Excerpts From A Letter

FOLLOWING ARE EXCERPTS FROM A LETTER FROM DAD, date May 21, 1981

The enclosed is all that's left of the "Magic Bell" program. [He refers to the playbill from a play in which he acted. On the back of which was the remnants of a page from a telephone directory and glued to that was a picture.] Save the picture for me. I want to keep it. This location is about 100 yards downstream from Chief Harthegap's [spelling?] Cave. The year? After much thought, it's still 1908 or 1909, as I said. I favor 1909, but not sure. The check marks indicate the kids I remember. I have no recollection of the others. AW! Time! There is no relationship between the group in the picture and the "Magic Bell."

...[further in the same letter, Dad talks about plans for the 1981 Family Reunion.] It was unnecessary to explain the Gift Exchange idea. I understood from the start, and I never will like it. (I enjoy my new-found freedom to express myself.) This is not as criticism of you or your plans or efforts. It is such a far cry from the true Christmas Spirit because it is a contrived plan of gift giving. It shows the state our "civilization" has brought us to. We continue to plan and make practically everything to conform to our "life-style" forgetting [that] everything is Spiritual. To say, "I don't like it" doesn't mean I won't cooperate or that the plan is rejected. So it don't [sic] have to be explained. You and the others are not to blame for this situation, it's a result of "progress," "civilization," "life style," etc.

The gifts I have to bring to the family Christmas cannot be bought in a store for any amount of money. Moreover, I cannot express my feelings in words. I doubt very much that anyone living in this plane could express the way I feel toward the family at Christmas.

[note: Dad kept some of his memorabilia pasted into an old telephone directory.]