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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