Nodes

Written at 3:45 AM - cannot go back to sleep.

Lots of little nodes that made up overall flow of life - added texture.

Some nodes involved life and death...

When I cut my foot and would have died if Lutz brother had not seen me and taken me to hospital.
When I flipped Corvair and would have died if I had bought Jag the week before.
When Bill Moore and I nearly got hit by approaching car in Miami.
There have been others.

A few nodes determined the course of life...

Except for mother dying all were followed (or preceded) by acts of volition on my part...

When mother died
When I saw Brenda in rear-view mirror.
When I dropped out of State.
When Brenda's father died.
When Frank took me to Reserve meeting.
When Jim Williams had patent application written for worthless invention.
When Charleen Whisnant published The Mill.
When I wore shirt and tie to work at Celanese.
When Yancie was born.
When Brenda died.

Except for Brenda's dying all these nodes took place before I was 40 and most before I was 25. Did fate become less active or did I become more rigid? Some affected my life as it was; some as my life was not (or all were both).

A few major nodes with potential that did not go anywhere

When Claud mentioned that he had been approached by book publishers and I said I would write them. The books were published but nothing life changing resulted.  
When Julia tossed her hair (and my father said no to moving in).
When I touched Claudia - too ludicrous

Friday, July 2 , 1976

Suppose I ought to write something for the big centennial fourth especially for Yancey(ie) if he/she survives and isn't an idiot. (glad you turned out well)

We were supposed to picnic today with the Hamricks, Frank and Margaret. It wasn't going to be anything much; we planned to take the usual southern picnic materials to our building lot on the lake. However the rains have come and I called the picnic off. ''

We haven't done anything of note. I finished paneling and flooring my old 66 VW bus... a job I started yesterday. Brenda and I have slept a lot.

I ran a mile and quarter this morning in a light drizzle, but I haven't done much since then.