A letter accompanying a pen-and-pencil sketch of the Tyrone YMCA, sent in May 2010.
Several weeks ago at the request of Paul and Carol Swayne you collected together umpteen back issues of PastTimes and sent them to me; ever since outbursts keep interrupting the silence of my house, outbursts like, “I remember him!… or, I never knew we had a hospital in the middle of town!… or PIG HOLE!— by golly, that little underpass had a name, and it’s a pretty good one… or, Oh, I’m sorry to hear she passed away… or, Hey, there’s the pool at Athletic Park! Was that fun or what!”
I’m still reading, every word of every issue, and thoroughly enjoying every minute. Soon I will be sending them onto my brother, Bob. He’s 96, and I can just hear the silence in his house getting the same treatment mine is getting.
I hope you like the sketch. Pen, pencil, and their various shades of black can generate a warmth that photos often lack. I work from photos and the one I used here was in Tyrone PastTimes. The “Y” is the biggest building I’ve attempted, often I do houses, occasionally restaurants, and other scenes, but until now never a major building.
The Y Holds Precious Memories
The “Y” holds precious memories for me. When I was a senior in Tyrone High School (1937-38) I was president of Hi-Y and we met regularly in the “Y.” I remember one meeting in particular, our speaker, Ben Jones, took time from his busy schedule to meet with a bunch of high school boys to give guidance on how to grow up and amount to something — what a great man! The bowling alley, library, and gym were my favorites; I left the pool tables for others.
And, when WWII was in full swing, I signed up for the Navy V-5 but I flunked the physical, so off I trotted to Ted Glenn who then was in charge of the “Y” gym — he not only set up a rigorous exercise program aimed at my weaknesses but daily for 2 months gave me the tough supervision I needed as I worked out. When I retested I breezed right through, went on to get my wings and flew for several years in the Navy!
So, the “Y” was important to me in my growing up years… just as it has been to so many others… and I pray this pen/pencil essay generates a sense of ownership and identity because as that building comes down each of us loses a major chunk of our past. Thanks again for dedicating your life to a wonderful cause! Until I met Paul and Carol I knew nothing of your work, now that I’ve absorbed a portion of it I feel whole again, almost like a continuing part of the community I’ve always considered to be “home” even though I haven’t lived there since ’38.
Share your memories