1.
One of the things that Neal frequently repeated, was to try to find
something good to say about anyone. If you can't say anything good, be
quiet. He has lived up to that much more than I was able to, but I try.
I don't expect that you would find much negative that he said about
anyone. I also try to keep from making public pronouncements too much,
because I continue to feel strongly that impersonal communications tend
to create burdens in many ways.
At the same time I also feel strongly that false impressions provided by
those who manipulate public communications with ease and forceful
persuasiveness, need to be protested by anyone who knows differently. At
least attempts to set the record straight should also be made.
I am willing; I welcome opportunities to relate what I recall from my
actual experiences. If you have specific questions about things that I
experienced, I will try to offer my recollections about them. Fireside
chats sound like fun and valuable pasttimes.
Another thing that I keep in mind is that many people, the silent
majority (I detest assigning negative labels such as "lurkers", even if
maybe they have a positive value, and labels are not that important
anyway. I also detested "hippies" or "dope" when they first appeared on
the scene, as putdowns that weren't necessarily pproviding accurate
images, but that is not as important as I thought either), anyway many
folks may not be interested in lengthy tales, and I don't think I am
able to reduce things to soundbite abbreviations. As you may notice
already, I tend to ramble on.
I am also thinking about putting a journal of memories, as they may
randomly accur, on a webpage. Actually I am getting one started. I
thought I might just add memories as I go along. Maybe that could
provide another person's personal reference resource. This way anyone
could check out whatever they wanted, or ask for personal testimony
about particular things, and those who are not interested would not be
burdened. Leon's testimonials from dimming memories, for anyone who
wants to check something out maybe I could provide an index.
I hope I clarified myself somewhat, and especially that I have not
discouraged you from asking about specific recollections that I may
have.
Those were interesting times though, that's for sure. So are these days
also.
2.
Neal mentioned a couple of times the interesting coincidence
that we both came from opposite sides in more ways than just our names,
yet had missing perspectives to add to our lives.
I was a psychologist doing research on a program called "Intensive
Treatment" at San Quentin and he was doing time there for having
procured three joints for a narc. We got to be very good friends and
when he was ready to go home he asked me for help to keep Carolyn from
leaving for Scotland. I talked to Carolyn and she said that Neal had
written to her a lot about me, and that she would stay if I promised to
stay in touch and to help if needed. I was fired from my job because I
visited the family. There was (is?) a rule that forbids prison employees
from associating with ex-convicts and their families, unless their job
requires it. It took me two years to win the case. By that time we were
all good friends and when I took a job at the Community Mental Health
Services in San Jose, near Los Gatos, they asked me to move in with
them.
