John references Ron Kovic, who is a peace activist and writer, who was severely injured in battle during the Vietnam War. In 1989, from Ron's best selling autobiography, Oliver Stone made an Academy Award winning movie about Ron's life, "Born on the Fourth of July," starring Tom Cruise as Ron. John and Ron have gotten to know each other over the course of John's peace vigils. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Kovic
Hey hey, Dick. I said I would absolutely write up something about the 'protest on the corner' this evening because of the dramatic return of my peace sign flag, if nothing else. Well, it turned out to be maybe the busiest time I've ever invested and enjoyed 'on the corner'.
You
were there, as usual, while Vicky was there. She remembered me from when I
accompanied you on your vigil up at PCH and PV Drive, and capriciously dropped
in to show support for our efforts. I had told her that I could set my watch by
your arrival, and you arrived at 4 o'clock - straight up. She was impressed
!
We
had been visiting for about twenty minutes before you arrived, and that proved
to be one of those fortuitous little happenings that make life interesting.
While we were chatting it up, my second greatest interest or concern, teaching
critical basic skills to the academically disadvantaged, got into the
conversation. I told her I had been trying to think of how I could create an
academic environment with some uniqueness, some honest competition, something
independent of any school system, especially LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School
District).
You
may know what her employment involves, but it came as a very nice surprise to
me: marketing and sale promotion. And she thought it would be a good idea for me
to describe in as much detail as possible exactly what I have in mind, and send
that to the head of her employer's company. She left before I told you about
that conversation, including the modest but meaningful monetary prize
involved, which you immediately pledged to match my prize costs, dollar for
dollar.
Fortunately
the flag found its way back to me while you were there. That was a really
touching, emotional event. The fellow called out and asked me if what he was
holding belonged to me. I told him that if it was what I thought it to be, yes,
it was mine, and that I had lost it. He said he found it on the grass nearby
while walking his dog a few days ago. He had been seeing me 'on the corner', and
the flag he found looked like the one I always had flying. What happened was
that I had gone to the corner on an evening other than my regular Friday,
4
to 6 pm, and when I left, I left the flag and pole behind.
It
didn't occur to me until the next day, and when I went back to look for it, it
was gone. I had fantasized that possibly someone found it and propped it up
against a building or phone pole so it could be seen and recovered by the
loser/owner. Well, there was no sign of it. Until the good deed doer pulled up
and returned it, and with generous plaudits about our message displaying too.
That had me a little choked up for a minute, to tell the
truth.
And
then, after you had to leave for a previous commitment, two ladies showed up
from the OCCUPY Torrance protest over on Hawthorne in front of Bank of America
on Wednesdays from 4 till 6 pm. Barbara and Peggy were the ladies' names, and
they stayed for almost an hour. And talk about serendipity, this is a textbook
case.
As
Barbara shook hands on arrival, she said,"Wow, I would love to have a sign like
yours", which, as you well know, says, "War Is Not The Answer". Because of a
curious series of events, I was able to, and did, say, "Well, now you have one."
The serendipity in this case was such that some would chose to explain the event
by saying that God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform. I'm ok with
either explanation. Here - you decide.
I
had sold or given away the signs that FCNL (Friends Council on National
Legislation) sent me to distribute same time ago. I have three I've kept for my
own use: one for constant display on my front lawn; one on a stand for using 'on
the corner'; and another, with bling, for using 'on the corner' on special days.
(The 'bling' is decorations and badges that I accumulated for my service in the
Air Force during the Korean misunderstanding.)
But,
a sign that my neighbor let me put on his lawn turned up on my front porch a
couple of days ago. The neighbor had never been enthusiastic about displaying
it, and he is having his front yard very nicely landscaped. Apparently he
thought this a good time and reason to return the sign. Well, how great is that
! Two ladies from another protest drop in. One lady, Barbara, declares a fervent
desire for a War Is Not The Answer sign like mine. And I am able and delighted
to state then and there that her wish is answered, because my neighbor has
landscaped his yard. Serendipity ? A 'wonder' ? I told her I would stick it in
my lawn under the tree and toss in a celebratory lawn spinner in the spirit of
things. She lives in the neighborhood and often passes my house on her daily
walks.
Oh,
I was ready to close this and get some Z's, it being 2:49 am Saturday, but I
just remembered something worthy of note. A young lady walked up, glanced
quickly at the sign, and pressed the button to cross Knob Hill. Then she turned
around, walked over and asked me if I knew who Ron Kovic is and did I know him.
I told her yes and yes. She asked if I knew where he lived. That was a 'yes'
also. I sort of felt like I'd been quizzed and gotten 100%. I think maybe the
point of the exercise was to let me know what she knew.
The
first time he motored up to me on his wheel chair and we had a nice friendly
conversation, the topics were, as I remember, war; peace 85%; and politics 12%.
It was a warm summer afternoon; he offered to buy me a Penguin, and raced over
and back way too fast, with a perfectly unmelted treat. We're definitely 'on the
same page', he and I. He likes what I'm doing, and my respect for what he has
done and continues to do by using his damage and intellect to push for peace is
unlimited.
Sit
on a corner for a few years and you're likely to meet the damndest* people.
There is no way I would prefer to invest my time.
*
Spell check thought 'damndest' was an error. It preferred 'dandiest'. Well I
wouldn't argue with that- 'dandiest' is sort of cool. But I'm (obviously)
sticking with 'damndest'.
PS
Now
that I'm on my summer 4 - 6 schedule, I think I'll be seeing more of Grant. He
came by this evening about a quarter till 6,hung around, and helped me 'close
up' and carry my gear to the car. It was good having him back. Now if Gerry and
Robert make it back . . .
I
hope your dinner party was grand. I'm sure it was.
Hang
in there ~
John
(Egads 3:39)
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