I had the opportunity recently to look through the book collection of a friend and fellow bibliophile.  I found books on religion and philosophy.  There are American classics like Twain and Faulkner.  The books that I am looking at are not his entire library, only the ones that he left here in Oklahoma in the care of another friend.  It is always interesting to see the path that someone takes by looking at what they have collected over the years.  The first book from his collection that I read is one that I read years ago.  “The Man Without a Country” by Edward Everett Hale.  It’s  a small book that was quickly read, but I enjoyed reacquainting  myself with it after so many years.  The next book that I borrowed is “Sanctuary” by William Faulkner.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  I also spotted a Winston Churchill memoir that will come home with me at some point.  I might have taken the Churchill this time but I had just finished “The Citizens of London” and that is enough of World War II for now. The Citizens of London tells the story from a point of view that was different than any  that I had read.  In retrospect it’s easy to say that they should have done this or that but at the time they were dealing with issues that were either new to them or on a scale that they had never seen.  Leaders of nations are by their nature used to being in charge.  Churchill felt that since Britain had been in the war the longest that they should be given priority.  Certainly had they not stood at the pointed end of the spear for so long and for the most part alone, the world might be a very different place.  Great Britain held out long enough for the United States to finally get involved.  Of course once the United States became involved, President Roosevelt felt that he should be in charge.  Joseph Stalin wanted everything his way or the Soviet Union was simply going to do their own thing.  It might seem like I am dogging these men but given the size of their egos and the scope of their undertaking, it amazes me that they worked together as well as they managed.  Then you have the generals.  I think putting General Eisenhower in charge of the allied armies was a stroke of genius.  I cannot think of anyone else that could have managed the officers with which he had to fight a war.  Each of them was convinced that he alone had the answer of how to win the war.  “The Citizens of London”  by Lynne Olsen is a good book and tells a great deal more than I covered in this description.  It is well worth the reading for all of the students of history out there.  The book also covers the interaction of the American service personnel and the citizens of Great Britain that lived around the bases that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere in preparation for the D-day invasion.  In many cases the families had lost sons earlier in the war.  Given the chance, I think that you would enjoy this book.

“Roy” said Rex Armstrong.

“Huh”, was my rather intelligent response.

 “The name of the barber you worked for, his name was Roy.”

 If I had ever heard his first name, I certainly don’t remember.  Thanks Rex.

 The American Legion had their family night with food, music and dancing.  There was a pretty good crowd and the music was enjoyable.  Thanks to Bill Roberson, Cary Gore, Gene Chesley and David Sorrell.  The music for the most part was what I would call classic country.  I heard songs Saturday night that I had not heard in a long time.  All four band members taking turns singing lead and especially memorable was Mr. Chesley’s comedic turn a’ la Ben Colder.  Ricky Martin cooked the burgers and hot dogs, he did a good job.  I don’t care what Santos says’ I like my burgers thick.  There was also a fifty/fifty drawing and of all people, Dustan Bryant won.

     On my list of favorite books has to include, “One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw” by Witold Rybczynski.  This is a very interesting book that is exactly what the title says.  The author, an architect, professor and writer was asked by  a magazine editor in 1999 to write a short essay on the most useful tool of the last 1000 years. Mr. Rybczynski took the job and produced a really interesting and fact filled book about the screwdriver and the screw.  I know the book sounds odd but this is definitely a case of not judging the book by its cover.  Another book on the list is “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway.  This was the last major work of Mr. Hemingway to be published before his death.  Almost any of his writing could easily make the list, be they novels or short stories, but this is one of my favorite books.  As I age, this story seems to grow on me even more.  There were also a couple of good movie versions of this story.  The first starring Spencer Tracy and the other a made for television movie, starring Anthony Quinn.  Both fine actors, in truth I would probably pay to watch either of them read the phone book.

     One of the questions that I get as a reader.  What do you read?  The answer is almost anything.  I had a wonderful teacher, Ms. Cleta Rickard.  I did for the most part enjoy the part of her class that covered English Lit.  No matter what else, you were going to cover Chaucer.  Don’t ask me why but he bored me to tears.  Maybe I’ll give it another try.  The late Mrs. Rickard grew up in Ryan as Cleta Huskey.  That doesn’t have anything to do with boring old Mr. Chaucer, it’s just a little FYI.  I guess I approach my reading much as I do my writing.  I start out one place and often end up someplace completely different.  That may speak to a certain lack of direction, just don’t tell Curtis.

     I am writing this on Monday evening as the storms that have been brewing all day seem to be (knock on wood) passing us by.  For those not so fortunate, I hope you escaped unscathed.

     Until next week.

 I recently changed my place of employment.  I now work for the Town of Ryan and do whatever is needed.  Interestingly my primary responsibility so far has been supervising a gaggle of teenagers that came seeking summer employment.  A lot of people are finding humor in the idea of my being in charge of, being patient with and teaching ten teenagers.  Yes, you read that right, ten young people looking at me like I know what I am doing.  It has been an interesting experience to say the least.  The first lesson that I imparted was that they needed to speak louder and not so fast.  As I age, my hearing has suffered from years of being around a lot of noise.  After me repeatedly having to say what, they have gotten into the habit of speaking louder.  If your child is one of my crew and they have started talking louder at home, I am to blame.  An important series of lessons that I have tried to teach have been about safety at work.  Wear your safety glasses, hearing protection when operating power tools, don’t stand there , don’t put your hand there and in one instance, go home and change your shoes, sandals are not acceptable at work.  Having never raised children myself, it has also been a learning experience for me.  The first advice that I received was, treat them like they are human.  Okay I can handle that, I think.  I also had to learn to let go and let them make mistakes on their own.  The best way to learn a job is by doing.  I had to remember myself as a kid and being allowed to try and fail and learn from the failure.  I owed it to these young people to let them try and at times fail and hopefully to learn.  No one comes into this world knowing anything useful but whenever I let one of them operate power equipment or climb behind the wheel of a vehicle, I am still as nervous as that proverbial long tailed cat.  I don’t know how parents manage.  I don’t want to leave you with the idea that it has been a negative experience because it hasn’t been in the least.  It has at times for me been highly entertaining to see just how goofy a cluster of teenage boys can be and no, I was no better at that age, I was just as goofy.  I hope that the summer employees have learned something useful and the importance of public service.  To all of the young people, thank you for your efforts.

 Y’all take care of one another.