Stephen L Kalmon

Mockingbird Sings In The Thicket Stephen L Kalmon

A youth (Stephen Lars Kalmon) raised in a Midwest rural setting, remembers the vast changes after World War II. He tells the story of buying a new Hudson, a long tricky process in which a man is upstaged in the deal. When the farm was wired for electricity it enabled the use of many mysterious new appliances. In a backcountry tavern tricksters fool some city slickers, with a twist, it winds up in laughter. At a square-dance and basket social he learns of a wily competitor for his best girl. Later, and just of age in 1955, he leaves home in a rage with $7.00 in his pocket and a full tank of gas. His experiences in a big city leave him charmed when he lands a job at a TV station. But horrified when helplessly viewing a grievous insult heaped on a small African-American girl. On a Saturday night during the wheat harvest in Montana, at a dance hall, and later in a small town bar, he learns fists are not only for shaking. Joining the army with a friend, they endure a rough basic training. The farm boy makes a friend and together they find girl friends in Louisville. In another army post a dangerous escapade earned him a tour of duty in Korea. That led to trauma that engendered a lifelong affliction.