I was given the first one in mid-October of 1945. There would be six of them per year for the next 12 years – 72 in all by the time I graduated from high school in 1957. Each was a potential source of strong emotions ranging from simple anxiety up to, and sometimes including, dread. … Continue reading 72 Reports that changed and shaped our worlds
Long before PBS or Nova or the Nature Series, there were reports of bands of bipedal primates roaming the cottage-y territories of the otherwise peaceful inhabitants in North Jacksonville. The reports were true. More shocking was the fact that these orgies included mulberry mashes, persimmon plucking and even fig orgies in the Holiday’s back yard. … Continue reading Hunting and Gathering on the North Shore
Just A Typical Gator Homecoming? Water, Water (balloons) Everywhere! I would have to call it a form of temporary insanity that gripped the 60 or so residents of Georgia Seagle Hall as we feverously prepared for Homecoming 1960. The normally studious, well-behaved, Seagle do-gooders were preparing a racy display to cover the front of … Continue reading Water, Water Everywhere: Just a “Typical” Gator Homecoming in the Sixties
The Iceman delivered much more than ice to this North Florida neighborhood in the late 1940s. He brought a friendly smile, generous heart, and icy gifts that have continued to offer solace from feverish thoughts after all these years. I was very busy during World War II..trying to avoid being “drafted” (into Kindergarten). I was … Continue reading The Iceman
If you grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, particularly on the north side, you knew that it was not your pocket watch, or your wristwatch, or even the old grandfather clock in the corner that was in charge of your life, it was a 32-inch copper steam whistle that had been installed at the municipal “waterworks” … Continue reading Big Jim, the steam-throated metronome for daily life in Jacksonville, Florida
Estelle Stephens was my first grade teacher. The First Grade Classrooms were on the first floor to the right of the main entrance to North Shore Elementary School— PS #70 — in Jacksonville, Florida. Our classroom was right across from The Office–the Principal’s Office, at the time, Mr. E. L. Loundsbury, an older (with silver … Continue reading My First (deliberate) Sin…
-Citizenship: Still a vital competency- If we fail to instill the core values that reinforce love of freedom and democracy, we risk losing the behaviors originating with those core values—the actions and leadership vital to protecting freedom and democracy. If we fail to develop the competencies needed by citizens of a democratic republic, we will … Continue reading Flags and Futures
-North Jacksonville 48-star School Classroom Flag Honored- Remarks by Dr. Tracy D. Connors, CAPT USN (Ret) during opening ceremonies for 60th Reunion of the Andrew Jackson High School Class of 1956 on May 21, 2016. Tonight we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the class of 1956 finally escaping from Andrew Jackson Senior High school. Before … Continue reading It’s Still a Grand Old Flag
In ancient Rome, when booty was piled up, the Latin term they used was pilare, to plunder, or to “pile up booty.” That meaning was derived from the word pila, or “pile” (think pillar). As time moved forward, as time inexorably does, “peel” acquired additional nuances, all derived from the “pile up” original meaning. For … Continue reading Pearl Street Peel Out
National Siblings Day is on April 10th, so I am late with this posting. However, it took me some time to find this photograph of my brother, David, and me that I treasure. The photo was taken about 1946 in front of our home in Jacksonville, FL. Our neighborhood, North Shore, at that time was … Continue reading Post Posing: Remembering National Siblings Day