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1940 — Harv’s I-SELF story starts here ======== Junior, as shown in pic, he is already an in-mind FOCUSED OBSERVER thanks to being ‘alone’ in the big-city growth POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE named “sewer socialism” (circa 1850-1950 Milwaukee WI). The pic portrays central Wisconsin ‘vacation’ for Senior (he NEVER went back to farm nor marriage) — mother Connie is shown with or without sister Gloria who lived one day as a ‘blue baby’ — urbanite tavern-owner-son, Senior (Rh+), shown not yet into the full stupor as a functioning alcoholic (he lived to 78y through six dry-up cures until drink made him really sick due to an exhausted liver). Connie [the “sewer socialist” not politically active] lived into her 102nd year at her Milwaukee retirement home — the ‘not-good-enough’ son driving cross country to visit at least yearly, staying in a home guest room taking meals with the residents (Connie did not socialize with her fellow residents ☹️) — until maybe 2005 when he was departing in the retirement home hallway she announced, “Harvey, I don’t think we should see each other again.”😪 Harv, without hesitation responded, “Ma, I agree,” walking off — we never spoke again, or corresponded. Harv was the shotgun pregnancy not aborted. We three were the culmination of generations of what Harv labels as NO-TALK❗️Grand daughter Susan was afforded some Connie TALK and memorabilia before Connie’s death. The years tumbled on, with Harv’s I-SELF subconsciously still driven by his parochial education and his sewer-socialist tradition. He was a latch key kid — the best mother Connie could do in her life-circumstance — as an elementary student he traveled alone to spend summers spread among the mid WI relatives — the last year spent doing substantial 50-head farming work for one aunt/uncle who also owned a ‘hot’ dance hall — Harv worked both. Harv was left to his own devices in getting on in his ME-SELF life, yet he/Connie could be loosely described as a family of two. In 1961 Harv splintered off into marriage with Elaine. Connie alone then coped with her retirement with some Harv assist, focusing in on a life-end retirement home. Harv looked to his future as a SEWER SOCIALIST child — but did not know it then ❗️ That historical awareness came via life-long retro study in October 2025. Continued study aims at making the ‘correct’ choices for Harv’s Real Retirement 2025 status growth. ♠️ P.S. he retired from Bridge play with a one-quarter Masters‘ point.
