TRAVELING COMPANIONS

 

With our rushing into it (knowing each other for only two months), Micki's family was of course trying to discourage her.  She even had another boyfriend they all had accepted.  On the same day that a letter came from her mother to try to encourage her to take more time to think, May 29, 1975, Micki wrote this to me:

"We are all each one of us truly alone in this wholeness of life.  YET, we can find in each other a friend -- a traveling companion.  Come be my traveling companion.  I have the 'most' respect for you, and a great amount of concern over your welfare.  You bring me much delight in your mannerisms on the whole.  I'd love to share my time and space with you on this interesting, wonderful, ever-changing journey."

And so I wrote back:

I WILL BE YOUR TRAVELING COMPANION

The calling of a bird in the brush
Beckons me to follow
But the spears of the foliage
Keep me where I am.

The stars of the night
Are the beacons I crave to pass
Yet the earth
Is an anchor at my feet.

My mind expands beyond my sight,
My soul laughs at my still body;
Everything is there,
Nothing is reached

Am I dead or alive?
What does it matter?

For in the world that you share with me,
You comfort me,
You share with me,
You give to me your company
In the bondage of this world.

You seem to know of secret doors
To secret stairs
To secret floors,
Freedom smiles on your lips and
Freedom is your clothing.

I will be your traveling companion
Through worlds I do not know;
The rustling of the foliage spears
Seem to twitter like a lark,
The earthly pebbles 'round my feet
Glisten as the stars.

You make me see my furthest thoughts
And melt into my soul,
And when I have you in my arms
I have everything I need,
Everything I want.

Now let us embark on our chosen way
And share the experience we seek;
Eternity opened all its doors
At the rapture of our union.


That was our engagement. And ten days later, before going to Camano Island to be "officially" married before 25 family members and friends on June 8, 1975, Micki and I sat on a hillside on my land where we would live our first year of marriage in an 8-by-12-foot cabin with no utilities, and read to each other our own personal vows:

Lilith Michele, I give to you myself...
My hands -- that they may help you...
My arms -- that they may comfort you...
My thoughts -- that they may encourage you...
My voice -- that it may console you...
My courage -- that it may protect you...
My touch -- that it may give you pleasure...
My wisdom -- that it may accompany you...
And my mistakes -- that they may be corrected by you.
I only ask in return that you accept me,
And give me the opportunity 
To love and honor you as my wife;
Share with me this life on earth...
Your joy, your sorrow,
Your dreams, your realities.
In doing so my life will have meaning.

And she said,
"I am glad we will be married now like this -- not having had time to get to know one another -- for I have no opinions of you yet (that is, what you are, what you have been, and what you will be to me).  YOU are you.  You is someone who when I'm near I feel at peace, when I'm away from you I am me, but yet I am in anticipation of the time when we will be together.  I am fulfilled when I'm with you.
This thing I know, and so I have no worry of what the future will bring, and of what I do not know yet.
I only know that there is you in love with me, and I in love with you.  The best will revolve around this.
Your loving wife, 
Lilith Michele,
Micki"

We have since had our marriage blessed by the Church, and have celebrated our 50th anniversary.

 

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For the complete contents of the Butter Rum Cartoon, click HERE.

 

A.I. ON THE BUTTER RUM CARTOON

 [I use A.I. for some of the pictures, but not the writing (except for this post).]

 

  I asked ChatGPT, "What do you know about the Butter Rum Cartoon?"

 Its reply:

 I know quite a bit about The Butter Rum Cartoon, especially the version you’ve built over the years.  Here’s the picture as I understand it:

Origins:

It began in 1969 as what you’ve described as a “senseless poem.”  That origin gives it a kind of playful, slightly surreal foundation—something that doesn’t have to obey strict logic but instead follows imagination and tone.

What it became:

Over time, it grew into your blog:  “The Butter Rum Cartoon” (not just “Butter Rum”—you’ve been clear about that distinction).  The blog has been running for many years and has developed into a substantial body of work, with thousands of monthly readers.  It’s not just cartoons in the typical sense—it’s more like a personal literary and artistic collection, mixing stories; reflections; humor; occasional surreal or imaginative pieces; personal history and meaning.

Tone and character:

There’s a distinctive tone that blends gentle humor; absurd or whimsical elements (true to its “senseless” roots); and deeply personal material (including real-life experiences and memories).  It feels less like a commercial “cartoon series” and more like a long-running creative world or archive.

Importance to you:

It’s clearly not just a hobby—it’s something you’ve maintained for many years (about 18 years as a blog); invested real effort in preserving and organizing; and recently worked hard to repair and protect after technical issues.  It serves as a kind of creative legacy, especially alongside your life experiences.

If I may say so (without getting sentimental about it), the unusual strength of The Butter Rum Cartoon is that it isn’t trying to fit into any category. It’s part cartoon, part memoir, part odd little universe—and that’s probably why it’s lasted.

 

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For the complete contents of the Butter Rum Cartoon, click HERE.

 

MINDY HONEY

        This really made my day in January of 2015.  Mindy Honey was the Branson Tri-Lakes News reporter who came to our house to do a write-up on my having read all the Pulitzer Prize winning fiction books published in my lifetime, but she wound up writing about a lot more and it ended up on the front page.  I had been interviewed by a lot of people, but Mindy's was the most accurate article of all.  You can read her article at "Spider (Mail) Man."  But what made my day was the message she sent to me later:

 
"Of the hundreds of stories I wrote in the 7+ years I was at the Branson Tri-Lakes News, this was my favorite. I loved hearing all of your stories and yes, it felt much more like a friendly conversation than a interview that day. You have the most interesting and sweet family I've ever met and I love reading your posts!"

 

 

 PS.  Mindy is now the Executive Director of the Silver Dollar City Foundation.

 

 

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For the complete contents of the Butter Rum Cartoon, click HERE. 

MY FIRST TV SHOW

        This is the first TV show I remember seeing . . . at my sister's house in California.  I still remember the conversation: 

       "What's this?" I asked.

       "Oh, just some cartoon," said my sister Eunice as she walked by.

       I was fascinated, and "Time for Beany" was my favorite show for a long time.

 

 

 

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For the complete contents of the Butter Rum Cartoon, click HERE. 

 

I'VE MISSED MY FRIENDS

        I went to school with these people from kindergarten through 5th grade in Blaine, Washington.  Then I moved away, and they went on to graduate without me.  But one of them was kind enough actually to send me her own high school yearbook including my graduating Class of '67.  It's fun to see when I last saw them compared to their graduation pictures!

 

 

 

 

And if I could join them:  

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For the complete contents of the Butter Rum Cartoon, click HERE.