Night of the Moth!

Reflections and Observations -- A Bright Passage from the Fantasies of Youth 

to Illuminations of Advanced Maturity!

This Episode:              Night of the Moth!!

You probably know how it is with GeezerHood, particularly if you, yourself are a Geezer.  We tend to recall "Great Stories and Great Events" in our lives, especially when asked to relate such memorable stories or events to our children, grandchildren, other fascinated parties...  meaning anyone who might foolishly ask for a re-recitation.  It's sort of like a great novel being read by someone with a sonorous voice via public radio...  rapturous, mesmerizing!  (Or maybe not!)

A number of years ago, SweetHeart and I, along with our, then, only offspring, rented a cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan, near Cedar Grove, Wisconsin.  We routinely invited SweetHeart's brother and his wife, Boobers and Patsy, to join us.  They were best friends of ours, in addition to being beloved relatives.  

On a memorable early morning on one of those glorious summer days at the cottage, probably about 2:00AM, Boobers and I had consumed a great deal of beer and other spirited potables.  We were in the rubber round of a cribbage match, laughing and belching and telling each other lies and other "true adventures."  

Boobers flicked a cigarette out the screen door.  As he did so, an enormous moth flew into the kitchen area of the compact cottage.  We watched the moth flit about irritatingly, disrupting our keen, if admittedly drunken concentration.  Booby stumbled about, his hand with fingers outstretched, trying to capture the pesky moth.  He, Boobers, became a knight errant, as if fully armored with broadsword and bludgeon at the ready.  Eventually he

succeeded in capturing the moth.  

He cradled the still living winged creature in his hand, stomped boldly with a great sense of purpose while staggering into the bathroom, and thrust the offensive prey into the toilet, flushing simultaneously.  He walked back to the table and our cribbage game, a triumphant scowl on his face!  "It's done for," he announced, confidently!

But then, the moth reappeared.  It had obviously escaped the crazy, dizzying vortex of the flushing toilet, crawled up the bowl and took once again to the air.  "Damn," we both shouted in disbelief.  "How in the hell did that thing get out of the toilet?!" Booby re-captured the moth, this time a bit more roughly and threw it with great force into the toilet, flushing once again as he did so.  "That'll show 'em," he said.

Boobers stayed in the bathroom, just to be sure.  As the moth escaped the whirlpool and began crawling up the porcelain, out of the bowl, Booby used his beer and whisky-laden breath to force the moth into the vortex, flushing and blowing at the thing, like a mighty wind, and glowering at the seemingly indestructible "beast." The moth appeared to be a goner

It wasn't.  It was soon flitting about the room.  It seemed almost to have a triumphant and haughty look upon its mothy face!  Another capture ensued.  More thrusting, flushing and blowing.  Repeated escapes!  Nothing worked.


At this point, our uproarious laughter woke our respective spouses, SweetHeart and Patsy.  "What are you two lunatics doing?" one of them asked in a sleepy and rather irritated voice.  We related our adventure with the moth, pointing out the pesky creature as it flew jerkily around the kitchen, circling the overhead light!  Booby captured the moth yet again.  He had a look of murder in his eyes.  "Wait a minute," said Patsy, "Let it live...  If we can believe your ridiculous tale, the thing deserves to live after all you put it through."

Two more thumbs flew upward -- spectators at a Roman coliseum -- affirming the "winged gladiator's" right to life, after having endured so many indignities and near-death experiences!  

"Oh, alright," said Boobers, resignedly.  He opened the screen door and thrust it out.  Another moth flew in!   

Humbly Submitted, March 4, 2020! -- Joel K.    

Great Adventures in Literature -- Writing, Publishing and Promoting a Book!

Memoirs of a Geezer!

Reflections and Observations -- A Bright Passage from the Fantasies of Youth 

to Illuminations of Advanced Maturity!

This Episode:        What an Adventure!  Writing, Publishing...  
                                A Long, Rutted Road, an Exciting Journey into Literature!

I believe it began in 2008...  or thereabouts!  (When does Geezerhood actually begin?  Does *AAARPFGP make the rule, set the standard?)  In any case, I was certainly in the grasp when it began. The process of writing a book-length work of non-fiction has been and continues to be a great adventure, a humbling and, at times, arduous task.  Maybe even a kind of love affair, or perhaps merely an obsession! 
  
The photo at left is a kind
of professorial pose struck
by an author who is also
the Perpetrator of this Blog!

My wife, Sweetheart, and I, together with my wonderful and generous sister, Karen -- she who took the lead role, and who sadly died just this past year -- accepted the duty of providing hospice care for my aging father -- he who was suffering from two forms of cancer, and rampant dementia, a condition that heightens the challenge considerably.  As with other caregiving activities before and after my father's, it was extraordinary, intimate and a bit daunting as well.

Somehow, I knew I had to write about the experience.  My father's hospice period lasted a remarkable 19 months, so lengthy a time we had to have him re-certified for hospice care not once but twice!  It often seemed he simply refused to exit!  Cancer of the liver finally claimed his life in February of 1996 (twenty years ago this month!).  We had other challenges to face -- additional caregiving, my own personal demons and the necessity to earn a living intervened -- until finally I was able to begin the writing process, whenever time and discipline allowed.  

The result:   And Good Night to All the Beautiful Young Women:  A Tale of "Episodic Dementia" -- The Parent Becomes the Child...  It's not a bad book, my dears, or so I've been told!  In fact -- false modesty aside -- we're reliably told it's quite good!  And funny too, owing in large measure to my father's comedic personality!   

Since its publication, Sweetheart and I have engaged in what our literary advisors urged, 

encouraged and term, "shameless self-promotion."  I / we have used facebook, word of mouth, Email, press releases, a television appearance on WTMJ-TV's The Morning Blend, an "Author Event" (presentation of the "backstory," chapter descriptions, a reading, Q&A session and book signing!), consignment sales and other methods and media.  It has truly been a grand adventure...    so far...

We anticipated some 32 bodies at the "Author Event" held at Boswell Books on Downer Avenue in Milwaukee.  More than 70 actually attended!  We deemed it highly successful and

The anticipated "throng" of 32 or so
eventually turned into more than 70
attendees at the "Author Event"!

gratifying, especially given the time and effort devoted to the entire process of writing, editing, deciding on the publication method and subsequent promotion.  At this juncture, I must pay tribute and extend enormous gratitude to two phenomenal editors, Kurt C. and Sweetheart too, of course, both of whom kept things heading in the right direction!... Wonderful, thoughtful and endlessly bright and patient editors!  Giant thanks to my good friend, Larry L., as well, who has been a source of great inspiration, at times lending his literary brilliance to the project.

I also extend thanks to all of those wonderful people who wrote and posted reviews on Amazon

and Barnes & Noble, the two commercial "bookseller" web sites on which the book is available for purchase.  In particular, I thank Donna P. and Peg R., both of whom offered great support and encouragement and marvelous reviews, not to mention the dual gems of their love and friendship.  The list should also include brother, Kris, as well, for his most welcome support and encouragement.  He is one of my favorite people, favorite brother, too!  And Jaynie, of course.  I thank her most sincerely for her love and constant support.  And, oh yes, my beautiful cousins whose places of residence include nearly every region of the country.  They really are beautiful cousins, smart and talented too!

Finally (in the spirit of the Academy Awards) I wish to thank my publicist, producers, hair stylist, costume designer and everyone in Boise, Idaho.  Oh yeah!  My agent...  I love ya, Baby! 
   
So now what?  We've been talking about "book tours," and agonizing a bit, well, quite a lot to be truthful, over the probable or improbable efficacy of such an undertaking.  We've tentatively targeted Dallas, New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York -- or somewhere on the East Coast -- or possibly Florida, other key markets.  I don't know??!!  Affordability is a major factor... We'll give it more thought, lots more thought!  

And what about foreign markets?  I mean, Chinese people have aging parents, don't they?!...  or are aging parents!  Russians, Europeans, South Americans, Australians??  Or is all of this merely colossal, self-delusional presumption??!!!  But what the hell, one can't be blamed for dreaming, even fantasizing!

Perhaps we need a gimmick!  A pet goat!  A dancing wallaby!  Or a monkey, maybe!  We could all wear little red fez's, or brown felt fedoras like G-men wear.  (My father was a G-man, you know, an FBI guy!)  
"Step right up, people!  Watch the monkey play the bassoon and ride a goat...  and then buy a book..  or two, even!  Mustn't dawdle, only a few copies left...!"  (I'll have to work on my "sidewalk pitch" routine!!)

Another brilliant thought!  Maybe it's the second book that sells the first!  I just gotta keep

working on that mystery novel.  In the meantime, suggestions are most welcome.  Sweetheart

and I will continue to consider ideas, no matter how ridiculous.  (Hey!...  Can writers attract "Angels"? You know, like Bialystock and Bloom?...)  Stay tuned!  This adventure is far from over!! 

* American Association of Almost Retired or Possibly Fired 
   Geezer Persons!  

Humbly Submitted 02-29-16 (Leap Day!) -- Joel K.

[Special Note:  The perpetrator of this blog posting offers special notes of gratitude to several remarkably fine and talented co-conspirators...  maybe collaborators is a better choice of words... whose names are listed in the body of the above writing.  So, for those of you mentioned, you'll simply have to suffer through the entire passage to find your specific note of gratitude.  Thank You, and Good Night to All You Beautiful Young (and Older) Women, and Men!]