I’m so excited! Jonathan has won the school writing contest! He was reading it out loud to us before school this morning. We were all supportive and told him he was a “shoe-in” to win. He was so sweet—He asked me if I would be sad if he didn’t win—And I told him “It’s not whether you win or loose but how you play the game”
Jonathan rushed off to school with Candy and the Captain appeared and asked me “What was it you said about winning and loosing not mattering? I said that it was a quote from ‘some 20th-Century wise man, and then the Captain said “Hmm, a 19th-Century wise man once said ‘I’ve won and I’ve lost and winning is better!’” When I asked him WHAT 19th-Century wise man he said “Me!”
Later this afternoon, Martha and I waited for the kids to get home from school to find out who won. Jonathan and Candy came up the sidewalk looking very sad…We thought for sure poor Jonathan had lost, so we tried to act casual. Jonathan sat down on the couch and I asked him if there was something he wanted to tell me and he replied in a sad voice, “Yes Mom, I won.”
I started to try to make him feel better when I realized what he had said—HE WON!--The little faker! We’re all thrilled—Especially the Captain! I think he looks on Jonathan winning as being just as important as if her were HIS son!
Jonathan has won a new set of encyclopedias. They’ll be awarded at a ceremony at the lobster house on Friday night and presented by Rutledge Adams, a descendent of John Adams!
Captain Gregg popped in after Jonathan finished practicing his speech this afternoon—I told him he missed the practice and he said he did it on purpose—He didn’t want to hear the speech ahead of time. I told him about “Patriots and Pals,” and how it was about the founding of our country through Adams and Franklin’s friendship…The Captain looked very startled and disappeared. I hope he’s not up to something!
MAY 8, 1969 – Later Still
Jonathan caught me up on what happened after this—It seems Captain Gregg read his whole composition and when Jonathan came looking for it, the Captain said that Adams and Franklin were patriots, they were NOT pals, according to Temple Franklin...Ben Franklin’s grandson…Who the Captain KNEW PERSONALLY! He went on to explain that Adams, at one point, actually SPIED on Franklin!
May 10, 1969
I guess Jonathan was troubled by the Captain’s information…According to what he told me after he got home from the rehearsal; He completely trusts the Captain and he changed his composition!
Jonathan told everyone about ‘finding new facts’ and read his composition to everyone—Calling his new essay “The Scholar and the Schemer.” When he got to the part about ‘John Adams acting like a ‘real fink’ a riot followed—Rutledge Adams was most upset and Jane Shoemaker pushed HER boy up on the platform and he started reciting his composition! She even had the nerve to suggest that I had helped Jonathan because I’m a “professional” writer! The NERVE!
I just got off the phone with Claymore—Rutledge Adams and the entire school-board is very upset about Jonathan’s new composition—Claymore asked me where Jonathan got the information and I told him “You-know-who.” He said that Jonathan has to go back to the original composition before tomorrow night’s ceremony or he won’t be awarded first prize. Even the kids at school are being cruel…Candy came home in tears because they were teasing her too…Saying “ Jonathan’s in trouble…and Jonathan’s Un-American.
I’ve been getting phone calls from school-board members—Both pro and con--And I finally asked Martha to take over the phones for a while so I could go and talk to Jonathan. He maintained that “Captain Gregg says if It’s important enough for people to get mad at that it’s important enough to fight for.” And that “No one let him get to the good part…About Adams and Franklin working together for the good of our country.’ And that it wasn’t fair to take first prize away from him.
I offered to buy him a set of encyclopedias, but Jonathan said it wouldn’t be the same as winning and I told him that he would have to decide which is more important …Changing his composition back or winning first prize. It nearly broke my heart when he asked ME if I wanted him to go back to the original composition–I didn’t know WHAT to tell him!
May 10, 1969 – Later
I watched from a distance as Jonathan walked the beach this afternoon—Captain Gregg appeared and said he was upset because I was upset…He said that Jonathan would ‘weather it’ and I told him that I hated to see Jonathan shoulder all the responsibility. Captain Gregg replied that ‘all through history men have been hurt for being right.” I think I made him think some more when I said, “Yes…MEN have, but Jonathan’s just a little boy…”
May 10, 1969 – Later
All’s well that ends well…Except for the Captain, I guess! Jonathan told me that Captain Gregg found him on the beach and asked him what he had decided to do about the composition. Jonathan told him that he was going to stick with what he wrote because if he didn’t it would be like calling him (the Captain) a liar…So along with the townspeople, THAT’S what was bothering him most!
THEN, from what Jonathan said, my Dear Captain Gregg proceeded to act in a totally feeble minded manner in front of him—This little boy that HERO worship’s him so! Captain Gregg recanted all his ‘facts’ and apologized to Jonathan for his ‘lack of memory!’ Then he gave Jonathan a new idea—Go back to ‘Patriots and Pals’ and leave OUT the parts pertaining to the ‘Pals!’ Jonathan is thrilled—He came and found me and jumped into my arms with a big smile on his face…I’m so happy I could cry!
MAY 10, 1969 – Much Later
Well, we got back from the ceremony and the kids HAD to get the new encyclopedias up on the shelves tonight…I was just thinking how great it was that this whole thing was over when Captain Gregg appeared…I told him “All’s well that end’s well.” He did not look particularly pleased and said, “Well, just say all’s well that ENDS,” I looked up at him and asked: “Aren’t you happy with the way things turned out?” And he replied; “Mrs. Muir, it was not without price. I’m afraid Jonathan will never again see me in the same INFALLIBLE light.” I had already realized what a big sacrifice he had made today, but maybe HE didn’t realize that *I* realized it…And I replied “Oh, perhaps he sees you in a BETTER light…A more HUMAN light!” and gave him a big smile.
As usual, when Captain Gregg is really touched, that’s when he seems the most human…H pretended to be offended and replied “I, human? Mrs. Muir, as a writer I should think you would choose your words carefully!”
I just smiled at him again and said, “I do!” and he smiled right back at me…It’s a curious feeling I seem to get only from him…The more he looks at me, the more I want to keep looking back at him…And the more I smile…
******I thank Hazelyn Patterson for this last paragraph – She uses a similar description in “Ghost Trek” and I liked it so much, it seemed to belong an the end of this entry. MPC