Catcher In the (it's a small world) Rye

Don't know why, but J.D.Salinger's book appealed to a young adult male Brit in early & mid-sixties London. My mother had told me about its notoriety in the U.S. but didn't tell me anything about it.
of course, talking about it with friends, I learnt that it was "shocking" because it featured a young teenage boy using the 'F' word... however, that was lost on us -  as our British edition was censored; must not corrupt young minds... I mean, everyone knows how chaste & unsullied teenage boys are.
In the next few years, I read the rest of Salinger's, albeit limited, published output. I carried the paperbacks everywhere with me, and re-read them many times.

Well, last month, PBS had a  special on him and the story regarding his relationship with Joyce Maynard. I did know about the affair and her subsequent silence about him... then her sudden writing about the relationship. (I think that this is all about to be covered in a forthcoming film as well.)
The program was very interesting and prompted me to re-read his books again. I had one in my hand this week when I went to a doctor's appointment at our main hospital. My doctor saw Salinger's book and asked me if I knew about his relationship with Ms. Maynard. I said, yes, and told about the recent PBS show, whereupon my doctor revealed that she knew Maynard, indeed, grew up with her. They are both from the same small New England town; even went to school together.
Present circumstances means that their relationship is one of shared emails nowadays, not visits, but nonetheless, they had a childhood in common.

It never fails to amaze me how  simple little things in our everyday being turn out to have links to some new acquaintance or friend. Life is indeed full of serendipity.

st.patricks's day

never fully understood the north American craze for extravagant St. Paddy's day celebrations... except to say, if you are young;  nothing like a non-weekend excuse for drinking. It  seems fairly supportable I would warrant !
as for all the other greenery we used to string around the office, it was definitely just another case of consumer exploitation. certainly, growing up in London in the '60's it was not acknowledged in every drinking establishment... save the Irish pubs !! yes, we did make a special pilgrimage to them on march 17th.. I recall one particular pub in Kilburn at the end of Mart's street that was wild.
(But then that pub was wild every Saturday night, too..)
I could not face putting green dye in my 12 yr old Johnny Walker now, so I guess I will give it a miss this year too.

story of a new life

march 15, 2014

44 years ago to day I arrived in Toronto at the old Malton airport.  Immigrating with two friends - who were already here,  Paul was illegally stopped in his bright red Lotus Plus 2.
He came running into the terminal looking for me.
It was a crazy start to a crazy few years... with many memorable moments.

I loved Toronto in the early seventies. My friends did not settle down as eagerly. They left in 1974 for a decade of wandering. I pretty much settled down by 1973.
I was definitely a Canadian at heart.  Remained so for the rest of my life.... but never gave up also being a Brit at heart and an absentee American.

Thank you Canada - especially Ontario & Nova Scotia... and 33 million people.
... and Kingsbury and Oxford... and St. Petersburg , New York, I-75 & I-95...
... a million other highways.