MEANWHILE.
O f Fishing, Baseball, and Grace
by Alison Pride
I t was 198S and I was
22 an d f r e s h from c o l l e g e and
a summer in A la s k a .
I was
f i n a l l y a t th e b e a c h , d e t e r ­
m in e d t o l i v e a l i t t l e w h ile
f i g u r i n g o u t e x a c t l y , o n ce
a n d f o r a l l , w hat my l i f e was
a l l a b o u t - - n o s m a ll a s s i g n ­
m ent f o r one so c o n f u s e d .
B ut 1 was f u l l o f g ra n d
a m b i t i o n s b ack t h e n .
Som eone o n ce t o l d me,
among o t h e r p i e c e s o f wisdom
I v a lu e t o t h i s d a y , t h a t th e
two t h i n g s t h a t w ould i n f l u
e n c e me t h e m ost in my l i f e
w ould be th e p e o p le I w ould
m eet and t h e books I w ould
rea d .
I was no s t r a n g e r t o
b o o k s , h a v in g b een c a l l e d
f o r t h from one book o r a n o t
h e r w h ile 1 was g ro w in g up
by my m o th e r , who i n v i t e d me
t o r e j o i n t h e " r e a l ” w o rld
w h e n e v e r i t a p p e a r e d my w i t h ­
d ra w a l m ig h t be i r r e v e r s i b l e .
I m ig h t a l s o add t h a t
I 'd come t o t h e b e a c h w ith
some v a g u e id e a o f r e d i s c o v e r
ing God.
I was q u e s t i o n i n g
th e f a i t h t h a t had o n c e seem ed
a s n a t u r a l to me a s f e e l i n g
h u n g ry an d e a t i n g .
At tim e s
I was g id d y w ith t h e p r o s p e c t
of u n fe tte re d in te lle c tu a l
f l i g h t , o t h e r tim e s s c a r e d o f
a b a n d o n in g s o m e th in g t h a t had
a lw a y s a p p e a r e d so s e c u r e .
I t was j u s t y o u r t y p i c a l
s p ir itu a l quest or c r i s i s ,
h o w e v er you want t o look a t
i t .
I r e a d a l o t o f b o o k s mv
f i r s t w i n t e r on th e c o a s t ,
some m ore s u c c e s s f u l l y th a n
o th e rs .
One I was h a v in g
p a r t i c u l a r t r o u b l e w ith was
Zen and th e A rt o f M o to r c y c le
Ma i n t e n a n c c . f i n a l T y , Tru
t r a t e d Ky my own la c k o f p e r
s e v e r e n c e , I c o n f e s s e d my
d i f f i c u l t y to a f r i e n d , who
d i d n ’ t s i g h o r s n e e r a t me
d i s d a i n f u l l y , b u t h an d ed me
a c o p y o f The R iv e r Why by
D avid Ja m e s D u n can . "Try t h i s
i n s t e a d , he t o l d me.
The c o v e r w a s n 't e n t i c i n g
Some guy in a b o a t f l y f i s h i n g
( o r was i t b a i t ? ) .
The o n ly
tim e I 'd a tt e m p t e d to c a s t a
l i n e , I 'd c a u g h t th e hook in
my e a r l o b e .
And th e o n ly o th e i
tim e I ' d f i s h e d , o f f a b r i d g e .
I 'd t r i e d t o p s y c h i c a l l y w arn
th e f i s h aw ay , h o r r i f i e d by
t h e p r o s p e c t t h a t I m ight
a c t u a l l y la n d one and hav e to
k ill it.
O f c o u r s c , you d o n 't hav e
t o l i k e f i s h i n g t o lo v e The
R iv e r Why, a s th o u s a n d s b e s i d e
my’s c T f how know. And I c a n n o t
b e g in t o t e l l you ( w ith o u t
s o u n d in g f o o l i s h l y r h a p s o d i c a l
and s e n t i m e n t a l ) a l l th e g i f t
t h a t book g a v e to me.
So im ­
p r e s s e d was I t h a t I t r a v e l l e d ,
t h e n e x t s p r i n g w ith my room
m a te down th e c o a s t in s e a r c h
o f t h e a u t h o r , so m e th in g I 'd
n o t d o n e b e f o r e and hav e n e v e r
done s in c e .
T h at s h o u ld t e l l
you s o m e th in g .
And we found him ( o k a y ,
he w a s n 't h i d i n g a l l t h a t
h a rd ).
He was s t a n d i n g in h i s
f r o n t y a rd ( i f you c o u ld
r e a s o n a b l y c o n s t r u e a v e ry
w i l d l y o v e rg ro w n f i e l d a s a
v a r d ) , show ing a s m a ll boy th e
f i n e r p o i n t s o f c a s t i n g (a
s c e n e w h ich e r a s e d any d o u b ts
w e 'd had a b o u t l o c a t i n g th e
r ig h t h o u se ).
At f i r s t a
l i t t l e shy and r e t i c e n t , he
warmed up c o n s i d e r a b l y when
we p r o d u c e d o u r o f f e r i n g ( o r
b r i b e ) - a b o t t l e o f Chimay
A l e - - a n d a g r e e d to f o llo w him
o u t i n t o th e " y a r d " t o s i t on
a lo g ( b e c a u s e , he c o n f e s s e d ,
he c o u l d n 't t h i n k w h ile s t a n ­
d in g u p ) .
And a lt h o u g h tim e h a s
b l u r r e d m ost o f th e c o n v e r ­
s a t i o n ' s c o n t e n t , I do remem
b e r th e sun on my f a c e , th e
b e e s b u z z in g w ith s p r i n g t i m e
f e r v o r a ro u n d o u r h e a d s , th e
th w a c k , th w ack o f D u n c an ’ s
so n D o o n ic a s he a tt e m p t e d to
d e m o lis h w h o le , r o t t i n g lo g s
w ith a s t i c k , and th e g r a c i o u s
p r e s e n c e o f D avid Jam es Dun
6
Literature
h n i m s e i l i f a s he a n s w e r e d o u r
e n d le s s q u e s tio n s and h e s i t a n t ­
ly a c c e p t e d o u r a d u l a t i o n .
F or m e, i t w i l l f o r e v e r be one
o f th o s e m om ents in l i f e I
lo o k b ack on and u n d e r s t a n d
t h a t , w h a te v e r o r w hoever I
t h i n k God i s a t th e m om ent, I
s t i l l b e l i e v e in g r a c e .
He t o l d us he was a t work
on a n o t h e r n o v e l ( i n f o r m a t i o n
t h a t r e a s s u r e d us tr e m e n d o u s ly )
and t h a t i t was t e n t a t i v e l y
t i t l e d The B ro t h e r s K, a b o u t
f o u r b r o t K c r s who" p la y e d b a s e
b a ll.
We a s s u r e d him t h a t a l
th o u g h n e i t h e r o f u s f i s h e d o r
w ere p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t e r e s t e d
in b a s e b a l l , we w ould a w a it th e
new book w ith th e same e n t h u ­
s ia s m w ith w hich we r e v e r e d
The R iv e r Why.
AnJ we w a i t e d .
My f r i e n d
I
moved b ack t o S e a t t l e ,
lo a n e d my copy o f The Ri v e r
Why to so many p e o p le i t ’ s not
r e t i r e d , on my s h e l f , in th r e e
s e p a ra te p ie c e s .
And i t o l d
my s t o r y a b o u t m e e tin g Duncan
to m ore p e o p le th a n p r o b a b ly
w a n te d to h e a r i t , n e v e r f o r
g e t t i n g t o in fo rm them t h e r e
was a new book on th e way
(a n d th e y h e a r d i t from me
firs t).
I h e a r d rum ors o v e r th e
BO At
1 A . e.i r » . ' Duncan had
d i v o r c e d and moved to P o rt
l a n d , Duncan was w r i t i n g h i s
new b o o k , D u n c a n 's c o m p u te r
had e a t e n h i s b o o k , D u n c a n 's
dog had e a t e n h i s b o o k , t h e r e
was no b o o k .
Not know ing what
To sp e a k o f "m e re w o rd s " i s
to b e l i e v e o r d i s b e l i e v e , I
much l i k e s p e a k in g o f "m e re
s h e lv e d my im p a tie n c e a n d . . .
d
y n a m it e . "
v a11 ed .
- L .J . D ucasse
And I'm h e r e to t e l l y o u .
in c a s e no one e l s e h a s , t h a t
The B ro th e rs K was WORTH THI.
WATT. A m b itio u s in i t s sc o p e
and c a s t o f zany c h a r a c t e r s ,
s a t i s y i n g l y lo n g ( I h a te t o
s e e a good book e n d ) and
e m o t i o n a l l y r e s o n a n t w ith o u t
b e in g ( t o o t e r r i b l y ) m a n ip u la
t i v e , i t i s a w o rth y s u c c e s s o r
to The R iv e r Whv.
Duncan h a s
n o t l o s t Tn s s e n s e o f hum or,
h i s p e r s p e c t i v e , o r one i o t a
o f h i s c o m p a s s io n f o r human
b e in g s c a u g h t in th e o f t e n
d a n g e r o u s and so m e tim es
a g o n i z i n g p r o c e s s o f m aking
sen se o f th e ir liv e s .
By th i
tim e you r e l u c t a n t l y c l o s e tl. •
book and sa y f a r e w e l l t o th e
C hance f a m i l y , you may f e e l
e x a c t l y l i k e I d id - - n o t l i k e
w r i t i n g a book r e v ie w , bu t
l i k e b u y in g i t a s a C h r i s t
mas p r e s e n t f o r a i l my
f r i e n d s (a n d I w i l l , i f I win
th e l o t t e r y ) .
Duncan shows us a g a i n ,
i n I he B ro t her K, ■■■'•■ re a lly
g o o d w r C te r s J o n ’ t h av e to
( U i Otn,v Street
know t h e a n s w e rs t o w r i t e
Oicauri 97401
T«4cphorw 4 M OS 12
r e a l l y good b o o k s - - t h e y j u s t
h av e t o be a b l e t o a sk and
w r i t e w e ll a b o u t th e q u e s t i o n s
And i t a l s o g o e s to show
one o t h e r t h i n g :
so m e tim e s
you m eet p e o p le t h a t h e lp
you d i s c o v e r s o m e th in g im por
t a n t a b o u t l i v i n g and a b o u t
y o u rs e lf.
And so m e tim e s you
r e a d a b o o k . . . and y o u r
l i f e ch an g es th e n , to o .
can
T h e s e b o o k s (T h e B r o t h e r s k
and The R iv e r Why) a r e a v a i l a b l e
a t L a n n o n B each Book Company.
IN NEWPORT
The f a l l
r a i n s h a v e com e.
The
to u ris t
n o rd es
a re
t h i n n i n g and p a r k i n g i s
once
m ore p o s s i b l e , Y et t h i s i s
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fn e n s h ip s
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trie d .
when e v e n
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th e C h a n tr e lle s .
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from t h e i r m y c e l i a l m a s se s t o
te m p t
th e
c u p id ity .
O ld nnn d e a r f r i e n d s d e v e l o p a
s h i f t y lo o k a ro u n d t h e i r e y e s ,
a re se rv e
th a t
b o rd ers
on
h o s t i l t y , and a d e d i c a t i o n t o
s e c r e c y t n a t w x ild d o t h e KGB
p ro u d
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and
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a rfe d .
g lo v e d
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th e
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th e
wad o f l e g a l t e n d e r , w i l l
be
m n g n itu d e o f h e >r p e r f i d y
c la im s
i t ’s
r e a 1is e d
She
re p a id
by a
b o rro w e d money
f rle n d .
Even N ic e B i l l , t h a t e p ito m e
.r
k in d n e s s ,
o p en n ess.
th a t
p a ra g o n
f s h a rin g w ill
lo o k
you in t h e e y e l i k e a man and
l i e th ro u g h
h is
te e th
about
w h ere h e fo u n d th»* f i v e p o u n d s
o i M at.su sak e h e ’ s ru m o red
to
have s o ld
y e s te rd a y
It
e v en
do»--, no good t o buy him b e e r .
( N o rm a lly a f o o l - p r o o f
p lo y )
In V in o .
V e rita s
ta k e s
a
h o l i d a y w h e re f u n g o id d o l l a r s
a re th e s u b je c t.
S t i l l , when t h e a b u n d a n c e o f
’h a n t r e l l e s m akes i t
p o s s ib le
to c o m p le te ly c o v e r, h id e
th e
s i r l o i n s t e a k s bought, in t h e i r
h o n o r , when t h e r e a r e
en o u g h
K ing b o l e r o s
s tru n g
to d ry
above th e
s to v e to
fla v o r
a
w i n t e r ’ s s a u c e s , when r a i n and
w ind make
im p ra c tic a l
any
e f f o r t n o t e n c o m p a s se d
by a
good book and k e e p in g up t h e
f i r e , o v e n s u r l y m a te s c a n
be
f o r g i v e n . A ls o , warm and w e ll
»• i, o n e h a s t o w onder why
a n y o n e w ould c o n s i d e r
liv in g
of
a n y w h e re e l s e .
U n le s s ,
c o u r s e . M e asu re 9 p a s s e s .
* DA-Domest. i c Accotnp l i c e .
The
L ady.
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te r m
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d a n g ero u s
a ro u n d
p n y s ic a lly
t h i s h o u se.
A lex L a F o l l e t t e
T i l l s i s A l e x 's N ovem ber c o lu m n s
he m is s e d th e d e a d lin e ( f o r
o b v io u s r e a s o n s ) b u t we f e l t we
s h o u ld s h a re i t a n y w a y .
Muddy W m
im
C o lin Co.
1404 lid S ire n Suur 1
(illarTMxik O te fo n 97141
SOI • M J 1401)
V K AS A D A V ID
M uddy W aters
COFFEE and TEA COMPANY
S alm on don t get
caught, if you're
caught, NAPPING!
O p e n 6 a m .T 0 6 o n v
Daily I
ITh. D I «AM UP C AftMid T
m
m
im m
«•■»•I
1904 3rd STREET (acroas from tin
Phone 842 1400
ELK1
ILMUA *IU*OI
FISH ON II
Café Espresso
««> Broidwjy »7 (jlong Riverside)
Seaside, Oregon
7 » -il 49
taxi», »ud
11 i t ta k e s a l o t o f w o rd s t o
sa y w h a t y o u have i n m in d , g iv e
i t more t h o u g h t .
- D e n n is R o th
TURNAROUND
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B O O K S A N D E S P R E S S O BA R
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