Yawning in Technicolor: By Dan McDermott

Liza, I know this is going to hard to hear about your father, however … the TRUTH will set you FREE .!.


When I think back as to when I met your father, I believe it was at the student union (NWMSC) = the Den = , either between classes or instead of … {neither of us seemed to be on the fast track for a four year graduation [cum laude] , or perhaps it was Hudson hall (girls’ dorm\nwmsc)… & as the song goes ….. ‘watching the girls go by’….. Our friendship developed, with Jim’s sense of humor & his the ability to ‘turn a phrase’. Your Dad is always great with the pun or working with whatever was said … to make it … ‘quite interesting’ to say the least. He is, as tom cruise would say, ‘quite glib’ … (but in the true sense of the word - not tom's) His ability to accomplish all the non-academic endeavors that were placed before him, was always a wonder to me … how he could do all he did & still STUDY for those English tests & write those papers for those classes … a man of extreme ability, or perhaps he neglected some of the assignments, or was more focused in others – hard to tell.!


We enjoyed several ‘road trips’ to the metropolitan area just West of St. Joseph, Missouri … Wathena, Kansas (max.pop. of perhaps 2,700 full time residents & 5,000-5500 part-time weekend (Fri. or Sat. evenings residents). We were drawn to its’ cultural enrichments, it was a-Sociological- field trip ,,,, or perhaps it was the … 3.2. ‘adult beverage’ \libations & 18 yr. old ‘legal’ limit & not to mention the locals \ townies. I recall one ‘field trip’, one of us had a connection to a ‘driver’ who owned a 2 door, 57’ Chevy – a pristine, cherry red, immaculately clean car (it was so clean, there weren’t even finger prints on it, & the interior – you could eat off the floor- ), the owner, whose name escapes me at this time {& if I did remember, I would protect his reputation as to have associated with likes of us} … He drove … ‘no-one drove his car’ ... it seemed to take ‘forever’ to drive those ‘thousands’ of miles to St. Joe & even longer to cross over that bridge to reach ‘the promised land’ … I would admit we imbibed in an ‘adult beverage’, or perhaps two … enjoyed the scenery of the farm land, meet the locals & absorbed their culture, & when the ‘establishments’ closed we began our trek back to Maryville.


I became apparent that I was to become the designated driver (the owner, now riding {sleeping} shotgun) & Jim ‘driving’ from the back seat, or at least giving directions as to how to get back to the campus. Jim rode on the back right side so he could wave good bye to the new friends we had met, & bid ado to the local ‘officers’ that were parked at the state line –both in Kansas & then again in Missouri. After waving to the cops in the black\white squad cars -=- Jim, as I recall told me = as only Jim could, that ‘that cop drove really FAST to get from one side of that bridge to the other – I didn’t see him pass us’. We should make a citizens arrest’ …’ !!! , ‘pull over & let me do the talking’ … for some reason I thought that might be a MISTAKE !


During the course of the drive, I could hear some conversations that Jim was having with = Jim = , something about having had just perhaps too many assorted ‘liquid-spirits’ , & way too much pub ‘GRUB’ … or whatever it was … no matter … it became clear that it what was eaten in Kansas was not going to stay in Kansas (if you know what I mean?) … the back side window went down & Jim began to ‘yawning in Technicolor’ , ‘blowing groceries’ , for several miles on the way back to campus … (on one occasion, {for we went on ‘several’ field\road trips} = was directly in front of an officer of the law) ….. I am not sure if it was on this ‘field-road-trip’ that Jim lost his glasses … but in the future it became the MOS to keep his glasses for him, post evening in Kansas, so that he could at least look like he was reading for class.
[looking back, it sort of remind of the tv sitcom ‘CHEERS’ where everyone knew his name -GRUB- in Wathena, & it will no doubt NEVER be the same]


That particular evening we stopped several times, trying not leave any trace of the former food on the side of that cherry 57’ Chevy. It was not a success … I do not know if it removed the paint from the side of the car with the ……..but the newly decorated designs all over it right side of the car … but was a sight to be seen ,,, or Not.!.


When arriving back in Maryville, I stopped at the spray car wash …(the owner went to the back lot to reevaluate his condition) & Jim proceeded to watch the cleaning process from the inside, now & then putting down the window to direct the proper procedure of washing a car. I had sort of hoped that the owner would not REALLY notice the new ‘distinct’ patterns. (I was wrong & was told so a few days later ((we never had that ‘car & driver’ again ! ))


Back on campus, I turned the car over to its’ owner, & walked (& I use that word in its’ broadest term) Jim back up to his room … I did not see him for breakfast, lunch or dinner for the next few days – he said he was ‘studying’ ! (I have my doubts !!! )


We even on occasion ventured further South=to Atchison, Ka.= , but Jim did not have the same rapport with those ‘locals’ … , so we stayed closer the ‘campus’ (the seat of knowledge).

Jim, did make my first semester at nwmsc one that will always be with me … for my second semester, I was at another school , & Jim went back up to Des Moines, as I recall. I went back to NWMSC in the Fall 66’ … but without my mentor … school was … school!


We did see each other again, either he would come down to school or I would go up to WDM = vacations & holidays = We would meet for pizza up by North H.S. (Corso’s?) – there was always a photo op. with our friends from school, & the laughter never seem to end … we did not have the ‘adult beverages’ as we had had before , because we had ‘matured’ ((???)) = [or was it that our IDs did not work quite as well in Des Moines -?-].


Jim, made a decision to go into the U.S. Navy … (but that is another story, for another time) … ! … & Morocco , like Wathena will never be the same. I always felt our nation was in good hands with Jim in the Navy. The other nations of the world were ‘afraid – very afraid’ !


Liza, I know this was difficult for you to see this ‘other’ side of your father … He has Mellowed out, which has brought him to you, a man of EXTREME gentleness & thoughtfulness, no matter what he may say of himself, he is that man.


He is always with me … I hear his quiet soft spoken voice, his reserved laughter & remembering his rather subdued behaviors …


Your father is a man that I treasure … & I am looking forward to sharing with him as soon as you folks can get him home again.!.