Ch. 4 _ ...Yellow House aka the wrestling house

from left to right:

D. Messina, P. Maciag, L. Gruben, J. Harris, D. Worth, J. Iuliano, R. Messina, J. Chafetz (Louie's wedding 1973)

In 1967, I left the Mount Vernon Knights, and became a Central Connecticut State Blue Devil:

Norm Gerber was the Head Wrestling Coach. We were his Knights of the Round Table; committed to defending the home mats, as well as each other, with our lives.

Between you, me, and the gate post.., talk about a culture shock!

Initially I didn't particularly care for any of them; their music, food, or women.

Then one week-end we got into a racially charged fight, with the house across the street, and everything changed.

A fight which I, inadvertently, caused by atttempting to attend a segregated party.

To tell the truth, I was so accustomed to racial slurs that what was said didn't bother me; however it bothered my new team-mates, who were unaccustomed to such disrespect.

In the aftermath, the guys took turns in schooling me on what constituted a tolerable insult and what wasn't ...ie. we go to war! 

[Now they were Liberals by no means; they just didn't want some cupcake using race as a means of advancing, an otherwise, personal agenda.]

Update on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 09:03AM by [JL Harris]

See tab labeled Motivation/Grappling Mode.