It was around the time that John Travolta made Urban Cowboy.. Here was this guy working at an oil refinery in Texas who is a regular at Gillys bar in Houston.. where he fathoms himself a cowboy riding a mechanical bull. .Mickey Gills hit.. Looking for Love.. was quite the song circa 1981.
I had about 7 years sobriety.. I was a merchant seaman shipping as able seaman out of the Galveston Texas union hall. I didnt have much seniority and would show up at the hall 3 times a day with my shipping card hoping that my card would be senior enough to get a job on any ship going any where..
I was living in a seamans flop..15 dollars a week.. private room no less. Listening at night to a lot of drunks with DTs.. while just wanting to maintain the horizontal at night until my ship came in..
Id hang out in the seamans club.. usually reading or watching TV.. then walk over, not too far to the 8PM. AA meeting. .The Seamans club down by the strand.. ships wharf.. was between a whore house and a Seamans bar.. the AA hall about 5 blocks required one to walk an informal gauntlet of muggers.
In those days I dressed in a tight fitting pair of fly button faded Levis, fitted denim cowboy shirt.. pair of cowboy boots.. which made me about 6 ft 4 inches tall.. A black wide belt with USMM buckle.. With a sheaved Uncle Henry 4 inch blade on the belt. and a 10 gallon black cowboy hat.
The muggers wouldnt bother me I had a golden pass. . (besides I looked and acted tough), notwithstanding, I shipped out of the NMU hall on Mechanic street and I was going to AA. .most of the muggers had relatives who either shipped NMU or were in AA (LOL)
It was a Friday Candlelight Big Book meeting with more than a few unfortunate desperados in attendance. Even in those days it always seemed I had more sobriety then anyone else at a meeting..with 7 years of sobriety.
The portion being read was Bills Story.. each would read.. Sometimes typically commenting on what was read.. It soon became apparent to me therere was little identification with a New York Stockbroker down here on desperation street in downtown Galveston Texas. It got to be my turnI read my 2 paragraphs.. and the Chairman asked if I cared to comment.. I said Yeah. .I used to be a New York Stockbroker before I sobered up. I could certainly identify with Bill from the very beginning.. they looked at me.. the way I was dressed.. first silencethen laughter. .the spell had been broken.. we were all drunks just trying to stay sober one day at a time....the road between Wall street and Mechanic street was not too far that night.I always felt God has used me in strange ways and odd situations.Finally one. Day my ship came infrom Galveston Texas to Port Said Egypt 5000 miles non stopGreat ship great chow.
In those days, long before computers I belonged to AAs Loners International. .conducting my own AA meetings, they came in an envelop, in my quarters aboard ship..
Great story Tomas. In '81 my father USN CDR 28 years, retired. He served frm '52-'81. He spent the first half of his career on Air craft carriers flying F4's and F14's. I was born on a navy base and lived on a dozen others. Spent time in Pensacola and took a couple rides on the USS Lexington, an Essex class carrier, to Corpus Christi in the late '60's early '70's. We stopped in Galveston on the way back, not sure why. I visited there in '81 on my way back from LA to Jax, FL. It's likely we crossed paths down by the docks. Went to the night club "Balineese"? where the mob used to hang and they had their speed boats downstairs in case the feds raided, which they did. Cool place. Hurricanes have destroyed all of that. We probably wouldn't recognize the place today.
Mahalo Tomas and Dean...I always want to sing "memories" when I hear looking back shares because all of them help me stay sober. You don't close the door on it and I get to look thru and be grateful for the support from your journey. Would I have made it this far if I had your journey? Hmmmmm doesn't 'matter huh? We're both in the same day and place. ((((hugs))))
Hey Jerry, just finished booking all my travel arrangement to Maui for the first week in May. If I can't figure out how to get over to your island we can arrange to shoot flares at each other. You from Upolu airport and me from rt 31 in the Kipahulu forest
That's funny as hell and very inviting...how bout we hold off to see if my status with the local island police improves. They haven't let me know yet when the next time they visit will be or where. Great suggestion...beats swimming twix islands.
