Jeff

People
From Back: Jeff [last name] my love 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and beginning of 11th grade. Really “Just a friend.”

When I was in 6th grade (and beyond) I had a crush on a boy named Jeff. For years I wondered what happened to him and finally found him via his grandfather’s obituary. We emailed and texted a bit — our mutual friend, Carol, was much more excited to have found Jeff alive and well.

I remember his family was well-to-do, at least more-so than mine.

I’ve kept some photographs of him, and at least one thing he drew on a notebook of mine. I know he’s mentioned in my online journals too.

Jeff's drawing of Gollum
I wrote drawn "free hand" by Jeffry Young on the back

As I find more photos and things I will add them here.

Here’s one that I took of Jeff after a high school paper drive. It is in my living room. The dog is my brother’s dog, Franz. Pity about the ink stains on the photo.

Back: Jeff Y. after paper drive. (Parted hair in middle)

Elgin Belvidere ST. RR Wreck and Strike Elgin ILL 7-28-1908

Photographs

I found this old postcard among Mom’s things. According to Wikipedia, “The Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company was a 36-mile (58 km) interurban line that connected Belvidere, Illinois and Elgin, Illinois.”

Wikipedia briefly mentions the strike, saying “[Bion J.] Arnold [the owner] himself was heavily involved in the line’s construction and management, and at one point operated the cars himself during a strike.”

I cannot find anything else about the wreck and strike on the Internet.

Reading and Empathy

Musings

I heard a quote by George R. R. Martin this morning that got me thinking about a certain person I know who never reads.

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one.”

I wonder if people who don’t read have less empathy for people who are not a part of their circle then people who read a lot. It seems reasonable to think that if you are exposed to others, even with only words you develop more empathy with people you don’t know, people who are not like you.

I know for a fact that after reading Five Smooth Stones I became a different person. I’d not known anything about the civil rights movement other than what family members had to say.