A Birthday Gift Nighthawk

Celebrating 99 Years, and lots of other stuff

Vol. 121, October 8th, 2024

A Birthday Gift

The words with strange Lithuanian letters stood black on the glowing green stained glass, lower windows propped open to let in a stunning October Sunday.

“I was baptized here, and married here” grandma told me. She couldn’t read the notes in the hymnal, and I couldn’t hit them, but we muddled through alright. The soaring rafters made everyone sound good, especially when the congregation sang “Happy Birthday” for her 99th.

If the day had been ordered from a Sears & Roebuck catalog, it couldn’t have been better. Maples caught fire in the gathering autumn, and a blue sky watched our family history tour through the old city.

“Grandpa Urban was born down that block. Oh, I used to walk through the park on my way to the dances. I remember seeing the horse carts over there” she said, pointing down the street. Modern cars hurtled by.

A mariachi band roared “Happy Birthday” at the restaurant as mountains of food arrived. The twilight settled onto the Berlin turnpike out the window.

Soon it was time for me to travel over roads quite ordinary, but steeped in memories for others. I guess most places are like that. What a gift to celebrate.

I drove west towards the setting moon, glad.

Nationally Read

Grandma checks out her birthday column in the Altavista Journal, a long way to the north in New England.

Happy Birthday, Perm (1906)

The first “Permanent wave” debuts in London today, courtesy of Karl Nessler.

Song of the Week

“Autumn Leaves”

This beloved jazz standard shines in the season. My favorite versions are Eva Cassidy’s and Barney Kessel’s.

Carol’s Appalachian Word of the Week

Borned (Born). “I think he was borned in 1950.”

Quote of the Week

“A stitch in time would have confused Einstein.”

–Anonymous

Write to Us!

The Nighthawk is a new old-fashioned way to connect, published weekly. You’re invited to write back, or just enjoy reading. Let’s have some fun! It’s a social paper! Send stories, etc to: PO Box 783, Rustburg, VA 24588 or email Joshurban@protonmail.com

Letters from Josh

(A weekly update from Josh Urban’s adventures on the farm and in the city. #206)

Appearing in the Altavista Journal, etc: The Sky is Crying

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to the show! Well, Jiminy Cricket, every time I post a fun column like “Happy Birthday, Grandma”, the sky opens up a few days later and hammers somebody. Today’s piece is simple. Go help somebody. Anybody. Although, the good folks hit by the hurricane could use an extra hand.

I’m the wrong guy to recommend a charity. Every time I donate to a well-known one, they turn around and spend all my money on letters asking me for more money, so do your research–but please do something.

I’ve become skeptical of (some) big organizations. So, I found a guy named Robby Starbuck on X/Twitter. He’s asking his followers to send supplies directly to Tennessee state representative Jeremy Faison. They’re getting the goods to the folks who need them. I ordered some stuff from Walmart.com and had it shipped to the address. For once, social media is winning the day.

Maybe he’s embezzling toilet paper. I don’t know, and can’t vouch for him, but his efforts, and those of that kind, seem worth looking into. Again, do your research, but do something. If I had more guts, I’d lace up my boots and go help.

It’s hard to be an ordinary person. Everything is so big: the systems, the problems–and the government. But the giants aren’t cutting it. They’re too busy sending your money to foreign leaders. Or they have strange ideas that might sound good on paper, but break at the first flood. (Kind of like communism.) FEMA’s Goal #1 on their website is “Instill Equity as a Foundation of Emergency Management.” Wouldn’t “Stopping American Citizens From Starving” be better?

Play Soviet games, win Soviet prizes.

God Bless the ordinary Americans out there doing the real work. They’re putting up Starlink internet and slogging through mud, taking boats and airplanes and trucks on the rescue mission, and getting it done. Let’s give ‘em all the help that we can. Let’s lift up our neighbors in need, and along the way, remember who we are. Let’s roll.

God Bless America,

Josh

Send help to a way you think best, and postcards to P.O. Box 783, Rustburg, VA 24588