The actual event took place in the summer of 1965, Danny(me), Debbie, Donna, David and the main character of this story my brother Donald were on a family vacation to Yosemite Park in Ca.
My father John Ramsey a strapping bull of a man called “Big John” was just the same as if he were John Wayne himself to me through those youthful years of my life, mostly he was a truck driver but was also involved in many a job that would horrify todays culture of elitist liberal fathers, in essence he worked, got dirty and mad fortunes from garbage, junk cars, creative partnerships and just plain old bravado.
As children and there was a bunch of us we also rode around in a big old Cadillac, Lincoln Continental or a station wagon, my father and mother loved to travel and they would just pack all of us into the car and just drive off with no certain place in mind, we just did it for adventure every weekend.
I can spend the rest of my life writing stories and I would still probably not have enough hours to tell it all, but I must try as I feel a compelling need if not the very spirit of it yearning to be shared upon others.
And thus the stories shall begin...
Condolences and Blessings to Ya ...:)
I was born December 4th, 1956 in Redwood City, Ca.
My earliest memory for some odd reason was getting hit in the head by a baseball around 1960 near my home in Redwood City, nearby was the commuter rail line of the Southern Pacific railroad and I vividly remember running out to hear and see the trains roaring on by with the daily riders bound for the city life and then returning to home in the evening, and my addiction to trains was initialized and I was forever hooked.
In the recent past my own son was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, it is an upper level autism which is passed down from generation to generation, it also may explain why I loved the sounds of the train wheels as its been discussed in journals that children wit AS find comfort from the repetitious sound, actually to me its been the sound of diesel engines, the bigger the better!
During my 4 day trip trip to fly from Alaska to be at my mothers bedside I even amazed myself at the clarity of details of times, places and events that came to my mind as if it was digitally processed, they say those that have AS do see things differently and the best I can describe it is that its very visual and like a massive library of film clips.
Our small home at that time was near 5th Avenue in Redwood City, there was a bar up at that intersection and the El Camino, it was an image of a Key or a Top Hat, my dad was attempting to build a swimming pool or something, actually it was probably a pond, and I went playing in it and cut my foot wide open, and so dad grabs me and hauls me to the bathtub to clean me up covered in mud much to the surprise of my teenaged older sister who was stark naked! Yes I can still see the expression on her face, it may have have shocked her as much or more so that this could have been why my parents had to put her in a literal Charm School to teach her proper mannerisms, to this day she talks and acts much like Julia Child, I’m sorry sis for them doing that to you.
Speaking of dear sis she is very much alive and is now my soulmate it appears as not only did she lose her eldest son several years ago she also lost her father (yes she is my half sister)and her husband that she married when so young all within a short time. Only through her devout christian faith has she bravely soldiered on and currently does sports therapeutic massage in Santa Rosa, CA, but more later.
Its almost 5am in Alaska and I have a busy day ahead managing a concrete batching facility.
Same channel, same time, tune in!