About Our Words: A Shout From The Attic
Since Open Writing began in January, 2004, we have managed to do without an About.
Most Web sites have an About Us section. When we were born, 23 months ago, I thought we didn't need one. Our writers are given the freedom to speak for themselves - and they take full advantage of that freedom, in prose and poetry. As of today, there are millions of readable and enjoyable words in our archives - more than 2,200 items. And more are added daily, 365 days a year.
Why add an About to an already-rich literary cake which really needs no icing?
Well, new writers are constantly joining our team. We want to introduce them to you. Writers who are already loyal Open Writing contributors branch out in new directions. We want to whet your appetites by telling you what to expect from them.
We also want to include comments from readers, and draw attention to worthwhile material in our archives which you may overlook.
All this will be done under the title About Our Words.
And the first news in this column is about a new offering from an OW stalwart, Ronnie Bray, who brings us a weekly Letter From America, which is posted every Saturday. His weekly Letters will continue to entertain, move and delight us. But commencing next Tuesday, we will also serialise chapters from Ronnie's autobiography, A Shout From The Attic. You're in for a treat!
Here's an article I wrote for a local newspaper about Ronnie's astonishingly crowded life.
Peter Hinchliffe, Editor
Ronnie Bray was just 16 when he downed his wheelbarrow and staged a one-lad strike. He was demanding more pay for his work at a Yorkshire brickyard.
His boss, incredulous, asked him what he was doing. When Ronnie admitted that he was on strike he was ordered to collect his cards.
''I've had 85 jobs,'' says Ronnie. ''Up to the age of 30 my average stay in any job would be three months.''
In a crowded career he has been a soldier, nurse, labourer, salesman, wagon driver's mate, and much more besides.
Now he is an author with an international following and was for a time a missionary teacher on the campus of the University of Tennesee in Knoxville, USA.
Ronnie had two spells of duty in the Army. At seventeen-and-a-half he joined the REME. ''I applied to be posted to the Far East or the Caribbean. The Army split the difference and sent me to Egypt.''
In 1950 he became a Mormon. ''I heard these young American missionaries speaking in Huddersfield Market Place.
''I was influenced by American movies and very much an Americaphile. I thought I would like some of that.''
During his second stint in the Army he joined a tank regiment. ''I wanted to drive a tank but they wouldn't let me. They made me be a clerk instead.''
Other civvy street jobs included working in a garage stores department, delivering wines and spirits for Benjamin Shaw's brewery, nursing at Storthes Hall and selling bathroom showers door to door.
''I was a patchy salesman,'' he says. ''I had a good day and bad weeks.
''I have had all sorts of jobs. I was willing to try anything. Come to think of it though, I have never been a vet.''
Ronnie was janitor of the Church of Latter Day Saints at Birchencliffe for five years. He obtained a degree in theology and religious studies at Leeds University. He also took a Chamber of Commerce business administration course and became computer proficient.
For seven years, he worked for a business which imported and sold German-made woodworking equipment, dealing with the inputting of computer data.
Ronnie has been married six times and has six children. Two live in Wyoming.
''I was not very good at relationships,'' he says. ''I had a very optimistic view on life.''
He had a splendid marriage with a lady called Norma, who was from Bradford and thought he had achieved lasting happiness. However she died of cancer.
''I suffered terrible pangs of loneliness,'' he says.
Trough a Latter Day Saints internet singles club he eventually contacted an American lady called Gay who had been a widow for four years. They correponded via e-mail. ''It is strange to lift someone's personality from a computer screen. It reached the stage where we seemed to be contacting each other every 10 minutes. I thought there's really something here.''
In October, 1998, Gay, who had never before been out of the United States, flew to England to meet Ronnie. They met at Manchester airport and from the first moment got along well together.
Later they flew to Phoenix, Arizona, where they were married at Christmas-time.
''Gay loved Huddersfield and England,'' Ronnie adds.
The couple eventually went to live in Mesa, Arizona, just south of Phoenix. Both are very active in work for the Mormon church.
Ronnie has been writing for Open Writing since the birth of this magazine in January, 2004. To read some of his splendid columns click on Letter From America in the menu on this page.
His Letter From America will continue to be posted in Open Writing every Saturday.
In addition beginning next Tueday, November 29, we will serialise chapters from Ronnie's autobiogrpahy, A Shout From The Attic, subtitled A Child In Search Of Life.
It's a jolly good read.
Don't miss it.
