A comment on yesterday’s post really triggered some memories. Nate’s remark was simply, “A Clean Well-Lighted Pace.” That’s a short short story by Ernest Hemingway. About a five-minute read, so check out the link if you haven’t read it before. The irony of Nate thinking about that story when reading my post isn’t lost on me. I had to write a paper on that story in a college literature course sometime last century, and I found it moving even as a young man. And now, here I am in old age, practically living it.
And the coincidences continue. I did a quick search of my blog archives and saw I had written a post back in 2006 entitled “A clean well-lighted place.” That one was about a pretty wild night out on the town early in my Itaewon life. It brought back a flood of memories of long-gone friends. I am happy to report that one of the “stars” of that post, June, has been happily married to an American Air Force NCO and is the mother of a sweet daughter. How’s that for a happy ending?
Back here in present times, I took a break from the SOB last night and instead hung out in my version of a clean, well-lighted place–Cheap Charlies. But unlike the Hemingway character, I wasn’t sitting alone.
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Something also happened in the bar last night that is very rarely seen. A big spender rang the bell. Okay, that happens pretty frequently, but a bell ring usually just provides a drink for the working girls. This guy bought drinks for everyone in the house! No idea how much that act set him back, but he is definitely not a cheap Charlie! He also provided some entertainment with a nifty trick he did with the lady drinks:
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I had such a good time that I just stayed at Cheap Charlies and didn’t do my usual bar crawl, although I did stop for a nightcap at Whiskey Girl on the way home.
That was my night; my morning was equally pleasant, featuring a hike with the Friday group.
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I’d say my life here is better than nothing!
What did he fear? It was not a fear or dread, It was a nothing that he knew too well. It was all a nothing and a man was a nothing too. It was only that and light was all it needed and a certain cleanness and order. Some lived in it and never felt it but he knew it all was nada y pues nada y nada y pues nada.
As nothings go, it’s a good life. Good enough.
(The Dark Knight Returns reference: graphic novel by Frank Miller from about 1986)
Kind of funny, but it appears that your old website which was stolen from you (johnmccrarey (dot) com) is now a site advertising Chinese porn sites. LOL
I clicked on the link in this post to the old 2006 post and there was a hyperlink in there to an older post. Well, that hyperlink took me to the above mentioned site. LOL
I am wondering if any of the folks you meet type johnmcrarey (dot) com to look you up. Imagine their surprise.
Brian, Wow! I hadn’t even thought of that old domain for years. Glad to see my name is being used for a worthy purpose. I wonder if anyone looking for Chinese porn ever accidentally winds up here at LTG. Imagine their disappointment!
I went back and updated the link. Thanks for the heads up!
Kev, I like that quote too, and it’s an apt description of the life devoid of meaning or substance that I’m living. It’s good enough for me!