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4/23/2021 $$PLAIN_TEXT_PREVIEW$$
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Hello, Thanks for all who responded to last week’s download! You are beautiful. If you missed it, or are new, there is an archive. This download is basically a process to force myself to tell a story each week and I am excited to see where it leads... Thanks for aiding in my development as an artist, it means the world to me!
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Meet my friend Cuauhtemoc Salinas Martell, MSW, who I met at my day job. He has been accepted into the Educational Leadership for Social Justice (Ed.D.) program at Loyola Marymount.
As a DACA recipient, first generation and low income student, he needs help paying for this opportunity. Please read his story on gofundme and donate! It is sad that in the USA this is what people have to do to fund their education, we need to cancel student debt and invest in our future! |
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This is Ted Williams. Not that Ted Williams… Although during a visit to my Uncle Randy’s in the late 80s, two baseball-crazed-kids stormed over with their gloves after his daughter mentioned that her "Grandpa Ted" was visiting. "You're grandpa is Ted Williams"? “Yes, he is standing right over there!” He signed them without a word, after-all, he is Ted Williams… I am sure Baseball Ted is great an all, but I think those kids got a better autograph. I may be biased, Ted is my Grandfather. Here is Ted’s life condensed by decade… Age 0, born June 30th 1925, in Detroit. The first of seven children from Ed and Agnes, both adoptees from England who had immigrated to Toronto, CAN before settling in Detroit, MI, USA.
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Age 10, 1935, at the height of the Great Depression he spends summers in Brantford Ontario, with his brother Fred, running chores for their grandmother including driving her truck to the store, unattended!
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Age 20, 1945, He is a WWII Veteran. During the war he is a P.O.W. and spends nine months in a Nazi prison camp. One morning, he wakes up to find the camp vacant of guards who fled upon hearing the ominous rumbling of Russian tanks. His homecoming is bittersweet. He marries his highschool sweetheart, Catherine (who everyone calls “Sis”). He also learns his father, Ed has been crushed to death by a steam-shovel while working for Jerry McCarthy. McCarthy is a Chevy dealer, Ed was his right hand man. McCarthy remains a benefactor to the family after Ed’s death, and paves the way for the Williams to enter the burgeoning middle class.
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Age 30, in 1955, Ted has four children and is living in Allen Park, MI, working as a car salesman/manager. It is a time of such strong sales that salesman on the floor happily share their sales with other salesman who were out golfing, on the clock, knowing the next day was their turn to golf.
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Age 40, in 1965, Ted has eight children, the youngest, my dad Steve is three years old. Ted is now general manager and is frequently awarded trips for high sales, visiting places like Bermuda & Barbados, he and Sis enjoy many adventures.
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Age 50, in 1975, Ted is the general manager at Dick Genthe Chevrolet. He is able to give his kids summer jobs at the dealership and takes his family on many wonderful vacations: National Parks, Boston, Florida, Colorado, and all points in between.
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Age 60, in 1985, Ted and Sis are looking forward to retirement in a few
years. In May of 1989, Sis checks herself into a hospital because of stomach pains. My father Steven visits her, during his lunch break. As he is walking down the hall towards her door, he sees a great commotion. A nurse asks who he is. He tells her and she asks him to wait in another room. He peeks in the room and sees that his mother is being resuscitated. Minutes later Steve is informed his mother, has died from an aortic aneurysm. He calls his father, Ted, at Genthes and gets the operator who says Ted is out. Steve knows why. Ted had just visited Sis and is likely on his way back to the dealership. “Do you want to leave a message?” Steve stays and waits for his father. When Ted arrives they pay their last respects to their wife and mother.
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Age 70, in 1995, Ted is retired and remarried to Beverly, who had also lost her spouse. They host my first birthday at his condo, in Riverview. Ted does what he was always doing… Plays golf and shows great care for his friends and endlessly growing family.
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Age 80, in 2005, Ted and Bev make pilgrimage to Tarpon Springs, FL. Where he, you guessed it, plays golf and enjoys visiting and visits from his now enormous family. He kisses everyone he loves on the lips with his prickly mustache.
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Age 90, in 2015, Ted and Bev are still in Florida, still on the golf course and taking it easy, Ted sneaks a cigarette every now and then.
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On June 22, 2020, Ted dies, surrounded by his children, after being transported back to Michigan from Florida, there is no real “cause of death”, he is just spent from living a full and inspiring life.
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Whenever I think about my Grandfather Ted, I think about hard work, dignity, taking care of others and how “they don’t make them like they used to…” I drive a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, it is one of the worst cars ever made
it breaks down all the time, but I can’t complain I got it for free! Luckily I know a great mechanic, Majed, of A2 Auto.
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Majed is the man. He brought his family over from Palestine, started a business, and works tirelessly fixing cars, smoking cigarettes and employs all sorts of people. He is known around my neighborhood for helping anyone who asks with a smile and a fist bump.
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Whenever I see Majed, which is often, he reminds me I should clean my car. As you can see it really needs it, I think something is growing in there!
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Luckily I know a guy for that too. Mustafa from Ready2Go.
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Now, with the car cleaned out, I think I will take a drive
along the Huron River with my lady and focus on enjoying every moment,
it is what Ted would do!
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