Jul 13 - Politics & the Democratic Convention**

Thursday, July 13, 1972 - Page 195
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

George McGovern, South Dakota Senator,
friend of Father Gilbert, and one of the directors
of Bethlehem's Shrine of the Nativity
(see my encounter with him in the July 17 entry)

The 1972 Democratic National Convention was held at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida, on July 10-13, 1972. It nominated Senator George McGovern of South Dakota for President and Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri for Vice President.

Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri

Eagleton later withdrew from the race when it was disclosed that he had undergone mental health treatment, including electroshock therapy, and he was replaced on the ballot by Sargent Shriver of Maryland.

Sargent Shriver, statesman & activist

7:30 PM
We got to work late today -- about 10:00 A.M. We usually get started at 8:00 A.M., and finish at 4:30. Today we quit at 3:00 (I finished at 4:30, however). I worked on finishing cement that Tim (the new kid), and Clint (but later Greg) put down. Mixing was Mike, and hauling was John & Greg (but later Clint). We got 40 more feet done today. I'm reading "I'm OK, You're OK" (am now about to read 2nd Chapter). Lyle showed up today at supper. It was another sunny day.

(9:00 AM 7/14/1972)
Quite a few people came today -- besides five nuns, M.R. (that's Mrs. Rogers), Gil, Me, Tom, Tom, Tim, Greg, Bruce, John, Clint, Pearce, Dorothy, & Mike, there were a few temporary people: Lyle, Joe, Alexandria, Julie, Julie, Megan (all together in the same car), and a group with kids and Father Murphy.

Bruce baby-sat for a two & a half-year old kid named Sean, whilst his mother was in the cave. Jim & I assisted for a while, then I started playing poker with Greg. I beat him, just barely, and we got thru at 12:45. The Demo Con is still going -- McGov has his V.P. picked. Greg continues to be anti-McGov even though everyone else in this place is pro (McGovern, incidentally, is one of the inter-denominational directors of this place).

Jim's hand

TOMORROW: Serious cave crawling

Jul 10 - Geri's photos of Europe trip*

Monday, July 10, 1972 - Page 192
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

7:00 PM
I've just finished putting in the photos Geri took [April 21 & 22; April 29 & 30]. I missed breakfast today, of course -- it was windy and somewhat cloudy, but most of the day was warm, clear and calm. I did various things -- hauled cement to Clint & Tom S. who put it in the forms, shoveled dirt away from the bank (just now I wrote "Happy Birthday to me," on July 17, 72), finished cement, constructed forms with Pierce (Dorothy, by the way, turned her ankle badly yesterday, so she's incapacitated), and began grading the land near Storm's.

Klint

Jeff's gone, most of the nuns are still here, two groups of tourists dropped by to see the cave, Mike Mills beat me in two more games of chess, and I read some more in "The Thing In The Stone" [by Clifford Simak originally published in Worlds of IF Science Fiction, March 1970: A man who suffered brain damage can see the ancient past & hear the traffic of the stars -- and a mysterious creature trapped under a mountain...]. I'm learning to find more time where I can now, so I'll be doing more reading, some writing, and possibly some artwork.

John, Bruce, Clint, Tom & Tom are gone now, out helping a doctor move his motorcycle from Wonderland Cave. Jim's out someplace playing his guitar (I can hear the music vaguely). I am now in Abbott's, and Mike and Greg are in the next room fooling with some psychological test. Brad is unaccountable as usual. Today Gil mentioned that he'll want me to do some art work for a pamphlet. Progress on that will be forthcoming. Now I'm going to write captions for the Europe photos. -- It rained for a while today, then cleared up. The Democratic convention took place. I lost in poker.

Tom Hildebrand, Father Gilbert's right-hand man

TOMORROW: Flood-Repair Meeting in Deadwood

Jul 08 - Chess, Football & Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Saturday, July 8, 1972 - Page 190
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

(4:00 PM 7/9/1972)
I woke up today at about 10:00 A.M. when Tom Shearing came in. They found me in the retreat house at 8:00, when they saw I wasn't in Abbott's. Before getting to work, I played a game of chess with Mike Mills and beat him. We worked on the walks leading from the reception center --- (TEMPORARILY STOPPED) It is now July 9, 4:30 -- to continue with last entry -- Mike and I layed about 30 feet of side walk, with Greg, Jeff, and Tom mixing, and Jim & Pearce making the forms. Tom H., Bruce, John & Clint worked at the Sheckle's again -- they'll be gone till Monday or Tuesday, so they won't work there again for awhile.

Mike & Greg mixing cement

I want to get this over quickly, so I'll go as fast as I can -- Six nuns came Saturday, so did Penny, whom I met in January. I played her a game of chess after supper (won of course). I tried to find Bruce so we could give her the psych test -- I found him in the Abbott's Cabin playing chess with Greg -- he lost several games, and things deteriorated into a philosophical/theological discussion that persisted till 11:30 P.M. (that's a period of several hours).

I gave Tom Shearing my drawing of the girl on page 153 [6/1/72],* so she's not there anymore [Side note: * See page 153 for info on that. (June 1)] -- he appreciates art so I let him have it for free tho he offered to pay. --- We played football today: Me & Bruce against Greg, Mike & John -- when Jim joined our team, we won, 21 to 7. Rah! --- Jonathan Livingston Seagull has made its appearance. I'm "in" cause I've read it.

Wikipedia: Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach, is a fable regarding a nice-guy seagull learning about life & flight, and a homily about self-perfection. First published in 1970, over a million copies were in print by the end of 1972, Reader's Digest had published a condensed version, and the book reached the top of the New York Times Best Seller list where it remained for 38 weeks.

TOMORROW: Geri from Europe Trip Arrives