Adventure 498: The Story of George

Memories Stack Over Time

Except for the fact that George has just about one marble left rolling around in his head, his life is going well. He's healthy, happy, and solidly ensconced in a daily routine. He still maintains his relationship with Vina, to which both seem content in the companionship. His weight is good; his lab results are good; his long term memories are intact. If not for the daily effects of his dementia, he'd be an eighty-eight year old poster child. Yet, it's still amazing what he can accomplish. He bathes himself, shaves himself, dresses himself, feeds himself, does his own laundry, plays dominoes, cards, and calls out the numbers at Bingo. He walks around the building every day, continues to deliver food with the Meals on Wheels program and goes to Mass every Sunday. So, in the big picture he's doing well. George was one of six children, three of whom are still living. Just yesterday, he had a visit from his two remaining brothers. Jim, who is seven years younger than George, and Roger, who is five years younger. Roger, who lives in a little town across the river from Little Rock, Arkansas, was in town to celebrate Jim's eighty-first birthday. They called me since George can no longer manage his phone. We got together, which was nice. At first, George didn't recognize his two brothers, but soon they were reliving their childhood, recounting stories of hi-jinx and trouble. I learned some things. My grandparents had six children, as I've said, but they were born in such a time frame that the oldest two, Betty and Bob grew up close; George and Richard, the middle two grew up close, and Roger and Jim, the final two grew up close. When George returned from the Navy as a brash young nineteen year old who had just seen a little of the wide, wide world, his two youngest brothers were just entering high school, so when George got married and began his child rearing (Four kids in four years), he naturally split from any real contact with his brothers. Even in the early fifties, it was hard for an uneducated man to provide for a wife and four children. As for Jim and Roger, both became college graduates and successful professionals. Jim spent a career as an electrical engineer, and Roger, a lawyer, progressed  in his career as a successful circuit court Judge. In fact, George is the only Williams' child who didn't proceed with a formal education. Betty, the oldest, followed in her mother's footsteps and had a long career as a registered nurse, and Bob, a WWII veteran enjoyed a long and successful teaching and coaching career, so much so that the baseball field in the Dalles, Oregon is named after him. The three brothers related that the Williams side of the family never really "gathered", and Jim suggested that my grandfather's mother was disappointed in her  son. My grandfather, George Esher Williams Sr. never progressed past the seventh grade. Jim thinks this disappointed his mother. In any case, I have no recollection of ever gathering with that side of my family. For his part, my grandfather always wanted to work for the railroad, and that's what he ended up doing. It was good to see the remaining members of my immediate family. Who knows if this will ever repeat, but life was good yesterday and it remains good today.

 Jim, Tim, Roger, and George

 Tim, Jim, Bertha (Jim's bride), George, and Roger.