CREDO

        Everyone possesses a finer self and a less-than-finer self. The eternal struggle is which is allowed to, or made to, triumph over the other.

GOOD BYE, CHARLIE

     I’m finding it odd that the title of this story is the same as the title of the first story in my short story book (though in that case it was science fiction).

     Charlie Bierman and I became acquainted in the early days when we both worked for General Dynamics on the design and development of the Atlas ICBM propulsion system. Eventually our careers took separate directions, so over the years we seldom crossed paths. We retired to private life at approximately the same time.

     Among other things I wanted to do was to design and build fine furniture. I decided to join the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association and attended one of their monthly meetings. Lo and behold, there was Charlie, presiding at a table laden with hand crafted toys. Charlie described the Association’s toy program in which members make toys which are then distributed to under -privileged kids around San Diego County, including children at Camp Pendleton whose parents were in the Far East on active duty. 
     Toy making! What could be better? I decided then and there that I would join the effort, figuring that furniture making would leave lots of scrap lumber that could be put to good use.

Toy making became Charlie’s whole life. He met with toy making colleagues weekly in an El Cajon shop where he and his friends designed and crafted an assortment of toys, all of which were distributed by the Association. On occasion they came up with a design where their spouses could add touches such a painted decorations and sewed object like blankets for cribs. Charlie told me once that over the years, more than ten thousand toys had been distributed,

     Charlie carried his talents further, teaching toymaking to students at Palomar College, and participating in President Carter’s Habitats for Humanity” The construction program was geared to construct a home in a single day to help people in poorer regions.
      I met Helen, Charlie's charming wife, when I delivered toys to his home. More often than not, she would  be seated at a table, reading, a few feet away from where Charlie was working in the garage/workshop.

     As the years progressed, work never stopped, though it existed, perhaps at a more relaxed pace. In my case serious illness stopped it altogether, but it was great therapy during recovery. I grew too old to drive and relied on Charlie to come to my home to pick up toys. Still later, when Charlie stopped driving, good friend Eric Robinson provided transportation to pick up added toys from my home workshop. Those occasions were always a great time for reminiscences, recalling our rocket days, and chatting about current issues, like comparing our remarkable pacemakers.

     One day recently, I called Charlie’s number, as I had another batch of toys ready for pickup. Charlie wasn’t there but a message said that he would call back. Later in the day Eric e-mailed me that Charlie had suffered a fatal fall the previous evening. Charlie was ninety-four.

     After some moments of reflection and sadness, all I could say to my good friend, wherever he is, was “Good Bye, Charlie.” 

PROPAGANDA MACHINE?

The word is that in line with his battles  with the press, Donald Trump will have his own news broadcasts. Maybe Steve Miller will head it.
It brings to mind sometime in the past , when Adolph Hitler put Joseph Goebbels in business on a similar mission.