Yes, last year at this time, I was not aware that this continuing saga of my "ramblings" would find utterance, yet here I am, still setting here at this "one eyed" monster tapping out the latest edition of "what is what". I can't say it hasn't been a pleasant journey, but have many misgivings that much of this "prattle" has been as interesting to the readers as it has been to "yours truly".
I guess it is only when we set down and give some serious thought to what has gone on between the time of entry into this domain up to the present time, that you realize you have not been idel. So many little things that weren't all that momentous at the time have, in the remembering, logged some pretty exciting or fun things. Oh, there have been some sad times as well, but then they are what round out the entire experience.
I had intended to wind this down, and call it a day, but have been informed that it should remain open so I can jot down anything else that might cross my mind. I know one thing that has crossed my mind - I wish we would have had this ability a few years ago and maybe I could have jotted down a number of things that Jay had talked about while he was here. Maybe now would be a great time to knock out a line or two about some of those things!
Jay always said he was a "mean little kid". Always picking fights and causing trouble. Hard to believe, but he swore to the truth of it. He was rather a spindley kid, or at least that is what his pictures tell us. He always had a full head of wavey "dishwater" blonde hair. It was a production for him to comb it. He would push, and primp, tap with the comb, etc. until he had it just right.
Honest it would take him longer to comb his hair than it did me.
He was a fastidious dresser. When he wasn't working he always wore white shirts that had been sent to the laundry and starched and pressed to the max. He rolled the cuffs up "twice". He wore tan gaberdine slacks and wing tip shoes. Cut quite a swath in his day. He "buddied" with the same group of guys he went to school with. Of course his best friend was Paul Minnick. They had been friends since kindergarten. He liked to tell about the time he was in the Navy and got Liberty in Pearl Harbor and went over aboard the ship Paul was a cook on. He made his way down to the Mess Hall to find Paul. They spyed each other across the hall and had a time getting around the tables, etc. First one would go one way and the other another. They were pretty frustrated by the time they finally met. It was quite a reunion.
I believe I have mentioned about the ship Jay was on in WWII. The LSM 330. It was a very small ship with a crew of around 50 men. When they took on supplies among the fruits and vegetables, a crate of Avacado's was included. All but three of the crew came from the East and had no taste for Avacado's. Fortunately for Jay, the other two from the West Coast didn't care for them either. He said he would grab a jar of Best Foods Mayonaise and box of Ritz Crackers and find a quiet spot in the Engine Room and have a feast. He kept the crate in his own little spot, just in case someone might want to try one. Fat chance they would have had!
Jay was a good cook, and took his turn at cooking while on the "330" I don't recall him saying what he cooked, but apparently anything was better than what the assigned cook put out. Poor LeRoy Schettl, the guys weren't much as fans of his productions. I guess Jay came by the cook part honestly, his Dad Thomas Gower use to cook for the Sheep Herd Camps when he was just a teenager. Guess some of it rubbed off.
Jay ran the "jittney" while he was with the "330". This ment he would load a small boat up with crew to go on Liberty, or pick up and deliver mail. They also made a tour of the other ships in harbor to trade off movies. I guess mail and movies were the best part of the job. He always was met with a great deal of glee when he brought either or both aboard.
You know Jay always had such an inferiority complex. He didn't feel as if he was liked by the men on the ships he served. Like being from the West Coast was some kind of a blight. Yet when the group started meeting together in 1987 everyone remembered Jay and had nothing but fond memories of serving with him. I believe his early years being alone so much with his Grand Dad Harris left him with some feelings of neglect by the rest of the family. He loved his Grand Dad, and they did many things together, but he didn't feel as if the rest of the family were very close. All except Afton, his sister. I think after Grand Dad died, Afton took over the mothering part of Jay's life.
I may have mentioned when Jay was 13 he had a ruptured appendix and had emergency surgery. I think his condition was rather iffy for awhile, and Afton stayed in the Hospital with him. That brought about a closeness that he felt even to the end of his life. While he was seriously ill before he passed away, he would cry out in his sleep for her. Unfortunately he did not have that kind of closeness with his brother LaMar. I guess the age difference was one of the resons.
All in all I think Jay was a gifted individual. He was self taught and very mechanical. Dawn takes after him in that department. It was always a fight between them when they would do anything together. Neither of them thought the other had the true vision of what they were doing. It was an adventure to watch them do anything together. They loved every minute of their projects. I was always happy to have another room to go to when they were working. It kept me out of their way, and out of their discussions. I never wanted to be the tie breaker.
You know I have mentioned other times about how honest Jay was, but I don't know if I have
mentioned before just how "equal" he was with his children. He could never do something for one that he could not duplicate for the other. If we saw a need one place, he would spend hours figuring out how he could equalize doing for the other. It was not in his nature to show partiality in the family. Guess it was just another manifestation of his "fairness".
I think I drug him along kicking and screaming into a number of things we did, but in the end he usually remarked he had enjoyed it. He took too long figuring out how a thing should go. Me, I just jumped in and paddled through it. What the heck - the most fun is learning as you go. If it was a wrong decision, then I just picked up the pieces and tried not to "go there" again.
The Christmas Paul wanted his 10 speed bike to complete some things in scouting. Jay had a pad and pencil out night after night figuring how to pay for such an expensive item and then be fair to Dawn who was so much younger, and not ready for such things. We haggled and hassled, fussed and fumed until finally he decided the need was far greater than trying to measure out the equality of the thing. Dawn never got that kind of a bike, but then she never had the need for anything like it either. We looked to do other things that fit her, that Paul never had. It does equaled out in the long run.
I think the one thing that Jay will be remembered for, well maybe two. One you couldn't tickle his knees and the other if you got him laughing for very long, he always got the hickups, which only made him laugh the more. Oh, and the constant adjusting of the rear vision mirror. You know I catch myself sometimes just tapping it for him. What delicious memories. Which leads me to once again say: "Merry Christmas" - with love - Grandma "R"
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