts with each blog?
I sure hope that everyone is having a good week. I'll close now, just so much to say, so many thoughts and recollections in the theatre of my mind.
Here's my husband and I holding our two sweet little grandsons, Timmy and Jimmy.
Take care now, Loves, Signing off from The Forest Cathedral.... ~Amelia
