Chapter 57: We Have Much to Decide

[Paul S.]

I am going to be traveling on (mostly) family-related stuff for the next ten days, but I wanted to leave you all with something new before I go:

https://www.ttbrown.com/defying_gravity ... oMake.html

This chapter may lack some of the power and drama of the previous installments, but, hey, ya know, ya can't inhale all the time. So think of this as a breather, a pause to catch our breath before the next exciting adventures.

I will of course have my laptop with me and will monitor the forums, and I'll try to get some work done when the opportunity affords itself.

--PS

[Victoria Steele]

Yes I can see that this chapter is sort of a way to marshal your thoughts and everything before pushing off again into the next adventures.

On one hand we have Dr. Brown home in California. Its the end of the war and he is recovering on a beach. He has his son and a brand new daughter and an obviously adoring wife. Gee, thats almost good enough to drop anchor right there, I would think. But I know that doesn't happen and I can't wait to read about all of that.

Plus the fact that by now (tis true Mr. Twigsnapper) I am half in love with this rakish character named " ORiley" and want to know what he is up to. And don't forget Mr. Sarbacher who in 1950 makes that statement to Wilbert Smith " There is a project more secret than the Hbomb involving flying saucers"

But thats in five years I guess. So maybe this is a good time to switch back to the Morgan and Linda storyline. Though you know I almost hate to see that happen. I want them to stay together! Him giving her that token on the Staten Island ferry. ( a token she keeps for forty years? Right on for Romance!) And I still like this Morgan. I can see his future looming upon him.

I find the insider information charming Paul. I thank Linda for giving you that information. Where else and who else could have let us into their personal lives like that.? And I REALLY appreciate Josephine. And from what you said this time .... in 1966 he apparently talks to her ALOT. Which means to me that she has had years of " being in the loop"

So I guess I will have to wait some more for this next chapter . Meanwhile I am going to see " the Last Mimzi" this afternoon. How else would you explain complicated stuff to children? Maybe a colorful movie? We will talk later! Victoria

[flowperson]

Paul...good work on this. It gives us all an insight into how the Brown family worked together on a day by day basis, without discussing many of the details. Lots of love there unless I'm mistaken. Enjoy your journey.

flow....

[Victoria Steele]

I agree with you Flow. I like this day to day commentary.

Little things like his stopping for tea at four. Thats been mentioned before I think by Neenie and Pat on Catalina Island. So I guess in the late seventies, ten years later maybe, they were still stopping at four for Earl Grey and that cracker dip. Whatever it was! Neenie said Dr. Brown couldn't get her to eat the stuff and it looks like Linda didn't much like it either from her comment "YUCK?"

And Pat and Neenie made it a point to say that the Browns were certainly a " loving couple". Which is nice to see. Hopeful that I am for long term relationships! they had been together since 1928 (with that short divorce, then remarriage?) And as Linda mentioned her Mother seemed to know exactly how to handle dear Dr. Brown. In fact Pauls chapter pointed out that she was normally one step ahead of him!

He certainly didn't drag her kicking and screaming from one location to the next ! She was already halfway packed before he even announced where the next location was going to be! What a couple!

And Linda seemed to be 100% in her Dads corner too. Ready to go anywhere! Ready to do anything without a backward glance! Thats really a special family. I STILL think it must have been hard for her to leave the friends that she made at Southern Seminary. Did she just disappear out of their lives or did she keep up with her room mates?

So will the young couple have some time together now in the Philadelphia area? Will Morgan come back to his home (which must have been near her old " Ashlawn" since he went to the same school) Did they ever go by the place during that summer? Sort of a memory lane type thing? I want to know all that but I know in about a year she is going to be living in Santa Monica AND MORGAN ISN'T MENTIONED so this next chapter is going to be pivotal for sure. I hear the trains a commin ....... Victoria

[ladygrady]

Hello Victoria,

Following your lead here I too thought that it was fascinating seeing again how Josephine would so quietly start packing before Dr. Brown had even announced that they were moving. And I surmise that it had been such a part of her childhood that Linda never actually saw it either until she had been "off to school" for a few months. Just our of curiosity. I wondered how many times they had moved since 1956 ..... a ten year span. Two years in one place so that Linda could have two final years in High School.but what about the other times? How many moves? Elizabeth? Can you help with that? I know Paul is going to be away. Are you still going to be "at your post?"

And its interesting to me that Linda is looking at her parents through the eyes now as a young woman, trying to deal with a relationship herself.( A relationship I believe she has already figured is going to be wound up in similar mysterys. ) Catch her remark about Nassau having a boat with "Morgans name on it". She KNOWS something is happening behind the scenes and behind her back. But somehow she seems what? resigned to it?

I wonder if her Mother had set her wise to that whole thing.? Quietly. Woman to woman? Surely Josephine would have had compassion watching her daughter moving into a world that she herself knew probably all to well by that time. But after writing that I realize that Josephine would not have broken the trust of confidentiality that she obviously had with Dr. Brown. Even with her own daughter. How hard must that have been? How many times, I wonder did Josphine want to tell Linda about her own personal experiences?

But what Linda actually sees is that her father has Josephines complete and undiluted trust and support and she picks that up naturally. And demonstrates it also.

Nothing at all is said about her older brother. What is happening in his life. Does he take any interest in what his father is doing? grady

[Elizabeth Helen Drake]

grady,

I think I have an accurate count for you on those moves. Ready?
From 1956 to 1966 Josephine picked that green teapot off a mantle (or shelf) and packed it for a move FOURTEEN TIMES.
It may seem even more impressive if you realize that they stayed at Ashlawn for two years.

Regarding Joseph Brown. He had enlisted into the Air Force and was stationed in London during 56 . After that tour of duty he stayed with his grandparents in Washington DC for awhile getting some work experience under his belt and while waiting to figure what he wanted to do. During 1959 and 1960 he enrolled in a college in Oregon and loved the Northwest so much he is quoted as saying that it was " Gods Country" and that his family should expect not to see much more of him than the occasional and short visit. He apparently never had the urge to follow in his fathers footsteps.

Elizabeth

[grinder]

Elizabeth,
Maybe Josepseph just couldn't even find his Dads footsteps! <g>

I understand that he is deceased now which is really too bad because I think he might be pleased with all of this activity about his Dad. I would think so anyway.

So are we going to be able to get his viewpoint of the Joseph Brown family maybe? Are there grandkids watching this forum? Have they chimed in, perhaps under a different name? If Townsend Brown had been my grandpa
I would be right in the middle of things!

I think that Pat and Neenie mentioned grandchildren for Dr. Brown so maybe Josephs family can shed some light on what Josephs opinions were? He was ... twelve years older than Linda? Which means he was a college kid when she was just 6. Hard to have something in common. And I get the impression that Linda and her parents were exceptionally close, where Joseph developed a separate and distinctly different life. I wonder what he thought of their constant moving?

I wonder too if Dr. Brown was disappointed with the fact that his only son wasn't interested in joining him in his lab?

I don't mean to press into a sensitive area here but it would be interesting to find out how Joseph and Linda related to each other with that big gap between them. Both in their natures and their years. grinder

[Mark Culpepper]

I am keeping up, honest I am. Just getting a little on the busy side.

What I find interesting is the fact that this chapter takes us right up to 1966.......I guess its pretty obvious that Linda and Morgan will be meeting up somehow in Philadelphia. And its also pretty obvious that something REALLY IMPORTANT is happening there scientifically.
Well also...... as far as the young lovers are concerned maybe?! Its closer than Nassau and he said that he would swim! But what happens between them? I am like Victoria thinking " this can't be good."

the next summer...... A scant year late..... There is NO MENTION OF MORGAN. At all. Not even a whisper ( Check out Chapter 4 , How Many Generals")

And Linda is told. after all of this .... that the project is "over?" As I said before I think ...... my response is an easy and loud .... WHAT? WHAT?

And even if you didn't know what was actually going on just look at the cast of characters! Odlum, Curtis LeMay, and the people at RAND. Now thats ..... ominous ... feeling. MarkC

[ladygrady]

As some of you have noticed I watch numbers. Its sort of a thing with me. And I see relationships in some numbers.

The thing that fascinates me now is the blocks of 20 year periods that I seem to be noticing.

Watch. Linda Brown was born Dec 1945 . One month off from 1946
Add twenty years to that and its 1965 going into 1966 (exactly where the story is right now.) So in Pauls storyline there is a twenty year gap between the two right now. I don't know why that fascinates me but it does.

Twenty years is a LONG time for a child. Its EVERYTHING. But to an adult (have you noticed? Its like it was just yesterday.)

And this is the sad part everybody. Dr. Brown only has another twenty years, if my figures are right, he died in 1985. And that might have seemed a short time, while again for Linda, it could be another lifetime.

In Chapter Four Dr. Brown encouraged her to go on and build a life for herself, which I am assuming that she did. And I am assuming it was without Morgan.

So what was Morgans twenty year incremental change like? Paul , was it you who said that she had carried that token for forty some years. Can you tell us at all what he was doing? Can that be a part of this story?

see, there it is again. Gaps of twenty ... so did they see each other in 1985-86? grady

[Trickfox]

It just seems so strange that Dr. Brown was working on fogless mirrors in 1985. I wonder if he got to see the "philadelphia experiment" movie or any of the time travel movies being made in the mid 80s. Maybe he loved that kind of stuff.

Trickfox

[Elizabeth Helen Drake]

Hi Trickfox,

Getting the time frame for the "electric mirror" experience a little more accurately honed. I believe that Dr. Brown established the Mirror Company when he first moved to Catalina in ( 1972). The couple who helped them on the Island (Pat and Neenie) have written some of their memories of that time in this section. Within the time frame of two days he had established a place to live, an office downtown and a large facility at the Aviary outside town. He kept his recorders constantly running in the "office" and the people of Avalon were curious but respected his need for privacy. Sometimes I think going into "business" was a way of conforming to the local expectations!
viewtopic.php?t=117

and Pats account will give you a slightly better time line
viewtopic.php?p=544#544

They have basically said that Dr. Brown loved his music and I don't believe he ever really talked about science fiction movies .

I am not sure that he ever paid too much attention to the " Back to the Future" movies but I am sure that those around him must have had a pretty good laugh over " Dr. Brown and his Flux Capacitor!

Do you think that he was serious about developing an electric mirror?

But in any case, it wasn't the "last thing he worked on." He and Josephine moved away from the Island after a couple of years, living in the Bay Area of San Francisco, Chapel Hill , North Carolina, Tampa Florida, then Coronado Island, California ..... then back to Catalina ... then off to Hawaii, I think and then finally back to Catalina during the last year of his life. (I hope I have all of that right. Leave some room for Paul to correct the line of travel!)

He was still running his recording machines which were attached to various "sensors". Some of the sensors were "Pebbly Beach " rocks. and I understand in that last part of his life he had sensors running in all of the places mentioned above, and maybe a few more.

His trip to San Antonio was the last trip that he took and he didn't "unplug" his recorders until he had come home from that trip. I understand that he died about a week later.
Elizabeth

[Victoria Steele]

Which means Elizabeth, that Josephine and Townsend packed and moved about eight times in the last years of his life! This is when older couples are supposed to be rocking in a chair somewhere! They moved clear across the country (North Carolina) then south to (Florida) then back to California(Coronado Island) and then (Catalina Island). I have wondered why he came back to Catalina during that last year? Was it that he had something to do there, again? Or did he just want to be with his family during the last year of his life? Do you think tht he KNEW that the days were running out for him? He just seems so deliberate about what he was doing, right up to the end. For someone who usually seemed to be able to stay in some pretty nice places it is a puzzle why he would choose to share that quonset hut with his daughter and her family. I am sure it was a house full of love but you have to admit its a far cry from the places that he obviously had during his life. Big difference between that place and "Ashlawn" This is terrible. Here I am talking about the mans death and I don't want to get to that part of the book yet. So forget I mentioned it! Victoria


Your book is really getting interesting Paul because all of the loose comments from earlier chapters are beginning to make even more sense now. Its like the story is being told from several different angles. Its really interesting. And stuff that might not have been all that interesting in the first couple of chapters now is fascinating because we are beginning to get the whole picture of what might have been going on behind the scenes.

[Victoria Steele]

Paul,

Here is a strange one for you. I woke up with this image. Dr. Brown stepping between a pier and a magical ship with an eye on its bow! An ancient ship! And its this is a BIG stretch for him, right to the very edge of his ability to stretch!

And here we are too doing the same thing! These chapters are very interesting Paul! between one thing, ( which to me seems very landlocked. Steeped in intrigue and spies and russians and the Cold War and the end of one war and the possibilities of others) and the next part of his life which might have elements of the same but still seems to be stepping off into something really grand and exiting. Like seeing maybe what Farnsworth saw and being able to go on from there and actually start accomplishing something in this new realm. And remember he has Morgan by his side now. What is THAT fellow getting into I wonder that we are probably never going to learn. Or for a long time anyway. Other mysteries to clear up first. Like knowing about our past and who we REALLY are. Like Dr. Brown is making the big streaching step from things here to things way beyond, which includes things WAY in the past. Thats why I think that sanskrit keeps coming up, and the Vedas and stuff like that. My special guy talked last night about wierd stuff that I haven't even mentioned. About the myths of Atlantis and people that knew so much before. He says they called them the "Sea People" so go figure I would know nothing about that at all but somehow will look now because you know what? Dr. Brown already left that little crumb out there by mentioning ATLANTIS in his first notebook was it. Now you have to know that was a calculated gamble on his part that someone finally would pick that up and really look at it . And frankly until someone proves differently I take that as my own private gift from him. You guys find your own.

I guess that I worried myself talking about his death and how methodical he seemed to be. But I guess that would all be part of it, wouldn't it, Being able to plan ahead, if you could see the future, Wouldn't he already know about Paul? And this book? And what his daughter would do? And what Morgan would do? Couldn't he have somehow seen all of that?

So Paul when you say that yo feel that you have been " finding breadcrumbs" how sure are you that he didn't put them out there for you at sometime in the past ... knowing that you would be there to pick them up. In fact knowing that you would be the ONLY person out there to recognize those little pieces. Well, You and his daughter.

I see now thats probably why she was inclined to answer your letters. And I have wondered just how much of the future does Linda know? Is she following the same deliberate path?

Just some way out thoughts. Just, I think trying to be where I can catch some of them in my sleep! Call th em downloads? Whatever you want! "They" can be .... doozies! Victoria

[grinder]

Victoria,

Whatever you have been smoking, I want some of it. grinder

[twigsnapper]

Victoria

I think that Morgan is guoted through Paul as saying that to him Linda was a "gift from the sea".

And there have been others. You have a long road to study but this might be a start for you. Understanding is difficult without knowledge. twigsnapper

http://www.phoenician.org/sea_peoples.htm

As presented by Sanford Holst
in Ifrane, Morocco on June 28, 2005 at the
Annual Conference of the World History Association


"Relentless attacks by groups known as the Sea Peoples around 1200 B.C. virtually destroyed all the major powers of the Mediterranean, and cleared the way for the rise of the Greeks, Romans and Western civilization.[i] Surprisingly for such a pivotal moment in world history, the events which took place at that time are not well understood and are widely debated. Many theories have been advanced to explain these times, and their participants have been declared to come from Anatolia, or the Aegean, or even Atlantis. We will consider each of these theories, and a new observation which has apparently not been considered before. "

An important element mentioned by almost all sources, and yet considered by virtually none, is the simple fact that—in the midst of a cataclysm which destroyed almost every city in the eastern Mediterranean area—the Phoenician cities remained untouched. This turns out to be a key which helps to unlock the mystery of the Sea Peoples—an event which changed the course of history. "

twigsnapper