Death in the Family

How strange! I had had a dream yesterday morning which I saw as oncoming death. It turned out to be that it was prophetic in a sense when I learned that an aged cousin of mine had passed away on the 14th of August. I had last seen her in a nursing home in Ohio when I returned to visit for my 50th class reunion. That had been the beginning of the end for my dad who later decided to attempt to end his life as he wants to die so badly. This news of his first cousin's death probably has not been good for him, but I did call the nursing home to let him know about it. The funeral is ongoing as I sit here and type this now, as family and friends will gather together in the funeral home to remember her life. I was so sorry that I could not be there or even send flowers for the funeral.

I will when I can make an attempt to support her memorial fund.

At any rate, has caused me to make some comments here about Fame and my status in life. I have talked about persons of the past who I have come to know only in the past 12 years or so as I had no interest in any of them prior to this past decade.

But when I was young, I had fame in a way that is quite unorthodox. My students are let me know about it...and I will explain this now so that it is made perfectly clear.

I had taught in both Michigan and Arizona before moving to California and becoming a part of the California teaching community. I was hired when very young, and youth has an advantage as a teacher, but age has its better elements for maturity has a seasoning that is necessary at times to maintain a more tolerant attitude towards life and its lessons.

At any rate, I had not been aware of some of the ways in which I had been famous but a movie called Bless the Beasts and Children caused me to realize that I had been noticed and observed when I had been a child, and not just me, but also my brother.

I saw that movie at about the time that I saw the movie The Candidate starring Robert Redford. I had a dress that was exactly like one worn by a young unknown actress which later became explained to me. I had no idea what is in Hollywood's mind, but movies generally give way their secrets and motives.

So through my students, I was taught,and being a quick learner I became aware quickly.

Skipping to a time when I had left my teaching career behind and had moved to Florida to spend time studying court reporting, I made a comment yes to the question is it a matter of life or death? It turned out that my teaching credential which is the given to me on the same day as Elvis Presley's death illustrates the aspect of Life and Death. My teaching number is 5779, and ironically, I graduated in the class of '57 and and am on page 79 in the year book so that the two match perfectly! That is perhaps why a story about King Arthur can be relevant...but to my surprise it is King Elvis who died on August 16, 1977 eleven years after my certificate is issued to me on August 16, 1966. My credential is huge in size as is Elvis's gravesite memorial which represents death...Life for me and death for Elvis and the two match nearly perfectly side by side...Why I am explaining all this away...because it is relevant and important to understand that I had been looking for my twin soul and it became obvious to me that Elvis and I were conjoined at the hip in some ways... It is actually his wife Priscilla who made this clear to me a bit in her book called Elvis and Me. I believe I may have already described the time that I saw him in Las Vegas. I liked him as a person very much. He was a down to earth type of man who did not take himself quite as seriously as we had thought. He was a showman, a performer, and he is a very convincing actor...unlike Merle Haggard's current song called BAD ACTOR.

I have explained how I had been influenced by the Pentecostal church whose home base is Tupelo, Mississippi, birthplace of Elvis Presley. Elvis believed in the gospel and loved to sing gospel music. Like all of us, he was under the influence of evangelical type versions of fire and brimstone, and used some of it in his music.

As I said religious beliefs play a major role in people's lives.

Elvis was likewise influenced by those relgious powers as well.

So when I went through Las Vegas to return to California I stopped at the Hilton where he was playing, and while I could not get in to see him then, I was given a poster of his since they called me a fan. I used that poster in my classroom at Center when I went there.

Later on a soap opera on ABC I heard my blue dress that I had worn to that show described by one of the actors. I realized what he had been saying...

So as they say, you never know when you are being observed and noticed and by whom.

I am a big fan of Elvis even yet today and I believe his voice is one of the greatest of all time.

As my cousin Willard always said, he speaks our language!