Wilber, Orville, Howard, and talcum

 (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) available here

Maybe it’s a function of the aging process, but more and more I’ve found myself interested in history. I just finished David McCullough’s exquisitely researched history of the Wright Brothers (see Wright Brothers) and am reveling in some new bits of knowledge. The two brothers (and their sister!) were amazing and are iconic examples of what our country was and should be today.

One “aha” from the book: While Wilber was doing demonstrations in France, Orville was carrying the water back here in the States. Trying to secure a contract for their flying machine from the U.S. Government, Orville was handling the demonstrations in Fort Myers, VA. Lieutenant Charles Selfridge was a passenger that day – and sadly became the first victim of an airplane crash as the Wright Flyer fell from the sky after there was a propeller failure. Michigan residents: yes, Selfridge Air Force Base is named for the fallen lieutenant.

Tonight, I was privileged to learn a bit of "I didn't know that" trivia from some oral history. I visited Howard tonight. His son and son’s friend were also there and we reunited after a handful of months since our last visit. Howard was in good spirits, but was having a tough day. He cancelled a lunch because he didn’t feel that he was steady enough to go in public. Nonetheless, he was full of piss and vinegar and shared some stories.

He recalled his relationship with Fielding Yost (a storied icon of University of Michigan sports see Yost), talked about his time camping (he reported eating iguanas!)  and living off the land in Wyoming, and about an amazing story involving his paternal grandfather Perry.

In Michigan’s thumb (some lovingly call Michigan “The Big Mitten”) is a little berg called Mayville. There, Howard’s grandfather was plowing his field behind two horses. Perry was about 21 or 22. A lightning strike suddenly killed the two horses and dropped Perry. After a time, his wife noticed the lack of motion in the field and found Howard’s grandfather unresponsive in the field. She literally dragged him back to the house by his ankles and put him to bed - assuming he’d die soon. Perry revived, mostly. The lightning stole his hearing, knocked out his teeth, and turned his hair stark white. Howard recalled how he’d summon his grandfather to dinner by stomping his foot and pantomiming eating.

The other nugget of oral history came in a conversation with mom. We talk daily – something I enjoy. Apparently when I was around four years of age, our family visited another with children similar in age. I guess the family was fairly well off (he was a physician) and the home was decorated to the best of then (1965?) standards with colorful carpets throughout. That their daughter and I decided to add to the interior design with talc throughout the upstairs wasn’t appreciated.

History.


Your (somewhat) humble correspondent apologies for the long lag between posts . . . it's been a full year.