Thursday, January 17, 2008

I think it must be slow.
I've been drinking it for eighty-five years
and I'm not dead yet.

Fontenelle (1667 - 1757)
afte being told coffee was a "slow poison"
(also attributed to Voltaire, although he died at 84)


It's always amazing to look back at your life
and remember what you were like
and what you did growing up.

The photo above was taken at a small
lake in Golden Gate Park where people
still today, sail their small boats.

Dig those pant cuffs?

Where's the flood?

Remember that wonderful saying?

The picture below had me really clearing
the cobwebs, trying to remember who
my street mates were.

The older boy was Jim Brown. I remember him
most, 'cause I always hung out with older kids
and when he got drafted, we wrote to each other.

When the meningitis scare came around his barracks,
I did not hear from him for a long time, and always
dreaded the next letter, wondering.

We lost contact after I got out of HS.

Those were some care-free days to be sure.
Our neighborhood was full of kids, and we knew people
blocks and blocks away and never ever had to
worry about anything other than the local bullies and
we did have our share of those.

During the late 60s I remember an older girl
who was always quite nice who had a sister
my age. One day we found out she died of an overdose.
That was enough to quell any curiosity for drugs.
I certainly don't feel like I've missed anything.

Funny too about age, although the worse
things we have had to deal with back then,
worrying about getting drafted for the Viet-Nam
War, gas lines, which included odd and even days.

I delivered stock market quotations.
Picked them up at the airport and delivered
to the Financial District. They were printed on paper
then, and flown in from NY. Then they went to micro-fish
and then computer. I stopped before the micro-fish.

Being up early and ringing bells before the buildings were
open, I met a lot of very strange people. One guy would be
so drunk every night, I'd ring the bell to wake him up
for at least 5 minutes so I could get in the building.

Most of the people who had the smoke shops
were extra nice and most were from other
countries. One in particular would always
talk about books, and always told me
about something I should read.

And way back in the cobwebs, there was
one young guard who came from Afghanistan
who told me way back then about all that
his people had endured and what it cost, not
only in money, but human life to escape from there
and how he was saving to bring his family to the USA.

Memories...........

me, 4th from the L
ahhh, the cuffs got shorter as I grew older

Friends - Mark Almond
no longer available



20 comments:

Mark said...

It's fun to look back! Thanks for sharing your photos and your memories!

Reza said...

Hey ...from Mikey

http://rapidshare.com/files/84531615/gabor_szabo_-_small_world__1972_.ace.html

You may need "winace" to unzip but sure you can sort it :)

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing your memories, which have sparked my memories.

Coffee Messiah said...

mark: Thanks for stopping by!

rez: That's too cool, Thanks!

ssn: Funny what you remember, even after all this time!

Mary said...

Those were the days. I can remember all those neighborhood kids. The fun we used to have.Such freedom. Oddly enough I had a dream the other night that had us all at some kind of reunion. There was only one name I remembered so I was doing my best to remind everyone of who it was.

Bob Dylan said...

the top picture at the boat pond is so beautiful- a moment captured.


the photos of the kids-- makes me think of the Our Gang group, what mischief will these kids get up to after the photographer walks away?


nice memories.

Bob Dylan said...

Oh I found a photo of an incense burner, so I posted it for you. Do you use the burners? What kinds of incense?

Bobby D. said...

What a great post-- it is odd how someone telling you a story about them, can trigger personal memories...I had not thought much about the little boat pond in Central Park for a long time... I will have to go and take pics.

H said...

These pictures are wonderful. There's something about black and white. And flood pants.

Coffee Messiah said...

mary:Who ever knows what changes they'll see in their lives growing up. Sure seems like we all did way more then, than kids today.

bd: Well, we weren't quite like "Our Gang" but we did do plenty know one ever knew about! ; )

I will post about the burners next! ; )

Thanks too for popping by!

dcb: Those ponds were pretty cool and the guys with their boats, well they treated the boats as if they were real! ; )

h: I don't notice as many people walking around with "fp" these days, I wonder why?

Thanks for stopping by!

Georg said...

Help, help Coffee,

What is a micro-fish? I really must know.

Georg

Anonymous said...

Ah, memories of a different time. At times, more often than not, I wish I could turn back the hands of time. I think everyone has the tendency to do this.

A nice trip down memory lane, Java Man.

You have a knack for creating moments for self-reflection.

Coffee Messiah said...

georg: That's why I enjoy your replies and your blog. I wondered when someone would point it the mis-spelling of "microfiche" and you win! ; )

hawk: Hi ya and nice to see you around. Hope all is well.

Yikes! I would never want to relive those times. Seems that we simply did do & see more than kids these past bunch of years!

BTW, how's the Teahouse idea coming along?

Anonymous said...

Java Man, the tea house idea is dormant for the moment. I'm working on some other things. I'll keep you posted.

Later...

Coffee Messiah said...

hawk: It's a mighty undertaking, to be sure. If it comes to pass, since it sounds like you know about the quality teas, we may take a trip your way at some point!

Anonymous said...

Oh, that lake! I moved from San Francisco two years ago. We lived at 43rd and Clement. Most days we'd walk down that very steep hill and wander past the buffalo to that lake where the model boats were. I walked there pregnant, and then nearly every day when my son was an infant. So great to watch the guys and their boats. So pretty to see it from way back. Thank you!

Miles said...

coffee...

who are the other kids in the group foto?

Coffee Messiah said...

ml: Way back? Yikes, it wasn't that long ago. We spent lots of time in and around the park also. My next memory is a later one on Clement St.

Thanks for stopping by!

miles: I searched and removed all the cobwebs I could and simply could not remember. A shame really. 'Cause I can certainly remember in which house they lived.

Thanks for stopping by!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I'm sorry! It's way backer than two years ago. That's all I meant.

Coffee Messiah said...

melissa: Yikes, you were right 'cause that must have been just about 49 yrs ago. When I look in the mirror, it certainly doesn't look/feel like that long, but is! ; )