Chess and checkers along with a number of board games featuring baseball and football were in the strategy class of games my brother Ray had when we lived in Ithaca, New York. He jealously kept them locked up to preserve their good condition avoiding the wear and tear often seen in comics which he had preserved in good condition. Both brothers and my sister attended both grade and high school. World was thrown into war with the undeclared war attack by Japan on the naval and military installations on Hawaii. The Japanese had planned the attack and meant for the translation notifying the USA ahead of the planes that had been launched from aircraft carriers. Unfortunately, the translation from Japanese to English clerk failed to complete the message prior to the attack so that it was looked upon as a sneak attack with no warning to America of Japan to start war in the Pacific. This of course led to military and civilian leaders in Hawaii to investigate a healthy Japanese population living in the Hawaii Islands. Such was the hostility toward Japanese residing there. They were not to blame but the government feared a retaliation by America for the supposedly unprovoked air bombardment and killing of both military and civilians on the Island. Personally, I have always tributed growing up that the Roosevelt government created camps to protect the Japanese population from vicious retaliation by the American patriots having shown anger that resulted from the death and injuries suffered by this unprovoked attack. It took years for the Japanese living there to eventually overcome the bitter feelings of both sides.
During high school Ray had honed his chess skill with a professor from Cornell University and joined the Ithaca Chess Club. After graduation from high school he was drafted and served throughout the war as a training officer of troops when he was at Fort Landing Florida for troops going to the Pacific Islands and later to Georgia to help train troops including paratroopers for the European theatre. Because of health reasons he was ineligible for combat duty himself but he remained in the Army until he was given honorable discharge. He wanted to be a medical baby doctor but changed to chemistry and eventually worked unti he retired for Eastman Kodak. During that period of his life and got married and he and his wife raised four healthy children.
My brother George and sister Shirley likewise had quality of life. George and Shirley both played chess. George was a statewide basketball star for Wayne Central High School. He married his high school sweetheart. He was a skilled fruit farmer. Shirley was married to Luther Keymel and had four boys. He was a skilled tool and die technician at Kodak and later retired to share a farming life successfully. Shirley was a true artist and while she worked, she met Luther and eventually married staying home to raise their kids. Painting in oils was her specialty.
My own life was a mix of ups and downs having various illnesses, crippled when I fell off my roof at home, married Sibylle who was a chess student of mine likewise had suffered various illness while working for Kodak as a research assistant.
But I look at life as a joy working as a banking accountant, retired and personally successful as an investor. While I took many courses that helped me in my working life that also included a joy for gardening, especially roses and other flower types. I inherited my mother and father wisdom and enjoyment playing drums, mouth organ which I had shared with my brother Ray. We also played the guitar and I tinkered with the player piano and taught myself to play using player piano lessons from a book a bought. I had also served in the Army and stationed stateside. I practiced my skill at billiards at the service club and had fellowship with Jerry Fuller, a famous song writer and musician at the base. We were blessed with talent of various kinds. I had the chance to learn how to play a mean game of bridge from a female service club employee.
As a result of finding life and not being aborted prebirth, I am blessed to have a growlng relationship with my Lord. Sibylle’s son Kai Lieber moved here from the Midwest and lives and helps me stay out of nursing homes besides being an excellent caregiver and cook.
I was surprised by a visit from Kim, George’s second wife who updated me on her family. She was married previously to Carl Slocum, a classmate of George and me and a retired naval officer.
Being a Christian I am appalled by politics today. I give to a number of charities. I have always been a Republican conservative and vote in every election. I think it a moral obligation to cast my ballot at election time. I follow the newspapers I subscribe to but am often skeptical of some candidates representing the politics of this era of my life. I have faith and gladness that my list I support hopefully win.
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