02072012 First Post

My Story

By Edward Sans Gillies III

for Reagan, Nolan and those to come.

Well kids, for me it all started in a little hospital in San Jacinto, Texas. The year was 1954. It was a Wednesday. I’m not sure when I gave the indication to my mother, Jessie Joyce Mozell Hinton Gillies that I was ready to make my appearance but it probably was sometime in the evening of Tuesday, April 6. One thing I would like to do is ask my mother about that night – you should do the same with your mom and dad – but don’t wait 57 years like I have done. Anyway, I digress.

You may find that digression will be prominent in this tome with lots of words like “tome” since I enjoy digression and using words that aren’t so common. Since this is my tome, I also make the rules – including using contractions whenever I see fit. I know that its probably not correct for a tome but since its mine… like I said. Oh and also I’ll probably be using those dot, dot, dots alot (which I know is not word either, in fact my spell check corrected it for me but I went back and deleted the space that spell check created between “a” and “lot” because I like using the non-word “a lot” (had to correct it again) In fact, I like it a lot! (and another correction.)

OK, in my last digression I just used quotes from two of my favorite movies. “Dot, dot, dot” is from the movie Mamma Mia. While “I like it A LOT!” is from is from the inimitable Dumb and Dumber.”  While I’m not even in the same league as anyone else in this family as far as using movie quotes or getting them right for that matter, I do have favorite movies and quotes and scenes. My favorite scene in a movie, while I’m digressing in this flow, is the scene in Ace Ventura, Pet Detective where Ace (Jim Carrey) extricates himself from the mechanical hippo.

But let’s get back to the mid 50’s and that little community hospital in San Jacinto. Actually, for me that’s about all there is to share from my perspective. I would like to know why I was born there instead of one of the fine Houston hospitals but as I said, I’ll have to get back with you on that one.

I can say a few things about 1954 is that the Number One song on April 7, 1954 was Wanted by Perry_Como who by the way was a singer who I always admired. As you can read in his bio, at one time in the 50’s he sold so many records that at his request, the record company actually quit counting – or at least stopped publishing the numbers. Now that’s pretty humble, I think. I mention that because I appreciate that kind of thing and since this is my story, I guess I ought to include it although that’s sounds kind of incongruent to humbleness. But what are you going to do, huh? I mean in order for me to write this story, I have to talk about me (Another favorite song.) I appreciate someone who doesn’t make a big deal about himself. At the end of every touchdown run Barry wouldn’t spike the ball or dance, he simply either put the ball on the turf or flipped it to the referee.

So back to 1954. Things were pretty quiet worldwide I think – the Korean War was going on and Ike was president and people in America were building things and having lots of kids. Another important event that happened that year was the Supreme Court ruling to end segregation in America’s public schools. This decision had a profound effect on my life a few years later which I will talk about in a future chapter.