Catalina Island Man

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN 62 YEARS

43. Watch what you say to others, even in "jest". Who ever came up with the saying, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me!" certainly didn’t live on my planet! Bones can heal, but words can often leave wounds that never do.


44. Don’t put all of your faith in people. They will always disappoint you. Only God is always faithful and dependable.


45. Don't be afraid to go out on a limb with your life. That is where the fruit is. "Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go!" (T. S. Eliot)

MAIN STREAM DAD Part 3

GETTING INTO THE MAIN STREAM PT 3

When I finally finished my Edgar Allan Poe story,











there was a moment of silence














and then the Head Nurse stepped forward and asked,........

"At what point did you realize that this kit was for

'females' NOT 'males'!?!

















Then they all started laughing.

I NEVER FIGURED "THAT" OUT!!!!!, I said.





I stood their dumbfounded (which isn't hard for me to do, as I stand like that most of the time!)




and I said, "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!???!!!"

SHE WASN'T!!!





Luckily the guilty Candy Stripper, who acted like she had made an "innocent mistake"

(now I wonder if she took pictures of me in those "stirrups"), had all of these other witnesses around her, because if she had been alone, there is no telling what I would have done to her (I'm sure that you have already thought what I was thinking at the time, but propriety prevents me from spelling it out)!

When I got home, I told Dad "You're going to find this funny!" and I told him the story.


Still quite sore,



HE DIDN'T!!!






Anyone who tries to convince you that men and women are alike, try


"Catching The MidStream" on your boyfriend or husband!





I guarantee they won't

be laughing either!!!

Catalina Island Man

See the Smack Down Timer at the Right_________>
Where is Chuck Liddell the
ULTIMATE FIGHTER???

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN 62 YEARS

37. If you suddenly think of someone strongly, act on it! I believe that there is a reason why we suddenly get these urges. We simply need to call, write, visit, etc., these people, when this happens.

38. Get rid of the "dead wood" in your life. If there is a person, job, or situation that is keeping you "down", don’t be afraid to let it go! Don’t be afraid of change. People often prefer misery to having to make a change. Misery is only an option and not a very good one at that.

39. If there is something that you "REALLY WANT TO DO", then stop talking about it and do it!

There is no guarantee how much time that we have on earth and "doing that thing" could have a major affect on you and others.

MAIN STREAM DAD Part 2

GETTING INTO THE MAIN STREAM PT 2

Now, being a "literal" person (see my blog about getting my driver's license), I did EXACTLY what the instructions told me to do, no matter how crazy they sounded! They had me sticking things into areas that I didn't even know that Dad, or any human being, had!






I couldn't find certain "holes" that were described, so I had to stick the wooden devices down the ONLY hole that I could find. At this Dad said,











"WHAT IN THE HECK ARE YOU DOING!?!"





I read the instructions to him and we both agreed that they made no sense whatsoever. I asked for Dad's suggestions (he was a 1924 graduate of "CalTech" in Civil and Mechanical Engineering), but he had none.




When I was done with what must have been left over from the "Spanish Inquisition",





I then smeared the iodine solution over every "flap and fold" that I had "Q-tipped" and wiped, on everything described that I could possibly find and then Dad "let loose" and I was able to capture "The Mid Flow", whatever that was.






I assumed that it meant the middle part, so I concentrated on that!









I rushed the sample up the hospital and found the "Candy Stripper" and gave her the container, which I had carried back in its original box, in case it decided to leak.






"THAT WAS THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING THAT I HAVE EVER DONE





AND MY FATHER'S


'YOU KNOW WHAT'

WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE THE SAME!!!









BE SURE TO TELL THE DOCTOR THAT I HOPE THAT HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED AND


THAT DAD AND I WILL 'NEVER' HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS TORTURE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!"





"Your 'DAD'!??" she said, which a bewildered look.











"Yes, my 'DAD', but what does that have to do with anything!?!"










She asked me to please wait a few moments, which I begrudgingly agreed to, knowing that I couldn't leave my father very long unattended.

She came back a few minutes later with all of the other nurses in our small 13-bed hospital and holding back laughter,

she asked me to try to "educate" this hospital staff as to how I administered "Catching The Main Flow" on my father.




I figured that this wasn't done very often (it should have been featured in "Ripply's Believe It Or Not") and that they sincerely wanted to "learn" from someone who actually went through the "torture chamber" with my father.

While I described the process (which, unfortunately, it will



NEVER LEAVE MY MEMORY BANK; NOT ONE POKE OR SMEAR OF IT!),




the nurses couldn't hold back and every now and then one of them would start snickering.




I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS VERY FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!
(to be continued)

MAIN STREAM DAD Part 1

See the Smack Down Timer at the Right_________>
Where is Chuck Liddell the ULTIMATE FIGHTER???

GETTING INTO THE MAIN STREAM PT 1

In January, 1974, my father had a massive stroke and heart attack following the unexpected death my younger brother, Bill. Sadly, I left my teaching job at Indiana University, drove back to California and moved in with Dad on Catalina Island so I could take care of him. Little did I know that this commitment would last for the next seven years!

Don't get me wrong, I don't regret giving my time to Dad, in fact, I should really be thanking him. Not only did Dad and I grow closer to each other, but this 24/7 commitment caused me to really push myself to find the edges of my stamina "envelope". I learned more about myself and my capabilities than I ever would have if I had been teaching or concentrating on myself. I now know that I can do "almost" anything.

Eventually, after the stroke, Dad was forced to utilize a permanent catheter. However, prior to that, one of my tasks was to collect his urine samples so that his doctors could monitor his health situation. One day I was told that the doctor needed me to obtain a "sterile urine sample", because they thought that he might be developing a bladder infection.

So, I went up the hospital and the nurse told me that I needed a "special kit" to collect this urine sample. She instructed a Candy Stripper (probably one of the same ilk who offered so much “help” with my kidney stones - see my previous "BLOG" called Special Delivery While Stoned) to get me a boxed kit from the back room. After a slight delay, she came back with the box. I took said box and rushed back to Dad.

I informed Dad that this sample had to be "sterile", whatever that meant, and that I had to follow special directions that were inside the box. Neither of us understood what made this sample different than all of the other samples that we had been collecting for the last couple of years, but we had learned not to ask questions, but simply "DO IT". I opened up the box to find an iodine (do they still make it?) solution, gauzes, q-tips, and an assortment of other strange implements.

Before I had a chance to study the diagram and read the instructions, Dad informed me that he was about ready to "BLOW", which meant I had to work fast. You could hardly set you watch by his "number ones" and I knew that I had to work fast to collect a sample as the doctor said that he needed it back STAT! ("ASAP!").

I quickly took off Dad's external catheter and began by first, reading the instructions, and then, working through the process as I read and interpreted the pamphlet," CATCHING THE MID STREAM ".

Catalina Island Man

See the Smack Down Timer at the Right_________>

Where is the ULTIMATE FIGHTER???

See my post about Chuck Liddell Vs Chuck Liddell

http://tinyurl.com/msymyl



Dateline: Avalon CA, Catalina Island:

The Ultimate Fighter is now taking "Dancing Lessons"! He's going to be on the TV show, So You Think You Can Dance. Well, here, again, the original Chuck Liddell has him beat. Chuck is a veritable Terpsichorean! He needs NO lessons to compete. The other day Chuck said: "I will dance him into the dirt at the Movie Smackdown". "He won't know what hit him! I'll teach him what tripudiary, dedans and en dehors is all about...I'll kick his assoluta, en l'air!!!"

This sounds pretty much like a rumble challenge.



When will Chuck Liddell "Man Up" and contact Chuck Liddell?

The clock is still ticking!

Catalina Island Man

See the Smack Down Timer at the Right_________>
Where is the ULTIMATE FIGHTER???
See my post about Chuck Liddell Vs Chuck Liddell

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN 62 YEARS

34. Don’t "throw in the towel" on anyone’s life. NO ONE IS BEYOND HELP OR CHANGE!!!







35. Miracles happen daily. Try to be open to them and recognize them for what they are… MIRACLES!











36. Try to find as many excuses as you can each day to let people know that they are "LOVED". Along with a hug, these words can actually determine, in many cases, whether a person decides to live or die.

Catalina Island Man

See the Smack Down Timer at the Right_________>
Where is the ULTIMATE FIGHTER??? See the last post about
Chuck Liddell Vs Chuck Liddell


WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN 62 YEARS



31. "Good guys don’t ALWAYS finish last, they just have to run harder!"






32. As often as possible, invite people to your home for dinner; especially those who can’t reciprocate and/or you don’t know that well. You would be surprised how special an evening of

good food and good company in a home environment can do to lift your spirits and help you to get to know people so much better.



33. Divide the day into three 8 hour segments: 8 hours to work, 8 hours to sleep, 8 hours for recreation and relaxation.

Catalina Island Man

ULTIMATE FIGHTER

CHUCK LIDDELL

HIDING UNDER HIS DESK!!!

Dateline Avalon CA: Local Historian Chuck Liddell claims that the "other Chuck Liddell" falsely claims on his website that "he" starred in the movie: "Hollywood's Magical Island, Catalina"! See "Chuck as Himself" on his personal website: http://www.icemanmma.com/projects/film_tv.php The "real" Chuck Liddell hereby challenges the "other Chuck Liddell" to a contest of the manly arts, to wit: a presentation of their respective movie versions of "Hollywood's Magical Island, Catalina" at the Casino Theater at a time of choosing of the "other Chuck Liddell".

This could be a real dustup as Avalon's Chuck Liddell is quoted as saying, "I had the name first" and "I will kick his celluloid"! No one from the "other Chuck Liddell" could be reached for comment, at this time.

I was Chuck Liddell before being Chuck Liddell was cool!



NO, I WILL NOT BE PERFORMING ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS" ON THIS FALL'S TELEVISION SEASON!!!!!






Yes, Chuck Liddell will be,



but I won't!





Confusing!?! Shouldn't be. Just look at our two pictures and hopefully you can tell that although I AM "CHUCK LIDDELL",





I AM NOT "CHUCK LIDDELL"!!! Makes perfect sense to me!




He will probably loose points when he body slams his partner during their first dance, forgetting where he is!

Ever since Chuck Liddell has been fighting (and sometimes "Light Weight Champion" of UFC ("Ultimate Fighting Championship") on television, I have received many phone calls, and even letters from people around the world asking "Are you the REAL 'Chuck Liddell'"? OF COURSE I AM THE REAL "CHUCK LIDDELL"! I'VE HAD THE NAME LONGER THAN "HE" HAS!!!!!

Having a name that is as recognizable as mine has its drawbacks. It can certainly be humbling!

A couple of years ago a woman in her late 20's/early 30's came up to me near the "Pleasure Pier". She asked me if ...

I was "Chuck Liddell".

Feeling a sense of my own "notoriety" on Catalina, I smiled and said "Yes, I am. How did you recognize me?" Of course, I thought of my appearances in Catalina movies, books, lectures, etc. "Someone in one of the shops pointed you out", she said.

Well, my head expanded to a size 100! She then asked if I would permit her to have my picture taken. I WAS NOW UP TO 200!!!!! I, of course, agreed, because us "celebrities" have to learn to show respect for our "public"! She then motioned to her husband, all 6'6", 275 lbs. of him, to stand next to me. Looking at her and there three young children, I asked her why only her husband wanted a picture with me and not the whole family (I am sure that we could have found a "lucky" tourist to take the picture). She then explained that "only" her husband wanted to be in the picture with me as he was an "UFC" fan and had always wanted to have his picture taken with Chuck Liddell. My head size was now down to 150. "I am not 'that' Chuck Liddell", I told her, with a half smile.



The ULTIMATE SMACK DOWN!!

"We know", she said, "my husband wanted to have a "gag picture" of you two together to show to his buddies back home!" My head had now deflated to 50!

The picture was taken and I was able to summon up a half-hearted smile. I noticed that the wife had pulled out a $1 bill and I honestly had no idea why. When I asked her, she said that that was for the photo. I was now down to 25. I told her that she could keep her $1 and then she offered to take me out for a "drink". When I told her that I didn't "drink", she said that she would give me an "ice cream"! I now imploded to a -15 cents!!!!!

Talk about being HUMBLED!!!!! I now know that a picture of me is worth $1, or a drink or ice cream, on the open market and that is only as a "gag"!

I have been kicking around the idea of "fighting" (faked of course) Chuck Liddell in a Sumo-wrestling outfit, up at our local gym, to raise money for our school's sports program. I thought that a "Chuck Liddell vs. Chuck Liddell" would be an interesting concept and one that might bring some interest from the media and bring in some bucks! I would really like to know your thoughts on this.


I do know one thing, I won't allow any pictures of us taken or sold for any less than $l.50!


I DO HAVE MY PRIDE!!

Catalina Island Man

SPECIAL DELIVERY WHILE STONED!


KIDNEY STONES: If you have ever had a kidney stone attack, SCREAM to yourself, you don't want to scare the neighbors! I passed at least one stone every year for almost 20 years! One time, while traveling through Western Samoa, I passed two, at the same time, one from each kidney!

The pain of passing a kidney stone is often referred to as the "worse pain" there is. I heard of a woman, a few years ago, who passed a kidney stone while she was delivering her baby!


AT LEAST, THAT'S ONE SITUATION I DON'T HAVE TO FACE!

For whatever reason, my kidney stone attacks always seem to occur in the middle of the night. I usually find myself falling out of bed in pain. The story that I am about to tell certainly falls within this category.

About thirty years ago, I had such an attack, around two in the morning. At that time I was taking care of my invalid father here on Catalina Island and didn't want to concern him, but the pain was so bad. It seemed like it was too early in the morning to call a friend, who was a nurse, to ask her to be here when Dad normally woke up around 7:00 AM. I wanted to drive myself to the hospital (in our golf cart), but I was so bent over in pain that I didn't trust my driving, so I called the hospital to have them send an ambulance. Because the neighbors were aware of Dad's condition, and because it was so early in the morning, I requested that they not have their lights flashing, nor their sirens blaring. I was going to be dressed, suitcase in hand, and out in front of the house, so that I could quickly jump in the front passenger seat and get rushed to the hospital, before anyone was disturbed.

YOU GUESSED IT! The ambulance arrived a few minutes later with lights flashing and sirens whaling. It was so early in the morning and everything was so quiet, I had never seen so much light nor heard anything so loud. It sounded like they had borrowed additional equipment to put on this display! Every house in the neighborhood had turned on their lights and I am sure that they must have thought that the ambulance was for my father!

I quickly jumped, or squirmed in the seat, which would be more accurate, looking like I was auditioning for the role of "Quasimodo", "The Hunchback Of Notre Dames". I "Thanked" them for respecting my wishes not to make a spectacle of my departure! I was then rushed the two blocks to the hospital and quickly wheeled to the front desk to be admitted.

I quickly explained the situation, told them I was passing a kidney stone, and informed them that I would be coherent only for a few more minutes, at which time, I would start screaming, and they would need to give me a morphine injection IMMEDIATELY. Being a cautious group, and I don't blame them, they sent me to the x-ray department to verify my diagnosis, after which, they would then contact the "doctor on call” for authorization for the morphine.

Joe Quinn, a great friend of mine, who had been awakened in the middle of night, threw on some clothes, and rushed to the hospital to take said x-ray. While I sat in the wheelchair, with the pain getting worse by the second, he rushed out of the x-ray room and informed me, along with the head nurse, that I was passing "one heck of a stone".

Armed with this information, the nurse then called the doctor (who will remain nameless, but who proved to be probably the WORST doctor that our little hospital every employed!). The nurse put down the phone and with a very concerned look informed me that the doctor said that because he had been partying most of the night, he would not be coming to the hospital now, but would come at 8:00AM when he made his "usual rounds".


8:00AM!!!!! THAT WAS FIVE HOURS AWAY!!!!!

I told the nurse that I couldn't withstand the pain for five hours and that they would have to give me the morphine shot NOW! With a solemn voice, the nurse told me that they couldn't even administer an aspirin until the doctor showed up at 8:00AM, examined me, and authorized my medication.

With all of the presence of mind that I could muster, I said to the nurse, "Let me explain something to you. I have just a few more minutes before the pain because so excruciating that I won't be able to control myself. I am going to start "SCREAMING", uncontrollably, pretty soon, and IF I don't get morphine SOON, I am going to SCREAM this hospital down to its foundation!!!!!!!!!!"

The nurse, now understanding the situation, directed the "Candy Strippers" to take me into the maternity "Delivery Room", which was on the other end of the hospital, as far away from the other patients as possible. I had no choice, so they wheeled me in and quickly got me in a gown and tossed me into the bed.

The two young ladies, who obviously knew nothing about kidney stone attacks, stood there, with sympathetic and concerned looks. They shared with me their frustration that the doctor refused to come and that they couldn't do anything to ease the pain. One of them showed a glimmer of enthusiasm, when she suggested "Why don't we put you in the stirrups and elevate you in different positions until the pain goes away!?!"

YOU'VE

GOT TO BE

KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!

Kidney stones pass by urine pressure, NOT "gravity", but by now any words that I would have uttered, to try to educate them would have been less than flattering to their lack of medical knowledge, so I went along with them. They put my legs in these "slings" and proceeded to "elevate me" until I told them that the pain had gone away.

Well, they took my legs to "greater heights", leaving the rest of me, namely the back of my neck, still on the bed. They then asked me, with hope in their heart, "Does your kidney pain feel any better?"

"CONGRATULATIONS", I yelled, "YOU HAVE NOW CAUSED THE KINK IN MY NECK TO HURT MORE THAN MY KIDNEY!!!!!

LET ME DOWN!!!!!!!!!!"

They quickly let my legs down and asked if there was "anything else" they could do for me. I told them to





"...REMOVE ALL SHARP ITEMS FROM THE ROOM AND GET OUT OF REACH,





BECAUSE IF I GOT MY HANDS ON EITHER ONE OF YOU I WILL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!!!!!





SHUT THE DOOR, LEAVE ME ALONE,





BUT BE SURE TO CALL GRACE (my nurse friend) TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE WILL BE THERE WHEN DAD WAKES UP AT SEVEN!!!!!"

They seemed to have caught on to my pleas and threats, so they quickly left. All I remember from 3:30-8AM was me, alternating from screaming to crying and back.

F I N A L L Y the doctor arrived, with the x-ray in hand, he came into the room and said jovially, "Boy, you must have really had a tough go of it from the size of that stone!!!" I tried to raise my arms so that I could grab his tongue and turn him inside out, but I didn't have the strength. He then told me that he was going to put me in a semi-private room and give me the morphine. IT’S ABOUT TIME!

I woke up around Noon and, once I got acclimated and remembered where I was, and why I was there, I looked over at the other bed and saw a face that I recognized. "Fred", I said, "how are you doing?"

"HOW AM I DOING!?! I'm dead tired and got NO sleep at all last night...how is anybody in this hospital doing after being kept up all night by a woman delivering a baby. SHE WAS IN LABOR FOR HOURS! Didn’t you hear her!?!" "No, I didn't hear a thing. Boy, those drugs must really have worked well!"

"What’s even worse", he continued, "Is that she has to be the ‘ugliest woman on the planet!” "How do you know she was 'ugly" I said? "You should have heard how DEEP HER VOICE WAS! I wouldn’t be surprised if she had a beard. BUT the worst part of it is that she must have delivered the ‘ugliest baby in the world!!”

I couldn't for the life of me figure out what he was talking about and then it FINALLY HIT ME!



"Don't worry, Fred, I can guarantee you that an 'ugly baby' wasn't born last night."

"HOW DO YOU KNOW!?!" "Because I AM THAT UGLY WOMAN'!" and then I proceeded to tell him the whole story.

I KNOW that women are smarter than men (I know that I am in a whole lot of trouble with 50% of you readers, making this statement) and now I KNOW that this so-called "weaker" sex is also the STRONGER!

GOOD GOING LADIES!

Catalina Island Man

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN 62 YEARS

28. Thank those who do "day to day services", for you, i.e. drives you from the airport to your car, cleans up your table at a "buffet", opens the door for you, etc. This is also a good way to judge one's character by how they treat "service help".

29. Don’t look back over past mistakes with, "If only I had….!

"Trust me it will "eat your alive"! Simply learn from past mistakes, but don’t try to relive or keep hoping for a do-over?



30. Sometimes it is better to be guided by your heart and not your head. You be the judge of whether one is more appropriate than the other.

I hope that the heart wins out in most cases.

Catalina Island Man

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN 62 YEARS

25. Learn to listen to people, without having to give "advice". Most of us simply need to "talk" to someone and be heard, not judged, directed or have problems solved.













26. Don’t be afraid to talk to strangers. If someone looks like they need someone at that moment, be that "someone".








Don’t be surprised if you become good friends. After all, how do you think that you made the friends that you have now?









27. Always show appreciation for what others do for you, with a "Please" and "Thank You". It has a dual affect. It makes the person you are speaking to feel that you are acknowledging what they are doing and this gives them a feeling of "worth" and thus they will want to repeat the experience.







It also reinforces in you, by saying these words, how much we do depend on others and how much others do for us!

Catalina Island Man

My Gregory Harrison Story

Yesterday, a good friend, Gregory Harrison, left with his family back to Oregon. You probably recognize his name, and picture, from a number of television, movie, and Broadway performances (look him up on the "internet" to be reminded of his work!). Like me, he was born on the Island. He is younger than me and LOOKS IT!



http://www.gregoryharrison.com




I knew Gregory's father, mother, and his paternal grandmother. There are a lot of stories here and Gregory loves to tell them. His lovely wife is Randi Oakes, known for her work on the television show, "CHIPS", and his three beautiful daughters, one who is following in her parents' footsteps and is becoming an actress!


















http://www.goldensilents.com/stars/charlesbuddyrogers.html





My favorite story concerning Gregory goes back to 1987. The Catalina Island Museum (which I am a board member) was presenting its first "Silent Movie" (which is now done annually), with Gaylord Carter, one of the last original "Silent Movie" organists and the movie that was shown was the




















http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wings_(film)

1927 classic, "WINGS"
(the first movie to ever receive an "Academy Award"), with the star of the movie, Buddy Rogers (look for the upcoming "BLOGS" about Gaylord and Buddy). Gaylord and Buddy stayed in town rehearsing for the movie and concert to follow and I had the honor of escorting their primarily female entourages around the Island.




















When I told them that that evening, in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the naming of "Avalon" a our only incorporated city on the Island, Gregory was going to be the "Master Of Ceremonies" for the event, which was going to include dancing, there was MAJOR excitement in my 1979 VW van! I assured them that I would invited Gregory to our table, at the event, and the excitement grew even more!







As can ONLY happen on Catalina, just about then I saw Gregory, with his shirt off, running down the hill, entering Avalon from the "Interior" of the Island, in our direction. He looked GREAT with his shirt off and didn't have a bead of perspiration on his body, although it was a pretty warm afternoon. He and I exchanged "hi's" and we passed each other and the screams started in my vehicle, luckily not causing me to get distracted and run off the road, which would have meant, if you remember my "BLOG" about getting my driver's license, sure and complete death!






















That evening, after he had done his ceremonial work and had been interviewed by a member of the press (I seem to recall the "Los Angeles Times")I went up to him and reminded him that the "Carter/Rogers" table would LOVE to have him drop by at his convenience. As the consummate gentleman, he readily agreed.

Before we started over to the group, I had to tell him how "impressed" was with seeing him running down the hill, with his shirt off, and not a drop of perspiration on his body! He then said that he had a "confession" to make! "I was walking down the Summit Road", he said, "with my shirt on, when I saw the reflection of your van in the traffic mirror (see "BLOG" about the "COWS, MIRRORS, and BANANAS"). I knew who was in your van, so I quickly took off my shirt and started running. When you passed me and I could tell that you weren't able to see me any more, I put my shirt back on and kept walking!"







I BLESSED GREGORY FOR HIS HONESTY! Greg made me feel a little less inferior to him! By the way, he hasn't changed at all since then, as you can see in the picture. If we weren't such good friends, I would hate him!

Catalina Island Man

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN 62 YEARS

22. Don’t envy others! You don’t know where most people have come from in their lives and, let’s face it,




most of us try to put our best foot forward, which makes it difficult to know if what we really have or





who they really are is really worth envying.












23. Try to be more "real" and honest about yourself so that you don’t give others cause to envy or feel inferior to you.





Share more of our "commonality" and less of our "elitism".




24. March to the beat of your own "drummer", even if it means sometimes being in your own one-person parade.



Don’t follow the crowd simply for protection.
















Lead the crowd!

Catalina Island Man

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN 62 YEARS

19. Compliment people whenever possible.

Especially compliment people you don’t know and for doing things that most people take for granted:

sidewalk sweeping, weeding their garden, washing their car, having a nice smile, etc.

20. When you feel down, concentrate on others’ needs rather than your own.

You would be surprised how soon you forget about your own problems when you think about helping others.

21. No matter how bad things may seem we are still better off than the majority of the rest of the world. This may seem trite or difficult to internalize being as spoiled as we are.

We seem to think that we shouldn’t compare our situation with others, but it does show that humans can and do survive under much worse conditions than we will likely ever have to face.

Mirrors - Cows - Bananas Pt2

Cows, Mirrors, Bananas (the rest of the story)







Late in 1954, my father was driving around with the Manager of "United Airlines" to the airport. "Orv (my father's name was Orval), as you probably know, today’s will be the last trip of "United Airlines" and my last day as Airline Manager. Before I leave, I have to make a confession! Pete and I didn't get along very well and I was happy to see him have to go out of his way keeping the mirrors cleaned every day. Then he came up with the metal grid mirror barricades and I was disappointed that he had solved his time consuming problem.

I then came up with my devious plan. Thirty minutes before he made his first trip along the road, as I was heading up to the Airport, I would enjoy a banana and then take the banana peel and would rub it behind the steel protection grids

on every single mirror along the Stage Coach Road all the way up to the Summit. Pete Peterson would then have to follow me, never knowing what I was doing, and clean everyone of those mirrors." (NEVER MAKE ENEMIES ON A SMALL ISLAND!) Pete never figured it out and it drove him nearly crazy to think that the cows had found a way to defeat his mirror covering grid by sticking their tongues around the side and

underneath the grid, much less, every single mirror on the Stage Coach Rd...every single day of the week.......

(he literally "flipped out" over it).

As life would have it, my father kept this secret and later, in the 1960s, told only me about this conversation. And…all of this slipped silently into the recesses of time and memory, until…

Around 1980, on behalf of the Avalon Museum Society I was conducting an 8-hour audio taped interview of Johnnie Windle, my historian mentor and friend. Toward the end of the interview, when he was sharing information about his family members, we got to his younger son, Ernie, who had died some years before. He asked me to turn off the recorder, which I, of course, did immediately! I told him that I totally understood how hard it was to talk about his son, but he quickly corrected me and assured me that I was wrong about this concern. Actually, he didn't want any recording of a "Top Secret story" that he was about to tell me.

Now, off the record, Johnnie began his story. "My son, Ernie, used to work for "United Airlines", when they flew out of the "Airport-In-The-Sky". One of his "duties", not in his "job description", was dictated by the Airline Manager. Ernie, on his way up the Airport everyday, was directed to...". At this moment, I couldn't control myself, and disrespectfully interrupted him, "...”Take a banana peel and smear all of the mirrors!!!"

Johnny looked at me in horror! "NOBODY BUT ME KNOWS THAT STORY!!!!!"

"Johnny, I hate to tell you this, but Dad told me the story a number of years ago, so you, Dad, and I know the prank pulled on Pete Peterson!!!" The "United Airlines" Manager, Ernie, Dad, and Johnny are no longer around, but now YOU know the secret story of the Bananas…Mirrors and Cows!

I hope you will all help me keep this story a secret! Aw, what the heck, pass it around, it’s all part of Catalina's folklore now!!

Mirrors - Cows - Bananas Pt1

One of my father's (Orval Liddell) first jobs, after he became Mr. Philip Knight Wrigley's (He was the son of the chewing gum mogul, William Wrigley, Jr., and he liked to be called "P. K." - remember the "P.K. Gum"?) Chief Engineer in 1945,

was to open up the "Airport-In-The-Sky". Although the airport was being constructed in 1940, the outbreak of W. W. II caused all work to cease. In fact, machinery and wood was placed on the runway to purposely make it inaccessible by planes. Rumor had it that the Japanese Air Force, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, were planning to fly to Catalina, take over the Island, and use it as a military base to stage bombings on the oil refineries in Long Beach, San Pedro, Wilmington, and Richmond, California. For this reason, the United State Department Of War took over the Island and concentrated on making it impossible for the Japanese to use Catalina and do any damage to the oil refineries on the mainland (the oil refineries were being used to supply fuel to the Allied Air Force and, of course, any depletion in the oil availability to the residence of California would have brought the West Coast to a disastrous halt!!!). As soon as the airport was made available, "United Airlines" flew DC-3s

to Catalina from 1946-54.

Cattle were being raised on the Island at the time and pretty much had run of the entire Island. Their presence didn't cause any hardships, except by those bovine who liked to walk the "Stage Coach" road, which was the only road linking the Avalon to "Two Harbors". The road was built in the late 1890's by the Banning Brothers, who owned the Island prior to the Wrigleys and, by the name, it was obviously used by two six-horse stage coaches. Motorized vehicles, especially tour buses, took over from the horses when the Wrigley family took over the Island in 1919. As there were so fewer cars then, the buses were the primarily users of the road.

So that there wouldn't be any "head on" collisions on the narrow road, with the "hairpin" turns, rectangular glass mirrors, with wooden frames, were places at strategic locations so that the vehicles could spot oncoming traffic, before it was TOO LATE!

The cattle, walking this road, would see the mirrors and think that they were greeting other cows. Being in a "friendly" mood, the cows would lick their reflections, assuming they were "fellow" cows, and leave "cow slobber", which made it impossible for the buses, and other vehicles, to check out their fellow travels, coming around the corner.
Realizing the potential for "disaster", Pete Peterson, the head bus driver, would drive up 30 minutes before the first tour to clean off all of the mirrors. After a while, he got tired of this, and decided to invent a thick metal grid, like chicken wire, enclosure over the mirror, with only the sides open. The mesh was large enough for vehicles to see the oncoming images, but too small for a cow to stick its tongue through. This clever solution worked for a couple of months when, suddenly one morning, all of the mirrors were found to have been "licked". Frustratingly, no damage had been done to the steel grid contraption! Pete simply couldn't understand "HOW" a cow could look straight ahead into the mirrors, spy his "friend", and then maneuver his tongue around the side behind the mesh to lick the mirrors! Now, again, he had to make the earlier trip throughout the tour path and put his cleaning material behind the grid barricades and clean every mirror.

This was driving him CRAZY!

When he retired, he nearly left the Island in a straitjacket!

(More to follow in Part 2)