September 29, 20151:25 pmPensacola, Florida After spending several productive hours with the awesome Santa Rosa Court archivists, Nancy and I went to Denny’s for brunch to review where we were so far with Emmett’s discovery. There’s nothing like a plate load pancakes and pots of coffee to refuel and relax. […]
May 17, 2014, Montgomery, Alabama, about 3 p.m. Her eyes. They are so blue, piercingly blue. I catch my breath audibly. But it isn’t just her eyes that get me — it is the moment. I can’t believe it. And in response, she laughs, kindly, cheerfully at me. I am […]
You want to hear something funny? Or more honestly, ironic? As I sat with my newfound information about Emmett Wilson, I was angry. Pissed, actually. First, this guy. Emmett Wilson, who (from what I had read so far) was from a privileged family; a family who held respectable jobs in […]
When I close my eyes, I see it: The ancient scrapbook covered in gray dust, high on a shelf in a Florida library, long forgotten. And on the phone, I hear the excited voice of my friend Jacki the Archivist: “We aren’t sure how it got there, but it’s been […]
My sponsor cornered me after a meeting a few days ago. She hadn’t seen me in awhile — weeks — which isn’t a good thing for alcoholics in recovery. “Where have you been? What’s up?” She asked. Demanded, actually. So we sat down together in a coffee shop, and talked. […]
When I read this article in today’s edition of The Washington Post, I couldn’t help but think of Emmett. There’s so many similarities: Both were smart, talented, in the prime of their lives — but — both addicted to success and alcohol. I suppose it’s part of knowing what it […]
Once again, it’s Halloween. This is my favorite time of year. And once again, I’ve become burned out. This time, it isn’t about Emmett and the research. It’s because I over-volunteered myself on several projects. And you know what? I saw this train wreck coming wayyy in advance. I could […]
On Saturday morning, I said goodbye to a dear friend. You’d have liked Michelle. She was a pistol. She was someone who lived life like a loose garment — she had poise, humor, smarts. She also had a way of getting right the point, of saying the right thing at […]
Two weeks ago, the realization that it was time to accept things I cannot change arrived at the door, around 11:15, courtesy of our mail carrier Jesse, of the United States Postal Service. My dear friend Nancy’s cousin had written earlier that week, asking for my address, because […]
It was a tough time to be Roman Catholic in Florida during the early 1900s. Heck, it was tough to be Catholic anywhere in the U.S. at that time. When Emmett moved back to Pensacola in 1906, to rebuild his career after his embarrassing tenure in Illinois, image was important. […]
Tell my story. 