Top 20 Entries from 1972 - Part 3***

Here are the next 5 highlights selected from 366 journal entries of 1972

LOCATION: Corona, California -- Jan 21, 2014

Saturday, July 1, page 183, was the half-way point in the Leap Year of 1972

11) Jul 02, 1972 - The Cave of TIME

LOCATION: Bethlehem & Wonderland Cave, South Dakota
I visit Wonderland Cave & Prince Valiant confronts a sorcerer in The Cave of TIME.

Writer/Illustrator HAL FOSTER (1892 - 1982) set an impossibly high standard for graphic storytelling. His Prince Valiant series followed the thrilling adventures of a bold prince throughout his life while he aged in real time. Splendid artwork & deceptively simple text wove complex tales of exploration, power struggles, ingenuity, magic, courage, peace & violence. The PV sagas clearly inspired our recent Game of Thrones productions. It's interesting to note that the extraordinary life's work that defined Foster's existence was tragically erased from his mind. During a routine medical procedure, an accident with anesthesia resulted in extreme memory loss. At the end of his days, he could never recall writing or drawing Prince Valiant. As far as he was concerned, his extraordinary world-changing epic never happened.

None may withstand "TIME"... I vanquish them all in the end.

-- Ancient Sorcerer in The Cave of TIME  

12) Jul 06, 1972 - Forgetfullness: Non-Total Recall

LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota
In an examination of memory, I consider two versions of "Total Recall" and wonder what you will remember about these movies after 40 years. Anything? Anything at all?

13) Jul 17, 1972 - Pranking McGovern's Secret Service

LOCATION: Bethlehem & Rapid City, South Dakota
On my 18th birthday I end up at the Rapid City airport for the arrival of the Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern. While we are waiting, my friends & I amuse ourselves by impersonating secret service agents. McGovern was a South Dakota senator and a friend of Father Gilbert & the Shrine of the Nativity. This day also features a mind-bending experience at Mount Rushmore and a visit to The Planet Of The Apes.

14) Aug 13, 1972 - A fun-filled family dinner party

LOCATION: Chicago

I had a great time in Chicago as a guest of the Latkas. This page includes photos of me having a goofy dinner with family & friends. 

15) Aug 25, 1972 - "Guess Who" concert in Rapid City

LOCATION: Bethlehem & Rapid City, South Dakota
Guess who appears in this entry?

The Guess Who - Undun (1983 performance)

Another band I saw in '72 was Styx when they first appeared under that name at a Marist High School dance in Chicago (July 21). I never would have dreamed that both of these groups would still be performing more than 40 years later. It's interesting to note that Styx & The Guess Who have both created compelling songs about the enigma of time. If we got Styx, The Guess Who & Chicago together, we could have a decent TIME concert. Something like this...

Styx - The Best of Times

Styx - Too Much Time on My Hands

The Guess Who - No Time

Styx - Crystal Ball

NEXT WEEK: Top 20 Entries from 1972 - Part 4 (16 to 20)

Aug 22 - Publicity campaign for McKeever VIPs

Tuesday, August 22, 1972 - Page 235
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

11:30 AM [continued from previous entry]
Also yesterday, I got a letter from Greg Langevin. He was the guy who stayed at Bruce's house before I called, and he left here for the same reason I was asked to leave -- he's not a devout hypocrite. I woke up today at 11:00 (it's now 11:36). No work today for most of us (hark -- I hear the cement mixer mixing) -- because today is Town Day, and many of us are in town, including Bruce who drove.

(10:30 AM 8/24/1972)
It turned out today wasn't town day, due to lack of interest. Several things occurred this day. I continued work on my alabaster chain, obtaining more useful tools from the shop in the retreat house. John Bauer showed up today because his grandparents were going thru the cave. He was here an hour or so. He's going into the Navy and will be getting married soon. Tom Scheuring and I did a little more removing of the concrete pile.

For the past few days me & Bruce have been entertaining the McKeever kids, Pat Jr., Christi, and Devon (4, 3, 1) [Pat McKeever Sr. was a prominent politician]. The McKeevers are going to leave soon, so part of the day was consumed with two photographers taking publicity shots (Five McKeevers walking hand in hand down the wooded lane).

Tuesday was another big tourist day. Also a few people came to the retreat house to stay over night. Me, Bruce, Jim & Ed played poker for awhile -- I did all the winning. Bruce & I left, and stopped in the retreat house where Jim, Jane (the McKeever's babysitter) and Sr. Sylvester were gathered. Later that night I played two games of chess with Sue Nemeth, and then she (she is a campaigner for the Mc's), me, Jane, and Dennis played scrabble until 12:30 when Gil came in to break it up and tell us to go to bed. -- I wrote a letter to Greg.

TOMORROW: All about the PEACE symbol

Jan 12 - Working for food and shelter

Wednesday, January 12, 1972
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

6:00 PM
Went to sleep last night about 2:00 A.M. Finished drawing "Nexus Shift" while Matt made a tape of some good songs (There's a Hole in the Future, Caravan, Greensleeves, Scarborough Fair, etc.), and fell asleep listening to it. Tom came in at 9:30 to get us awake -- then he got us working. It snowed last night and snowed this morning.

We went with Tom to maintain the rest areas (2) on the highway -- they get $150 a month for that. Matt & I shoveled snow and emptied trash. When we drove back, Tom put on one of the chains with great difficulty and expension of energy, but we eventually made it -- he was driving 40 mph! Gad! I'll never try that on these roads in this weather.

We barely had time to recuperate before he enlisted our aid cutting and staining wood strips for the retreat house -- he wants us to work for our food and shelter, which is a reasonable attitude I suppose. Had lunch at 1:00, got back to work, finished at about 2:30, and I went to the Bunk Cabin to finish reading, and just about took a nap, but Matt got me before too long, and I called Tiffany's -- our glasses are ready. We got $40 from Gil and then we found out our car wouldn't start. We stuck a recharger to it with the help of Wheezie, carried some typewriters to the house from the Shrine for Dorothy -- ate some food, and went to the stereo cabin to loaf a while. We'll go into town tomorrow with Wheezie to get our glasses.

Gadzooks! It's 5° out there!

Father Gilbert got a letter from KIIS in California sending fifteen dollars for 1,100 "I LOVE YOU" cards. Must be a sales gimmick, or publicity.

[These "I Love You" cards were produced in Shrine of the Nativity's on-site print shop and they were a major source of donations. This Benedictine monastery was also supported by tourists who came to see the famous cave. The property was called Crystal Cave until February 1957, when Father Gilbert Stack, OSB, was assigned operations by the Conception Abbey, Order of St. Benedict of the Roman Catholic Church. He renamed it Bethlehem Cave and began generating income with it. This property was sold and the cave was closed in 2004. For more about the history of  the cave, see July 18]

Quote by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity,

we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then,

for a second time in the history of the world,

man will have discovered fire.

Jan 09 - All Points Bulletin

Sunday, January 9, 1972
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

4:30 PM
Last night we went cave crawling where I got very muddy, and acquainted myself with the local folk. Before that, Matt and I set up his stereo equipment in a cabin. I slept in one of the rooms in Tom's, etc's, cabin -- that's where Matt & I will be staying. I left the cave before Matt, leaving with Tom, Penny, Mary, and someone else. I got to bed at about 11:30, and Matt got back at about 1:00 A.M. I got up this morning at around 8:30 when Matt came in to change clothes -- he's slept in the retreat house or somewhere.

We had breakfast at 9:30 (oat meal & scrambled eggs), then threw around paper airplanes for awhile. I got to work stripping the insulation from the wire I'd use on the tire chains while the gang in the retreat house sat around and listened to Brad play the guitar.

Mass broke things up at 11:30 A.M., during which I went to the cabin, listened to the stereo, and finished stripping the wire. Since I didn't have the keys to the car, I went to my room to do the writing I had to do (diary & Latka letter) -- but Tom arrived, and I went to see Matt. Father Gilbert talked with us, and we found out there is an All Points Bulletin out on the car, and we are truant [The APB means that any police officer in the US could arrest me, anywhere at any time, for car theft. I was a "wanted man," but luckily nobody thought of looking for me in the mountains of South Dakota].

Matt's parents have contacted mine (via Meg), and they all know where we are, we have their consent, and everything's fine, except for the police. Matt's mother is going to try to get that taken care of, but there are definitely going to be some legal problems involved.

We can stay here as long as we want, so we'll pro'ly be here a month or more. 'S alright -- I think I'll like it.