Writing Challenge: day 30

Posted on July 9, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

US Naval Station
Key West, Florida
circa 1950

Today was mostly a ditto of yesterday as part of day 5 of the Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge. I worked on the map of the Naval Station and did some research on the house my parents lived in, 2405 Staples Avenue. Not sure if it is still there or not. Street view only shows a bunch of vegetation. The house is step back from the road. The real estate websites general descriptions fit for it but they say it was built in 1958 and one of them said it was a single story. I’m doubting the accuracy though. The satellite view wasn’t any help either. My guess is that it is still there. I had trouble focusing today but at least I did something to move in the right direction.

Writing Challenge: day 29

Posted on July 8, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

US Naval Station
Key West, Florida
circa 1950

Today I spent my time working on printing enlarged maps as part of day 5 of the Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge. I got them printed out 13″ x 19″ and added a little color for the water and cleaned up some of the writing on the Naval Station map. I also expanded some of the streets and want to included more of the streets. I still need to talk to my Dad and place all the pertinent places in his story. I’m kind of excited with the idea of getting myself oriented to Key West and my Dad’s life there in the 50’s. I’ll share the map when I get it finished.

Key West, Florida
circa 1950

Writing Challenge: day 28

Posted on July 7, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

US Naval Station
Key West, Florida
circa 1950

Continuing on with day 5 of the Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge. As I read Lynn’s assignment for day 5, I realized once again how much I still don’t know about my Dad’s experience in Key West. Lynn suggests picking a primary scene in my story and after creating a list of details from the scene, create a detailed drawing of the setting. I can see why this is a great exercise. How can you write in specifics about something unless you can really see it at least in your mind’s eye. Details is what makes things come alive and be interesting to the reader.

I don’t have a good grasp on any of the scenes in this story. I made a list of possible scenes in the story:

mess hall
barracks
exercise field
locker room
swimming pool
class room
office
equipment room
boats
beach
demolition island
dock
ascent tank
diving bell
front of the school

A few of these I have photos of which help but I feel like I really need to understand the layout of the base and of Key West. I did some more research and stumbled upon a booklet called “The United States navy and the City of Key West, Florida” published by the Navy in about 1950. There is no date in the booklet but it talks about dates in 1949 and Truman is still President. Plus along with the digitized copy of the booklet was a letter written in 1953 which mentions that the booklet might be out of date. It has two maps, one of Key West and one of the Base. While the details could be better, I’m hoping with my Dad’s help, I’ll be able to orient myself and use these maps as references as I write.

I really want to get writing at least one story. I’m thinking of fleshing out the mile run story since I have some of my Dad’s own words about the story. Having a map of Key West will help me figure out a probable route that they ran. The booklet also list a bunch of stores and their addresses. I’m thinking that I can plug those into the map as well. Onward I go. At a snail’s pace maybe, but onward anyway.

Key West, Florida
circa 1950

Writing Challenge: day 27

Posted on July 3, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

pool at the Underwater Swimmer School circa 1954

On my second day of day 5 of the Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge, I moved on to the next two areas to find details in your stories’ setting. They are senses and dress. For an exercise I decided to pick a scene and list things I imagined would be there. I picked the first day the students get into the swimming pool. Here is what I wrote:

2 – Senses

Sights: clear blue sky, bright sun, flat horizon, water on the cement deck, slightly nervous men, calm water of the empty pool, low single story building with high square windows the wide flat trim and a deep overhanging roof with thin metal polls supporting it painted in white, two shaped metal bars where the ladder to get into the pool is, surrounding buildings; three-story building with uniform windows, a large grass area with huge banks of lights, shade area made by a simple roof with thick white post along one side of the pool, some benches.

Sounds: honking cars, gurgle of the pool drains, nervous shuffling of a few feet, deep authoritative voice of the instructor, thud of equipment bumping against body parts, the splash as the first student steps off into the pool in full gear.

Smells: chlorine, wet cement, nervous sweat, salt on the breeze

Taste: salty sweat, chemical clean on the mouth piece

Feel: the rough surface of the cement deck on bare feet, the solid weight of the air tanks, the feel of the regulator in your mouth, anticipation of what temperature the water will be, butterflies in the pit of your stomach

3 – Dress

Basic swimming trunks of khaki fabric with clinching belt-like contraption in the front to adjust the fit. One instructors wearing simple hat with a bill in the front. Air tanks, face mask, hoses and mouthpiece with regulator, stiff rubber flippers

Writing Challenge: day 26

Posted on July 2, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

Moving on to day 5 of the Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge! Today’s focus on the details of the setting for the story. There always seems to be more research to do. This is an ongoing learning experience. Lynn list 9 areas of opportunity to add setting details. The first one is history. This includes world, regional and local events. As I reviewed some of my earlier historical data, I noticed that Roger Bannister’s sub-four minute mile was in 1954. I wonder if there is a connection between that and the story I shared last week of some of my Dad’s coworkers and running a mile course.

Finding local Key West history for 1954 to 1957 has been more challenging but I’m gradually adding to my knowledge and understanding. It is good to have a string on days completing my challenge goals behind me again. Onward, I go. I may be slow but I am moving. I can see that Day 5 is going to take me a while to get through.

Writing Challenge: day 25

Posted on July 1, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

I’ve finally finished day 4 of the Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge. Kind of amazing that it has taken me 25 days to complete 4 days. But I’m still moving forward and with pretty good consistency and that is my goal. I pulled together the photos above as reference images while I’m writing. I printed it for easy reference. The top photo is of all the instructors at the Underwater Swimmers School. The middle left is my Dad directing students. I think this is a posed photo because I just don’t see my Dad acting all bossy like that. I’ll have to ask him. The middle right is an official Navy photo from just before he went to Key West. The bottom photo you seen a lot of already, is my Dad and his 1948 Chevy convertible, taken in Hawaii before he went to Key West.

I filled out a more complete character profile for my Dad based on what Lynn Palermo had in the Day 4 email for her writing challenge. There are a couple of weak areas. I have no idea on speak habits or accents and not much of an idea on physical traits like snapping finger, winking, clearing throat. I’ll have to work on that. Maybe the clearing throat thing though. Here is what I now have:

Name:
Raymond Walter Hoglund

Detailed physical description:
6 feet 4 inches tall
Lean
Strong
Tan
Athletic
Healthy
Crew-cut
Dark Reddish brown hair
Heavy eyebrows
Brown eyes
Widow peak
Shrapnel in his shoulder

Speech habits/affectations or accent:

Physical traits:
Quick smile

Ethnicity:
half Swedish, mix of northern European

Place of birth and Age:
Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois
young 24 years old

Family History and family statues:
Single then married – had first child just before leaving Key West
3 sisters and one brother who died when Ray was a year old
Alcoholic father was a mean drunk
Not very close to his family

Educational Background:
Sailor
EOD
Diver
Dyslexic
Struggled in school
Dropped out of high school at 16
Joined the Navy a year later
Thought he was dumb
Bad handwriting & spelling

Personality traits:
Hard worker
Leadership
Fear of heights
Helping hand
Caring
All around good guy
Casual
Loves SCUBA
Good with mechanical things
Strong swimmer
Claustrophobic?
Competitive
Loves music and books
Sentimental

Sense of humor:
Dry humor
Tease
Self deprecating

Is there anything contradictory about the character?:
Not good at recognizing his own strengths and potential

Character flaws and weaknesses:
Shy with women and strangers
Self Doubt
Procrastination of fearful things
Challenge with self-expression
Gets discouraged

Character strengths:
Brave in service to others
Willing to try new things
Reliable
Dependable
Willing to learn
Willing to change
Willing to ask for help
Good team player

What does your character want (motivation)?:
To be a plank owner
To have a family of his own
To help and serve others
To learn new things
Feel loved and accepted

Writing Challenge: day 24

Posted on June 30, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

Still on day 4 of the Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge. I finished off the letters that my Dad wrote to my Mom in 1956. The story that I forgot about in this batch of letters shows my Dad’s giving nature. There was a couple from church and the husband got into trouble before they moved to Key West, forging checks. His past caught up with him and he was thrown in jail. My Dad was willing to give the wife $100 to help get him out of jail so they could run their business. But it turned out that since he actually broke probation the $100 wasn’t any help. He didn’t really know the husband. The wife was a regular at church and he knew there was a good chance that if he gave the $100 he might never see it again. I have no idea what happened to the couple but it sure shows generosity of spirit for my Dad. Plus doing it with the right attitude that it is a gift that my not be repaid.

Writing Challenge: day 23

Posted on June 27, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

My parents are in town so today I spent some time chatting with my Dad for the Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge. We talked about his character and values and if they have changed since he was in his 20’s. It was a time of transition for him, I think. He was gaining confidence after being away from a negative home life for several years. He had completed his GED a couple of years before but had failed a test of some kind for a college freshman equivalency. Not sure I understand that. I learned that he and the two other single instructors at the school lived in the barracks with students but in a different area. They felt like brothers to him. His only brother died when he was a year old. These men where older than my Dad and I think they might have been mentors but they certainly where more than just co-workers. One of them died a couple of years later in a drowning accident. He is still bothered by the explanation of what happened to him.

I mentioned to him about the running story I shared yesterday and he remembered a different one where a civilian who was watching my Dad run laps around a block or something decided that he must be tired so he started running with him thinking he would be able to beat him. But he didn’t. My Dad stayed a head of him the whole time. I’m thinking that maybe my competitive side was inherited from my Dad. I didn’t know this about him.

My short-term goal is to start working on a story and try to get a handle on they style of writing that will work for me and for this project. My Dad remembered that a student shared a story in the Underwater Swimmers School newsletter a few years ago about my Dad. He is going to find that. With a short story in good shape we will send it to the UWSS newsletter along with a request for students and instructors memories of my Dad. I don’t think he has a very good understanding of how others viewed him. A few stories could really help me to have a better understanding of his character.

Writing Challenge: day 22

Posted on June 26, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

I didn’t do well on my goal of following the Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge. I got no writing done at all. Just one of those days, I guess. I did spend a couple of hours listening to “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls. That counts at least some because it is a memoir of Jeannette’s family. I really amazing book. I’m almost finished. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. If I can handle my Dad’s history with half the grace the Jeannette does, it will be miraculous.

Writing Challenge: day 21

Posted on June 25, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

My Dad with his first car in 1954

Today was more of the same from yesterday. I’m still working on Day 4 of the Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge. I’m about two-thirds of the way through his letters from 1956. I found a few passages in letters that I think will work well in the history. Here is one I really enjoyed.

Hey, let me tell you how I fixed a couple of guys here. Anyway, Friday I checked in and went to work, and these two guys kept bragging about the good time they had made running a one-mile course. And they had been running it every day so they were in condition to do it. So I said let’s go out at noon time and run it for fun. They kept riding me about how they would slow down and not run too fast for me. So I just said to myself I will just show these two birds who will have to slow down. Anyhow, I ran them into the ground and best them both by several hundred yards. No more remarks from them then it was my turn to give them a bad time.

Here are a few things that I gleaned from today’s reading: