At what point does it become American History
fiction
edward w pritchard
At what point do all the injustices and atrocities of the past become American History?
Start with Columbus throughout the Caribbean. Him and sailors did a lot of bad stuff to the Arawak Indians and related tribes. It's close to be labeled as genocide. Does blame for that accrue to us because we happen to live in modern America?
Jump forward to slavery for several hundred years and then reconstruction. How can people act that way?
What are we doing or tolerating now that could be judged an injustice or atrocity.
Probably better to think about other things.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
a second start in a brief life
a second start in a brief life
fiction
edward w pritchard
"If I had the wings of an angel over these prison walls I would fly" [1] so originally said the Anasazi Indians one day in the thirteenth century as they left their home at Mesa Verde and the four corners region and disappeared, without fanfare or as far as we know without regret. They left some small valuable black pots, a few dried out mummies and one hand made pair of wooden crutches in the
small clusters of pit houses they once lived in . But they didn't fly they walked and disappeared into the future to become "the ancient ones" to the Navajo Indians who told stories about them sometimes calling them the"enemy ancestors".
No one knows why they left. Scientists speculate-no water, secret enemies, mass ennui.
Start walking and don't look back.
[1]copyrighted Vernon Dalhert 1924 {also sung by the Bowery Boys} in one of their movies.
fiction
edward w pritchard
"If I had the wings of an angel over these prison walls I would fly" [1] so originally said the Anasazi Indians one day in the thirteenth century as they left their home at Mesa Verde and the four corners region and disappeared, without fanfare or as far as we know without regret. They left some small valuable black pots, a few dried out mummies and one hand made pair of wooden crutches in the
small clusters of pit houses they once lived in . But they didn't fly they walked and disappeared into the future to become "the ancient ones" to the Navajo Indians who told stories about them sometimes calling them the"enemy ancestors".
No one knows why they left. Scientists speculate-no water, secret enemies, mass ennui.
Start walking and don't look back.
[1]copyrighted Vernon Dalhert 1924 {also sung by the Bowery Boys} in one of their movies.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
a start in life
a start in life
fiction
edward w pritchard
Out of college, freshly graduated after six years with a history degree I spent the next nine years
selling life insurance. It was quite the ordeal because I didn't have the proper love of money that was the first requirement for success in the job. Net net I am not sure if I broke even in that endeavor.
How I wished I could be like old Ben Feldman of New York life. Working in the small town of East Liverpool, Ohio old Ben, the most successful life insurance salesman ever once sold 20 million dollars worth of life insurance in one day. Never a week went by when I was an insurance agent that I would not have lunch with a fellow agent who wasn't a close and personal friend with old Ben Feldman.
Doing a bit of historical research on New York life the top rated leading mutual insurance company today and a good philanthropic corporate citizen I came to find out that they got their start in business back in 1845 placing life insurance on slaves down Charleston SC way. For three years 1845 premiums on slaves financed the start of of a mega powerhouse of an American financial company.
It's undisputed that today New York life is a good corporate citizen and a fine place to work.Still like most success stories in business the Devil had a hand in their getting started in life.
And old Ben Feldman-what would he say on the matter? "No time to talk or judge I got ten prospects to see before lunch."
fiction
edward w pritchard
Out of college, freshly graduated after six years with a history degree I spent the next nine years
selling life insurance. It was quite the ordeal because I didn't have the proper love of money that was the first requirement for success in the job. Net net I am not sure if I broke even in that endeavor.
How I wished I could be like old Ben Feldman of New York life. Working in the small town of East Liverpool, Ohio old Ben, the most successful life insurance salesman ever once sold 20 million dollars worth of life insurance in one day. Never a week went by when I was an insurance agent that I would not have lunch with a fellow agent who wasn't a close and personal friend with old Ben Feldman.
Doing a bit of historical research on New York life the top rated leading mutual insurance company today and a good philanthropic corporate citizen I came to find out that they got their start in business back in 1845 placing life insurance on slaves down Charleston SC way. For three years 1845 premiums on slaves financed the start of of a mega powerhouse of an American financial company.
It's undisputed that today New York life is a good corporate citizen and a fine place to work.Still like most success stories in business the Devil had a hand in their getting started in life.
And old Ben Feldman-what would he say on the matter? "No time to talk or judge I got ten prospects to see before lunch."
Friday, March 29, 2019
five minutes from freedom
five minutes from freedom
fiction
edward w pritchard
Usually a hazy swirl surrounds our recollections of the past. But to this day I can vividly remember the slave auction house there on tenth street in Wheeling Wv one rainy Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock in the afternoon back in 1859. My Mother's great-grand Mother rode in a wagon by the large auction house building as a little girl and her Mother ordered her to close her eyes so she couldn't see
the chained slaves waiting to be taken to be sold.
Of course my Mother's relatives were too poor to own slaves but by circumstances they found themselves in a slave owning country.
To this day I recall my Mother's great grandmother thinking as she peeked at the chained slaves back in 1859 that they were only five minutes from freedom. Up over the roof of the slave auction building on tenth street in Wheeling Wv and ten miles North across the River to Martin's Ferry Ohio and a colored person could be free.
fiction
edward w pritchard
Usually a hazy swirl surrounds our recollections of the past. But to this day I can vividly remember the slave auction house there on tenth street in Wheeling Wv one rainy Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock in the afternoon back in 1859. My Mother's great-grand Mother rode in a wagon by the large auction house building as a little girl and her Mother ordered her to close her eyes so she couldn't see
the chained slaves waiting to be taken to be sold.
Of course my Mother's relatives were too poor to own slaves but by circumstances they found themselves in a slave owning country.
To this day I recall my Mother's great grandmother thinking as she peeked at the chained slaves back in 1859 that they were only five minutes from freedom. Up over the roof of the slave auction building on tenth street in Wheeling Wv and ten miles North across the River to Martin's Ferry Ohio and a colored person could be free.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
fro and yon up and down the Appalachian trail
fro and yon up can down the Appalachian trail
fiction
edward w pritchard
Back then the Cherokee Indians used the mountain trails originally made by animals to travel fro and yon up and down what we call in part the Appalachian trail. Sometimes it was for hunting, gathering or legitimate tribe business but sometimes the chief or Father in law had to sit a brave down
and talk to him about the romance of movement.
As I wrote elsewhere sometimes I walked and trudged the Appalachian trail each Spring and sometimes I just cruised along the adjoining roads in a big old white 8 cylinder Lexus with heated seats that only ran on super premium gas.
This year how I wish the Amtrac had a few sleeper train journeys from here to where North Carolina
meets Cherokee territory down in the Mountains.
fiction
edward w pritchard
Back then the Cherokee Indians used the mountain trails originally made by animals to travel fro and yon up and down what we call in part the Appalachian trail. Sometimes it was for hunting, gathering or legitimate tribe business but sometimes the chief or Father in law had to sit a brave down
and talk to him about the romance of movement.
As I wrote elsewhere sometimes I walked and trudged the Appalachian trail each Spring and sometimes I just cruised along the adjoining roads in a big old white 8 cylinder Lexus with heated seats that only ran on super premium gas.
This year how I wish the Amtrac had a few sleeper train journeys from here to where North Carolina
meets Cherokee territory down in the Mountains.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
ambient rain and thunder in space
ambient rain and thunder in space
fiction
edward w pritchard
and the background sir
please computer
ambient rain and thunder in space
bright Moon 67% at the gibbous
east facing window
curtains half opened window cracked
twin bed
four blankets
hotel room in summer
room is vactioners down and out for access with space for car to park in front of door
and your companion sir
Julie tonight
me 18
her 33
setting sir
I have just won $345 in a poker game
computer
yes sir
How old would she be if she were alive not here in the spaceship but back on earth?
I compute the barmaid would be 124 and 7 months old
anything else
add some music
you pick the type
fiction
edward w pritchard
and the background sir
please computer
ambient rain and thunder in space
bright Moon 67% at the gibbous
east facing window
curtains half opened window cracked
twin bed
four blankets
hotel room in summer
room is vactioners down and out for access with space for car to park in front of door
and your companion sir
Julie tonight
me 18
her 33
setting sir
I have just won $345 in a poker game
computer
yes sir
How old would she be if she were alive not here in the spaceship but back on earth?
I compute the barmaid would be 124 and 7 months old
anything else
add some music
you pick the type
Monday, March 25, 2019
2 am and time to think about the Moon again
2 am and time to think about the Moon again
fiction
edward w pritchard
It's 2 am and time to think about the Moon again. It definitely looks half full to me. We must be getting more optimistic as in the half full or half empty litmus test.
Tonight would be a good night to travel by moonlight if we were Comanches stalking our predators
or running from soldiers.
Technically using the Internet the moon is at the half Gibbous phase at 67% as viewed exactly from where I stand. It's simply a matter of perspective.
I am not going anywhere tonight but can I get there by Moonlight?
fiction
edward w pritchard
It's 2 am and time to think about the Moon again. It definitely looks half full to me. We must be getting more optimistic as in the half full or half empty litmus test.
Tonight would be a good night to travel by moonlight if we were Comanches stalking our predators
or running from soldiers.
Technically using the Internet the moon is at the half Gibbous phase at 67% as viewed exactly from where I stand. It's simply a matter of perspective.
I am not going anywhere tonight but can I get there by Moonlight?
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