August 7, 1952
San Diego, Calif.
 |
| Catalina print ad, ca. 1950 |
Hi Norma,
Well, kid, it won't be long. We go to sea on the 11th, return to port the 15th, and I go on leave a couple of days later. I'll probably ride a train home and I intend to come to Detroit first.
No, I've never been to Cass Lake. I used to hang out around Sand and Wamplers Lakes a lot during the summer. [Editor's note: Two lakes located in different parts of Michigan.]
What is a "Catalina" bathing suit? The only Catalina I know anything about is a seaplane the Navy has by the same name. Does your suit have wings? HA
"Boy," I don't blame the top of your bathing suit for stretching. Look at the pressure it had on it. HA
That's a compliment, so don't starting throwing things in my direction.
And tell me, Norma, the way the lower part of a bathing suit is built, when it starts shrinking, where does it go? HA I don't see any place it could go.
Now wait a minute, kid, when I want to give someone a "slap" about being a hypocrite, it won't be you. After all, who am I to criticize?
I like to kid people. About anything. Dorothy D_____ used to be my favorite target. She wanted to get married so bad and was so obvious about it that I couldn't help but joke her. And most of it I did when she was there to hear. But I didn't mean it as criticism. I have faults like everyone else. I don't think you're hypocritical. If I did, I wouldn't just imply it, I would say it. So, don't say things like that anymore. It kind of hurts my pride or something.
[Editor's note: Truer words were never written. Jim hurt/annoyed/angered people over the years because they didn't understand he was teasing them and when they did realize it was teasing, they were usually more angry than when they thought he was sincere. He never understood that he needed to pay attention to people's reactions and temper what he said when he hit a nerve.
[The worst example was his little brother, Larry. One Saturday afternoon when I was about nine, Larry came over to our house, as he often did, to watch a Tiger game with Jim. Before Larry arrived, Jim groused about the Tiger pitcher, Joe Sparma, who was a source of frustration for a lot of fans. When Sparma was hot, he was great, but there was no predicting when Sparma would be effective or when he would basically throw the game away.
[When Larry arrived shortly after Jim's Sparma tirade, he said virtually the same things as Jim. Jim looked askance, "No, you're all wet!" said Jim, "Joe Sparma is the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball!" The more Larry persisted that Sparma was a lost cause, the more outrageous Jim's pronouncements from his Lazy Boy: "Sparma is the second coming of Cy Young!" Larry paced throughout the living, "How can you be so blind?" "Me??" countered Jim, "How can you not see that Sparma will save baseball?" "I don't think baseball needs saving," I interjected, hoping to change the subject. "You're hopeless!" yelled Larry, ignoring me. "Well, if you're going to get personal about it..." countered Jim. Larry stormed out of the house, yelling something to the effect that he was never going to watch another ballgame with someone who was such a fool.
[After Larry left, I said, "He was really mad." "It's no big deal, he'll get over it." I asked Jim why he argued with Larry when he had said the same things minutes before. "It was fun." "Larry didn't look like he was having fun." "Ah, he's too sensitive," muttered Jim as he left the room.
[Over the years, Jim's teasing deteriorated their relationship. After their mother's funeral in 1999, Bertha's children met in the living room of Walter's house to discuss how to divide her tiny estate. I was already sitting on the sofa and, since no one asked me to leave, I decided to listen in. Each sibling had a turn to express their opinions, ask questions about how her money had been used to manage her care, and there wasn't any disagreement how to parse out the little that was left. Whenever Larry spoke, even if in response to a comment or a question from Jim, Larry refused to look at him and instead directed his attention to the other siblings.
[One by one, Bertha's children meandered out of the room until there was only Larry, Jim and me. Larry's head suddenly swiveled around from left to right, as if he were casing the room when he realized he was left alone with Jim. He bolted upright from his chair and walked purposefully into the kitchen. Jim studied his hands folded in his lap. He had the same expression Larry had that Saturday afternoon when he tried to stop Jim from baiting him.]
[One by one, Bertha's children meandered out of the room until there was only Larry, Jim and me. Larry's head suddenly swiveled around from left to right, as if he were casing the room when he realized he was left alone with Jim. He bolted upright from his chair and walked purposefully into the kitchen. Jim studied his hands folded in his lap. He had the same expression Larry had that Saturday afternoon when he tried to stop Jim from baiting him.]
I'll say this much more, if you want to dance, drink, and raise "hell," it's nothing to me. I do the same thing and it doesn't make me like you any less. Not that you do, but if you wanted to.
If you think your lips look different from your lip prints, I'll take a couple home on my shirt for comparison.
You asked how long we were staying here. We will probably be here until November, then shove off for Japan again. And I'll still be aboard. The Navy doesn't pay any attention to the six month rotation plan.
So, in your dreams all I want to do is eat, "eh?" HA Well, that part of it is true. I sure do like to eat.
Yes, I know where Millington is. I wish I could get duty there. It's only 150 miles from my home.
Yes, I lived on a farm. It was about 80 acres, but I grew tired of it and left. I'm just a country boy who went to town to make good and haven't quite made it yet.
Well, honey, I've got to sign off. Don't answer because I'll be home pretty soon.
Love,
No comments:
Post a Comment