Being labelled “Black Friday” seems like a dubious honor, but that’s what we call the day after Thanksgiving. I think it means that anyone with the temerity to risk a trip to the mall today will get a black eye. Throngs of insatiable buyers hit the store, coupon in hand, to get the wider-than-wide TV or gaming device or whatever is the new toy everyone is talking about. A few years ago, Black Friday began to encroach on Thanksgiving Day, something that was seen like opening the pubs on Sunday in Ireland back in the day. The result is that overfed, irritable people pull an “all-nighter” on Thursday, either to take advantage of an early opening or to be one of the first in line for the bull rush. After all, there are only so many color TVs on sale; get here early or go home. So the doors open and mayhem ensues as the crazies run to the previously scouted location; the exact spot where the dream TV awaits. But lo and behold, several enemies have outpaced our shopper on the run and now the TV, in true Darwinian fashion, must be wrestled from the weakest opponent. This TV is mine baby and you will die if you stand in my way. Ok, so the scenario is slightly, only slightly embellished. Keep the faith in your brothers though; I have never seen any of them in the line at Best Buy. I swear!
Yesterday was pretty terrific. A very gentle rain fell on the fire area; not the inch that was expected. An inch of rain on bare hillsides would have started mud flows and we would be back on the news. The bad news is the drought continues. In LA, we’ve had approximately a half inch of rain since April. Not good!
Yesterday also was remarkable in that I got an email from Charles Conway. Charles is one of the most relational people I’ve ever met, a friend to all and a sanguine spirit if ever there was one. He was my “formator” when I was newly professed, a title we didn’t have back in 1967. We called him “Cha” back then, not Charles the Formator. As someone who liked to stay busy, I often volunteered in the kitchen in Pilltown (our school) and occasionally I would “borrow” one of the cook’s cigarettes. I guess Cha must have smelled it and I fondly recall his form of punishment: “For God’s sake man, always hide if you are going to smoke.” It seemed like sage advice to the 17-year old Tom. Otherwise, he introduced us to the topic of speech and dabate and my maiden speech was “Out of Vietnam Now.” Someone eventually listened. He also introduced drama, with the boys cross dressing for the female roles. The vision of Sean Conway in a dress might be upsetting to you now, but it was he who put the “T” after LGB. He didn’t look bad in it either. But Charles crowning glory was that he actually came up with the brilliant idea that fledgling brothers should be treated like people; a novel concept indeed. I am forever grateful to Cha for restoring my lost confidence back then and giving me the space to search for and find my lost identity. His email yesterday was, I am sure, one of his first ever and it made my day even better. Simple gestures go a long way!