Some of my favorite stories

As an early Indiana snow moved into the area of Saint Peter St., Eileen began planning an outing that needed to happen with haste! She was feeling the quickening that she recognized from the birth of her son, Charles, four years ago.

She prepared to go out into the snow, leaving Charles alone for the first time. Putting on her large overcoat, gloves, hat, and boots, Charles watched intently. He was not getting dressed for the snow! Eileen picked him up and placed him by the front window, peering out, with an explanation of what he was to do. She moved outside and, as she reached the street, turned around and waved goodbye.

When she walked into the S&L, she was seated next to a desk and told that a loan officer would be with her shortly. When he arrived, he looked a little startled at the sight of a nine-month-pregnant woman sitting covered in snow waiting for him!

He nervously asked how he could assist her, and she proceeded to inform him that she needed a $50 loan to pay the doctor for the obvious impending delivery. He immediately pulled out the loan agreement, she signed it, and was on her way.

A smiling Charles was still at the window waiting for his mom; both had had a big adventure! She had her first passbook showing the $50 loan that she would religiously repay, diligently noted in the passbook. So now, this Capricornian child was coming into the world on borrowed money and was destined to depart the same way.

 [image: Eileen pregnant with Jack 1937] 

This photograph captures the return trip to Memphis from Indianapolis, where I got my dog, Blackie, from Aunt Bee Stewart, my father’s sister. Blackie was part Boston Bulldog and part Rat Terrier. He was my lifelong friend and companion. He followed me on every adventure: hiking, horseback riding, and lying on the floor listening to The Lone Ranger. My brother’s puppies did not last as long. Blackie moved to Memphis with me when I started attending Central High School and later, during my college years at Memphis State University, where we lived on Harbert Ave.

One late night, I came home and realized Blackie was not around. Normally, I wouldn't have thought much of it, but I had a feeling something was wrong, so I began walking up and down the neighborhood streets. I found Blackie a couple of streets over, lying there unable to walk. I assumed he had been hit by a car. Despite being over ten years old, he had remained very healthy—thanks to his active lifestyle, I guess.

I put him in my car and took him to a vet my father knew. I was informed that Blackie had a broken back and had to be put down. I had never gone looking for him in the past, so this experience gave credibility to the psychic connection we share with other beings here on Earth. I continue to miss the relationship I had with Blackie well into adulthood.

Since we’re discussing our family’s relationships with pets, I must mention the time Ed brought home a mule with a rope around its neck! As he approached our home, my mother, Eileen, came running out to find out where in the world Ed had gotten this animal. 

In response to her inquiry, Ed said, "He’s mine; I found him!" 

To that, my mother firmly replied, "Take him back to where you found him. Period."

Living on S. Willette St. was within walking distance to Rozelle Elementary School. That’s the street and home where the photo of the three boys and our dogs was taken. On the walk to school, we passed a small YMCA that had a kiddie pool. It was like a fish pond—not deep, just a cooling spot, I guess. One day, while I was in the water, I looked over and saw a turd floating by. My God, I almost flew out of that toilet. I don't think I’ve ever felt completely clean after that event.

That area seemed to bring bad luck. Why do I say that? Soon after, I was on the other side of the street at a small intersection on Willett St., talking to my brother Ed. I don't remember why, but as I started crossing the street toward Ed, a car hit me on my left thigh. The next thing I remember was feeling angry and walking home, while the lady driving the car tried to get me to get in. 

Right. (like I was going to jump in a stranger's car) No trust there. 

She followed me all the way home and, I guess, told my mother what had happened (in a school zone). I had a huge hematoma for weeks after that.

My mother rarely left town, so her sudden trip back to Indiana was nothing short of a mystery. While she was away, my grandmother, Ethel Owens, took charge, keeping me and my two brothers in line with her calm, no-nonsense presence. One of my favorite stories comes from a letter she sent to my mom, detailing the week’s culinary adventures and a rather memorable incident involving me, my little brother Ed, and an unfortunate bite. 

*Stay tuned for upcoming details!

It all turned out all right in the end. Ed and I made peace :)

Whether by accident or design, my mother had an uncanny knack for casting her shadow in every photo she took of us, as if ensuring we’d always remember she was there, quietly watching over us.

*Stay tuned for upcoming details!

Apparently, my father wasn’t a fan of my mom’s dress, which became yet another point of contention between them. But then again, with my dad, everything seemed to be an issue.

*Stay tuned for upcoming details!

Cruising through northern Italy on a motorcycle felt like the adventure of a lifetime—until the temperatures plunged below freezing. What once seemed exhilarating quickly turned into a race to avoid frostbite. Thankfully, I managed to persuade a kind family to let me crash at their place, but not before...

*Stay tuned for upcoming details!

Juanita and Eileen were inseparable. They say that those who grow up as an only child form friendships as thick as blood. That was certainly the case for my mother and her dearest friend. From the moment they met, a bond was forged that would weather every storm life could throw their way. The ebb and flow of their lives, and even their deepest secrets, were shared in letters passed between them—correspondence that would continue for a lifetime, connecting their worlds no matter how far apart they were.

*Stay tuned for upcoming details!