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what power they hold to be remembered so view, perhaps, but still something is lacking,

long. SixyearlaterasJonathan (Ion now) sits as Jonathan's father is not oblivious to the

at his computer, peers out into the evening, changes, good or bad, since his childhood, nor

the streetlights orange glow over Pennsylva- is he nasty or stupid, and even the comment

nia Avenue, the cars going by, louder here did now have the bit that many comments

than outside through some echo or perhaps from father to son can and do and should

merely imagination, but still more cars than have, in the right circumstances, but here is

one would expect, or maybe not, today, 1997, not such a circumstance, not requiring or re-

even Westminster has traffic, only the street ceiving such a sharp edge. If not malice then

and a few buildings here and there visible perhaps as a lesson, father teaching son, but

through the window have any light, mostly what in that lesson can possess such longev-

it is dark, the open fields and hills, less now ity, such a seemingly insignificant exchange,

than perhaps when his father was thirteen, yet carried over six year and beyond, and still

but this is progress, or at least transition, such that, while those same black shoes still

change, progress implies positive change, and sit under the bed, well-worn, dusty, past their

more buildings, more .. •. .. prime yet not banished

roads, more noise, posi- He sat, or lay, in the to the garbage, not
tive may be too strong a worn, except on occa-
word, they say the child chair, the television on sions, few and far be-
but hardly acknowl-
is better off than the par- tween, replaced by
ents was at that age but edged, his thoughts white Nikes, or brown
at what cost, what has rather on his new shoes, leather boots, or which

been lost forever, what if black Nikes .. · his father would cer-
still only street hoods tainly, and does, ap-
wore black shoes and prove. Something in

thirteen year old boys did that lesson, or in that

not? Jonathan did not live then, he can not and other such lessons delivered over years,

know what it was like firsthand, naturally he something made an impression, such an im-

would find it ridiculous not to wear black pression that six years later it is stronger than

shoes because it was not done then, now it is it was before, and it is impressions like this

now, today, anyone can wear black shoes, but that sons need from fathers in order to carry

black shoes are not what is important but on some of the past into the future, not all of

rather the change is important, now is not it but some of it to bridge the gap between

then, nor is it like then but somehow better then and now.

than then or not as good depending on who The memory of this long-ago incident is a

you are or who you would like to be or what subtle thank you from son to father for shar-

you know or can find out from someone who ing experience, a sense of the way things

does know, who lived then, remembers then, should be, a symbol of the fatherly concern

but maybe only through the eyes of another, felt but maybe not shown so much on the sur-

a different point of view that has been bor- face but nevertheless prominently there, even

rowed, stolen, as one's own, but can never be of the sense of how things should be is a sense

as good, as true, as real as one's own. of how things should have been more than

And so what belief led to the statement from should be and still the past is relevant to to-

Jonathan's father? It of course was not mali- day but maybe you have to look deeper than

cious, being a good father he would never "only street hoods wore black shoes" and find

make such a statement maliciously, therefore what it really means or maybe come to the

another reason must exist, it was his father's conclusion that it never meant anything at all.

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