Entries from March 1, 2006 - April 1, 2006
Families Interacting
My thanks to longtime friend Barbara Harvey for her March 30 comment under the Welcome Post. The 1954 Alaskan crash created anguish for sixteen families. And yes, my friends and relatives experienced joy at my rescue, as did the friends and relatives of the other five survivors. Unfortunately, ten other families experienced the opposite. I was twenty years old, and while I felt sorry for those grieving families, I felt little personal responsibility. I did correspond by letter with the families of my two friends, but other than that, I never had contact with any of those families. Time and maturity tell me that was a mistake. I believe we could have helped one another then. That help can come even after a great period of time, is evident; our C-47 Survivors Group, formed in 1996, is the proof.
While I’ve come to believe that this is a positive thing, others may think differently. Might there be times when the “you lived, he/she died” feeling is too great to allow meaningful interaction?
Rupert
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David Lee Thompson
March 26, 2006
I appreciate the vote of confidence by David Lee Thompson in the Welcome post. David and I share the same heritage—a heritage he has elegantly described in his award-winning book, River of Memories: An Appalachian Boyhood. Although our topics are different, I value his opinion and look forward to what he might think of my effort. David speaks about our culture with a rare voice, one that Appalachian people recognize as authentic. There is a universal quality to his writing as well, reminding us that we all share similar family intimacies—have the same kinds of doubts, joys, and fears. Check out his website. River of Memories: An Appalachian Boyhood will resonate with almost any audience.
Rupert
Welcome!
March 18, 2006
Welcome to Touching the Ancient One Website. This is my initial posting. I'm new at this and hope you'll be patient with me as I learn.
I invite your comments and suggestions for improving this site, and for initiating topics of discussion. Keep in mind that your post will be viewed by the public.
Sincerely,
Rupert Pratt
Rupert Pratt
This may help if you are having trouble posting a comment:
Put only your name into the “Author Name” space at the top. Leave the other two spaces (“Author Email” and “Author URL”) blank. If this is the only way you can post a message, and you still want to include your email and/or web address, you can always put them in your message, perhaps at the bottom.
Rupert