Beginnings 1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- In early March, 2022, Carol drove us to St. Louis where I shot this video at four locations that were significant in my childhood, which as you will see was not a usual one. While I lived in a house with four adults, I was not close to any of them. I invented myself in solitude. I did not enjoy being a child. I have mostly enjoyed being an adult.
I have mixed feelings about this video. This was only the second time I have returned to St. Louis since I graduated from college in 1963. The first was in 1994. Shortly after Carol and I were married we drove through St. Louis on our way from her parent's house in Plano, Texas to Boston. Although it had been more than thirty years, I was uneasy there and we stopped only for a couple of minutes in Kirkwood, the suburb in which I grew up, went into the city and up the Gateway Arch and drove on. Another twenty-seven years have made the place more distant and endurable.
A correction: Saint Louis was Louis IX of France, not Louis X. He did die in Tunis.
Here is the poem about my father's suicide.
a driver’s license
a set of keys
some small coins, green with age
the police gave her
what they took from his pockets
a broken body
in mid air
falling
broken
before the fall
he was her only son
he was my only father
she never spoke of him
but when she died
herself
of cancer
thirty-three years later
I found them
in her dresser drawer
a driver’s license
a set of keys
and some small coins, green with age
1982
A beautiful story. Thank you for sharing.
Most of my favorite childhood memories involved wandering East Texas with my Uncle, towing a boat and drowning minnows in Lake Sam Rayburn. Father detached around age 3 but I had a wonderful stepfather who was my Dad. Who knows why we chose the path we chose. I imagine you had sailors on multiple branches of your tree, may generations ago.
Thank you Webb, I appreciate the narrations of your life and astounding sailing accomplishments. I've read two of your books and have been inspired by your achievements, especially your approach, mentally, physically and spiritually.
Interesting , we often don't realise it , our thoughts beliefs and habits from very early age before 12yrs say live with us unknowingly throughout our lives , thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you sir.
👍 thanks for sharing
Thank you.
Good to hear from you. I am relieved to know that you are ok
In watching this again, I notice that I said Irving and Exy Johnson had paid amateur crew on their circumnavigations. That should have been paying amateur crew.
This happened to come up when I went to TH-cam and I rewatched it and want to make another correction. I say that I have always thought of myself as more of a writer than a sailor. I have come to accept that is not true. The three essential parts of my life: wind, words, women, which became singular when I met Carol twenty-nine years ago, are equal.
In this I say that Irving Johnson sailed the YANKEE around the world with a paid crew. I misspoke, They sailed with a crew that paid to be part of the voyage.
Webb, you had a sad childhood. Bonnie
I don’t know about sad. Formative.