“How can we draw the line and say at what precise moment treachery begins? How loose and slippery becomes the ground if we stray forth in quest of secret motives and designs.” Lord Mahon, “History of England” (1854)
Benedict Arnold portrait by Ashleigh Grace
Reading about the military leadership of Benedict Arnold, it is infuriating how under-appreciated and, more important, under-valued, he was by members of the Continental Congress. Like George Washington, a code of honor led him to take enormous battlefield risks, whereas dishonorable commanders such as Horatio Gates sought and received credit for military victories won by others, such as at Saratoga in 1777, during the course of which Gates scrupulously avoided any exposure to danger while Arnold was turning the tide of battle. Washington appreciated Arnold’s valor, however, and appointed him military commander of Philadelphia after the British withdrew in June of 1778. It was an unfortunate choice, given Arnold’s lack of tact, expensive tastes, and tendency to brood over real and perceived slights and to become embroiled in bitter altercations. Before long, he became enamored of 18-year-old Peggy Shippen, daughter of a Loyalist sympathizer, who would marry him and turn his thoughts to treason. Another motive was financial – the promise of money.
Darren Locasta
Darren Locasta, a slick-fielding centerfielder on my Portage Little League team of 37 years ago, performed at Miller Market with a female partner. As I arrived, they were in the midst of an enjoyable set that included numbers by Hoosiers John Mellancamp and John Hiatt. Darren recognized me even though it had probably been 20 years. “Mr. Lane!”he exclaimed, a greeting I almost never get except from former Little Leaguers. Memories came rushing back of Little League playoff highlights from when he and Dave were 12. Early on, we lost to the clear favorite, a team coached by Mr. Smith that was blessed with two quality pitchers, putting us in the loser’s bracket. Our next game we were scheduled to face the best pitcher in the league. During a pregame talk I convinced their manager that the only way for either of us to go far in the playoffs was to use two pitchers for three innings each since then our best pitchers could be on the mound every game. Incredulous, he asked, “You’re not starting Paul Mathews?” I nodded. He took my advice and we scored 4 runs off his second pitcher before their ace entered the game. They had a rally going in the third with runners on first and third with two out. Normally in that situation, on the first pitch the player on first goes to second without a throw. I told our catcher to nail the guy if he broke for second. It caught the opposition by surprise, and Dave caught the ball and tagged him out before the runner on third could to score.
4 missing from team photo include Paul Mathews; below, Dave receives trophy
It being my first visit of the summer to Miller Market, I was disappointed to find no sign of the taco vendor but did enjoy a hot dog with all the trimmings. Several folks were walking around with Italian ice, but it was not apparent where they made the purchase. The only Miller friend I spotted was Dorreen Carey, loaded down with fresh produce.
Surprise lilies, sometimes nicknamed Naked Ladies, shot up all at once in our side yard. The leaves are among the first to appear in the spring but then disappear. Months later, stalks shoot out of the ground and sprout beautiful pink flowers. Years ago, I dug up the bulbs when our Maple Place neighbors, the Bernstens, abandoned their house, then replanted them for the second time eight years ago upon our move to the condo. They appear to be doing better than ever.
above, Gary City Council; below, Marquette Park Air Show crowd
Proofs for the additional chapter of “Gary: A Pictorial History” look good. I worried about the resolution of a few photos and feared I’d sent more jpegs than would fit on the 15 pages we had to work with; but the editor followed my layout suggestions almost exactly. I especially like two last-minute additions, one by Calvin Standifer of City Council members, the other an overhead Marquette Park crowd shot by Guy Rhodes during the Gary Air Show.
Born into the great depression, Stan’s life started out rough, but he never let that get in his way. He was a cook in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and retired from Inland Steel after 39 and a half years as a carpenter; but his passion was baseball. He played when in the air force and afterwards was a member of a Pittsburgh farm team. After being told he was “too small.” He joined the KOM League (the Class D Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League) and then played for many years with the Sam & Henry Indians in E.C. he was inducted into the East Chicago Hall of Fame in 1979 and was always willing to pass on his knowledge and tips to future pitchers.
Squeezer loved to fish and spent many years vacationing in the U.P. of Michigan with his family. He loved playing bingo with his wife Joan, or more like, she loved playing bingo and he happily accompanied her! He loved watching his westerns and cheering on his favorite football team, the Cleveland Browns. Grandpa Squeezer was his favorite title although he lovingly referred to himself as "Grandpa Taxi,” as he enjoyed taking his grand children to all their games and practices.
Here’s to you, Grandpa Squeezer, from Grandpa Jimbo. Wherever you are, hope you find a ball game and are with Yanks and Casey.
I’ve begun David Rapp’s “Tinkers to Evers to Chance: The Chicago Cubs and the Dawn of Modern America.” George Will wrote: “In the first decade of the twentieth-century, Chicago and baseball were revving up and feeling their oats, in tandem. Rapp’s telling of this coming-of-age story crackles with the energy of the era he describes.”
I’m not a fan of conservative commentator George Will except when he writes about baseball; but now that he’s turned sour on Trump, he’s palatable and occasionally introduces me to unfamiliar words – such as oleaginous, meaning distastefully servile or, literally, containing an unusual amount of oil or grease. Will used the word to describe Vice President Mike Pence, with “his talent for toadyism and appetite for obsequious.” Quite a fitting description of the former Hoosier governor, who to paraphrase columnist Brian Howey, made a pact with the devil, believing it would be his clearest path to the presidency. Howey wrote: “Pence’s gambit is the classic straight razor. Trump’s demise could make him the 46thpresident. A tangled ankle in this web could bring Pence historic ignominy.”
Self-described Region Rat Marion Rucker wrote about a new relationship:
Introduction:My mom and dad came from Gary; she is German and he is Jamaican. I have care and love for 3 woman in my life. My mother was a guide to me and always let me be myself; my grandma always has been supportive (I have a tattoo in her honor); and my sister who in times of depression saved my life. We have the same father, and I try to be a positive male role model. I want to be a teacher because when I die, I want people to come to my funeral for who I was and what I did, not the money they may or not get. I try to treat everyone with respect and not be judgmental. Life is too short to be angry and negative all the time.
March 15:I woke up around 9 am and made myself cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats) and then watched YouTube videos of Jake Paul and Logan Paul, who do exciting things and post stuff every day. While showering, I put on 6ix9ine, a rapper whose hit single was “Gummo,” and stretched and brushed my teeth to save me time. Since it was spring break, I went to the gym early. I always start with a 15-minute run and then do three sets of 15 dips and 15 pullups. Then I went to the bench since it was an arm and chest day and did 8 reps for 3 sets, adding more weight as I go on usually starting at 180. Then I will go to cables and follow with more reps until I feel my arms and body getting tense. I finish with 5 to 8 minutes of abs (abdominal muscles). My goal is not to be a body builder but to look buff for my weight, 158 pounds. When I stopped working out after high school, I lost about 20 pounds, so I am proud to have gotten my weight up. After my workout I took another shower because I had a date after being single for so long. I knew I looked decent since I got a haircut 2 days before and also just bought Old Skool vans and a jacket and jeans. I played some 2000’s R&B, the lovey dove stuff that will put you in touch with your feelings. I put on my good cologne and went to pick her up. Her house was about 30 minutes from mine, and with every minute I felt myself getting increasingly nervous. She had told me her parents were old-fashioned and would want to meet me. The house was huge. I knocked on the door, and her family was all like 6 foot tall while I’m like 5’9. She is 18 and 5’7 so if we do end up dating, I hope to God she is done growing, ha. We went to Applebee’s. On the way it was awkward but once there we talked about everything and anything. After we ate I looked at her lips and kissed her Then I brought her to my house to meet my mom and grandma and sister. I could see in her eyes she was nervous, so we just sat in the car and talked for a while. We walked in and I made introductions and all she could do is smile. I showed her our award case and some of my drawings around the house to impress her, and she started to relax. In my room I put on Netflix and we watched a movie. Overall it went well. I took her home and gave her one more kiss. We talked on the phone later, and she said the first kiss was funny and cute because she knew both of us wanted to do it.
March 16:I woke up around 9 and watched YouTube videos in bed for an hour. I got cereal, joined my sister in the living room, and asked what she thought about the girl. My sister can be very judgmental but said she liked her and thought she was pretty. My grandma agreed. Today was a leg day, so after my 15-minute run, I worked with the appropriate machines for a couple hours. At Subway afterwards, I ordered my usual, a footlong meatball sub, no chips or drink because I try only to drink water and I had fruit at home. That evening, I put on a nice outfit and made my way to my new friend’s house because she wanted to go to the movies. I was a little nervous because I’d be meeting her dad, but he was not so scary as I had imagined. In the car she laughed and said she had never seen her dad so relaxed. I told her it must have been my charm with adults. Honestly, I cannot remember what movie we saw because I was so tired, I fell asleep. She worked at that movie theater so we did not have to pay for anything. When the movie was over, she woke me with a kiss. At home I played Fortnight on Xbox and then talked with her on the phone.
March 17:I decided to take a break from the gym this weekend because I was sore. My new friend wanted to party that night in Chicago and I agreed on the condition that I could bring my friends. We picked these dudes up and went to the train station. My friends were loud and vulgar because they already had been drinking, but I made sure they were not mean and it was fun. In Chicago it was cold and I had forgotten a hat. During a 15-minute walk to the party we saw the green Chicago River, which was cool. At the party place the person who was supposed to let us in refused. So basically, we were just sitting in the cold and everyone was starting to get crabby so I decided we should go to Shake Shack. It was packed but worth it. Across the street was the Bean sculpture (Cloud Gate), which was cool. I’d never seen it. We tried to take a picture but all our phones were basically dead so there was no flash and it was dark. Overall, it was a good experience, but I had not been that cold since high school football. My friend was really upset because her friend wouldn’t get us into the party, but I calmed her down and told her I still had fun. I told her she could stay the night and nothing would happen, but she declined because her mom wanted to talk to her about some military stuff that she found out about.
March 18:I woke up around 10:30 and watched the new episode of Dragon Ball Super. It is basically another series of Dragon Ball Z, a show will forever be remembered. I asked my mom what she thought about the girl and she thought she was a good fit for me. In the past I have rushed too fast into relationships because I see girlfriends as likely to be my future wife, so I am hoping to go slower this time. Today we went bowling with her parents. I won the first game barely, and during the second game her dad’s back started hurting, so I won by a lot. Usually I talk trash but since I do not know these people very well yet, I held back. After we dropped her parents off, we had a good time at Shake Shack. She was really relaxed and was laughing and making jokes back at me. Everything felt good, but I made it clear that I just wanted to talk for 3 to 4 months before we officially dated. She understood with no anger, just smiles; overall it was a good chill night. Perhaps I feel this way because my previous girlfriend cheated on me, and I am still dealing with that. I played my Pandora Thumbprint, basically a shuffle of songs you have liked in the past, and she told me how she really liked my music! We finally got to my house and I gave her a kiss and told her I’d call her later, which I did after doing homework for a few hours.
April 14: I have been having job and family issues, and stress from school has been overwhelming; but I’m trying to stay positive. My best buddy went into the army and is in basic training. I cannot talk to him but mailed him a letter, pretty much a first for me. Out of all my friends, I am the only one in college, and I am happy but sometimes see them making money and feel envious. I hope in the long term things will work out. After a good workout at the gym, I talked to my mom and sister about the stress of life. They always make me laugh. I am so thankful for them. Then I headed out to hang out with the girl I have been seeing for a month now. I have gotten close with her brothers as well as the parents. Thinking back on the semester, I have learned that it is okay to be open with your emotions, that I am not alone, and it is okay to try again. What I mean is, when my ex and I broke up, it killed the idea of what love is. I found this girl and I won’t say I love her, but I do care for her. Family and friends will always support you and will want to guide you in the right direction, so if they have an opinion, you don’t have to take it but at least can listen to it. Most important is just be yourself. As much as people disparage Indiana, I love where I am from. I will rep Portage Indiana with pride and smiles. I am proud to be a region rat! I feel that in 15 years Gary might be rebuilt and the surrounding area grow along with it.
Marion and his mom, Natalie Rucker
No comments:
Post a Comment