*Good, Bad, Ugly -- Barney W. Invades My Dream!

The dream I woke up from, on 14 January 2012 at 02:30 AM was about Barney W. A life-time of years have past since the last time we met. Barney was married to Mary W., the parents of five children living in a public housing community located in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn, New York City (NYC) USA. Memories of him, his wife, and five children, are very precious to me.

What brought us into a tight and bonding relationship, during the early 1950s, was the results of my working as a youth volunteer helping to renovate a corner storefront, creating it into a mission service center for young children. During these happy blissful days, I married Rose.

Happy Days in Red Hook

he was like a prince to me

One day Barney, in the company of other adult male friends asked me, "How was it?" Trying to fake ignorance of the intent of the question, my response was; "How was what?" All the guys, most of them being at least in their thirties, burst out laughing. Finally I sheepishly said; "It was great!" Oh! Happy day-- those days were for several years.

Barney, a handsome fellow of medium build had a spirit part of me I identified with. He told me one day, if it was necessary for him to get a tin cup and street hustle at the Smith and Ninth Street subway station, he would panhandle to feed his family. In fact he did kind of panhandle as a door to door and street seller of various kinds of dry goods that included clothing too.

Among his many natural talents, Barney was the best fund-raiser for the children's mission. The founders of the program where extremely enamored of him, as we all were. As it would be, in all of our lives, almost without exceptions, major changes slowly creep in, altering, changing the nature and coloring of a pretty picture we've painted in our mind's eye.

Which Way Did He Go?

we both made choices

A older brother, Luther D., who was successful in the music entertainment business, decided to employ his younger, struggling, but very enterprising brother. This was the beginning of the end of Barney's persona as we had come to know, or think we knew him. Our one on one encounters were becoming rather infrequent. He was becoming more distant and I felt much remorse concerning our relationship.

During this metamorphosis of change, Barney told me of several bold events, that was very sad to my young ears and once virgin being. The first was about a time when he was complaining about his wife to his new cohort of friends. One responded to him by saying; "If you want, I can take care of her." Barney said he was so stunned by his new friends response he immediately let it be known he had no intent of anything happening to the mother of his five children.

On another occasion, Barney told me, in his new career as an entertainment promoter, he shook down a very, famous, I mean-- very famous nationally known singer when she came to sing in NYC. I was shocked. The man that brought so much joy into my life, was changing rapidly. This lead to him finally leaving the activities of the mission project and finally his wife and children.

Barney's Invitation

right before my eyes

Just before the last time I saw or heard from Barney, he invited me to meet with him and another male contact. He told me he was going to show me how he hustled his prospects by creating a problem they could solve. He told me to say nothing, except to agree with everything he would say, if anything at all.

While sitting in a fashionable club on the upscale east-side of Manhattan, somewhere in the street number of the fifties or sixties, we met his, to be, unsuspecting prey. After ordering several rounds of drinks, Barney said to his pal; "Did you see that?" "Did I see what?" asked the guy. "What that ___ did to me." The guy's response was the same as when an associate of his offered to take care of his wife-- "I'll report her to the manager." Barney simply said; "That's OK. Let's just get out of here." We promptly left witout leaving a tip.

Before taking me with him Barney had already told me he would give me cab fare home and they would head uptown to a famous club in Harlem. NYC. This was a, Wow!... experience for me. Just think of where I first met Barney and now where it had led. He was now into a underworld life.

**"Knowing When To Walkaway --

and know when to run--

With his ill-gained wealth, Barney purchased an estate somewhere on Long Island, New York. As far as I knew, for that time frame, he never reunited with his family. The way I related to Barney, was his drive to make it and survive in spite of events or the odds. Where we differed, was, I've resisted illegal, or immoral opportunitities that came my way. Anything from selling drugs, being some woman's pet, or jumping through hoops of abusive employers to make ends meet.

Click here to hear Kenny Rogers sing the 'Gambler's Song'

Projected next blog:

Perhaps in my next blog I will tell about past up opportunities that would have required forsaking personal values and dignity.

Much of the better traits of my personality, I acquired from my grandfather. I will open the next blog with an event that was life-lasting, just a few words I heard my grandfather speak one day.

Hope this has been of benefit to someone. Often our lives are a blend of :
*"The Good, theBad, and the Ugly," -- a 1966 movie starring Clint Eastwood.

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