Jonathots Daily Blog
(2195)
(Transcript)
I was scared.
Normally, I was ecstatic to visit my grandpa’s house, because after a brief series of greetings and obligatory, slobbery kisses, I was allowed to go into the nearby living room where there was a large, brown horsehair couch–my favorite perch. I loved to rub my legs against the scratchy surface. It was a delicious brown–caramel, chocolate and orange soda, all “splurged” together.
But on November 12th, 1965, arriving at Grandpa’s home, it was a much different scene.
As always, I was greeted at the door by Queenie, his collie, who was overly zealous and friendly, and always smelled–well, pardon the cliché–like wet dog.
This time there was no greeting from Gramps. Instead, we found him in the living room, kneeling over Irma, whose breathing was laborious, was white as a sheet and had creamy drool dribbling out of the corners of her mouth.
Grandpa was crying.
My mother moved to his side to comfort him, and I stared at the suffering lady. I didn’t know much about Irma–she never talked. I mean literally, I had never heard her speak.
She was passed off by my Grandpa as his houseguest/friend/maid/cook. I heard relatives refer to her as “retarded, evil, a slut and a foreigner.” Absent understanding of what many of these words meant, my interpretation was to just stay away.
Irma seemed to have no problem with our distant relationship, so on this horrible day, when my beautiful, brown horsehair couch was turned into the deathbed of this strange woman, I heard my mother utter these words: “Jonathan, come over and say good-bye to Irma.”
Yes, this was a day and age when people actually died in their homes without heroic measures.
I thought to myself, “Say goodbye? I’ve never said hello.”
I eased over to her side and touched her forehead. It was clammy and cold. I jerked back and then was embarrassed by my revulsion.
“Goodbye, Irma,” I managed, and then shuffled out of the room.
Two weeks after Irma died, my mother went out to console Grandpa and spend the night, and they placed me on the brown couch to sleep. They turned off the light and I was left in the room with the memories of Irma and her demise.
I was so frightened.
Lying there on the couch, I thought I could smell her. It was horrible. Squeezing my pillow tightly, I prayed.
“God, I’m scared. Please take the scare away.”
I don’t remember anything after that. I went to sleep and woke in the morning without any signs of the previous night’s terror.
I was transformed–not just for that occasion. I can mark that night as the time when much of the childish apprehension, insecurity and trepidation departed from me, like a vapor, leaving a boiling pan of water.
I was stronger.
I would never, ever be that afraid again.
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Jonathots Daily Blog 
G-Poppers … January 19th, 2018
Jonathots Daily Blog
(3557)
Smelled good, looked good. There was only one problem–she had taken it upon herself to move things around. Nothing was where G-Pop had left it. It took him a solid hour to find his materials and relocate them back to his favorite positions.
It was a bit aggravating.
This is the sensation G-Pop had this year as he began Tour 2018 of the United States. He spent 2017 traveling in Florida, writing a couple new novels and interacting with his Davie extended family.
So G-Pop didn’t really give much thought to going back on the road in 2018–because he has done this with Janet Clazzy for twenty years.
But something was different.
Nothing was where he left it. The road was tainted. Motels had increased in price. And without him knowing it, during his little hiatus in the Sunshine State, America left the Gold Standard–that being a deep respect, honor and reverence for the idea of “love your neighbor as yourself.”
During 365 days of turmoil, argument, resistance and a general bitchiness among the multitudes, the consensus became that “love your neighbor as yourself” was not a reasonable aspiration, but rather, an unrealistic pursuit.
Yes–Americans traveled from feeling repentant when they fell short of including their brothers and sisters to limiting the size of their appreciation down to family, color or culture.
It was ugly.
So G-Pop realized he could either take on this problem one town at a time as he journeyed across the States, or he could return home and try to handle it in bigger ways and littler ways.
Bigger–expanding his audience and outreach.
And littler, by applying the Gold Standard to all of his nearby neighbors.
America is not how G-Pop left it in 2016. It has changed. Things that were once considered obtuse or ridiculous now are accepted as normal–merely “human nature.”
G-Pop is going back to wage a conflict against conflict more efficiently. It’s a good time to do it.
Since America is not the way he left it, now is the season to find creative ways for G-Pop–and all of us–to pursue the Gold.
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on January 19, 2018 at 2:44 pm Comments (4)Tags: 2018, continental breakfast, creative, culture, extended family, Florida, G-Pop, gold standard, human nature, Janet Clazzy, love your neighbor as yourself, maid, motel room, outreach, sipping coffee, Sunshine State, United States, unrealistic