The Portland Gathright’s
Portland where to start! Jill did a character picture so I will venture off into another facet of the Mountain. I remember the adventure and excitement of finding Dad’s Father. I guess in a sense I was old enough to feel the joy, anxiety and anticipations that he must have had. I remember thinking one day I would be looking for my birth father and I too was very interested to see how this all came together.
I envisioned the Walton’s from TV a very loving and happy family living on a farm. I had also envisioned big red barn, white picket fences, lots of cool equipment, and the smell of hay, and wild flowers. Horses, and farm animals to ride and play with. I remember we saw a farm like that and I was sure that this was the Gathright’s. I was excited to play farm boy and was sure that I could be a big help and that if things between Dad and his dad were not going smoothly I could be model Farm Boy to help smooth things out.
I also remember going down the alley to the Gathright’s farm stopping and mum giving us all a manners and politeness pep talk. She also let us know that we really didn’t know how they would react to us and that we all needed to be on our best behavior.
This all added to the adventure! It was exciting and I could tell that Mum was nervous but also exuberant with the adventure too. Dad, was acting cool about the whole thing but I could tell that he was excited as well. Dad, sometimes gets a little pessimistic when he is excited about something in case his expectations are not met.
Well, the farm and the people were not what I expected. I tried to be a model farm boy but really never got a stage to do my best. I don’t judge them or dislike them but I never really fit in nor was I invited to join. I found a kindred soul with Great Grandma Gathright. I too, enjoyed the shopping trips, and found joy that some of the children were welcomed and seemed to enjoy Portland.
But, in a rather bizarre and unique way Portland was a real blessing for me. I was born with a desire for travel, adventure and cultural gourmet and Portland added kindle to the flame for an exotic life and to be gregarious and enjoy all kinds and types of people. It also cultivated a desire of finding my birth dad one day. It removed a lot of the fear of a first meeting because I lived that vicariously through Dad. I also learned that rather than be-little others that we all are little and can learn from so much from many others.
Portland,was a growing field for me. It helped nurture the desire to see the world and be a positive force for change. Witnessing the first meeting and watching the Dad and Grandpa Gathright build a relationship and share with each other was also positive for me. I saw that everything about Portland was not what ,Dad had expected nor, what he approved of, but he did his best to make things better and build on the positive. It was great to see a father and son reconnected. Portland was also a refuge in a way for kids that needed to take a break from life outside of the Mountain. I found joy that they enjoyed Portland. I also learned that we can’t be everything to everybody and that we don’t need to try.
I also applauded Mum for doing something that Dad would never have done for himself. I think that Portland was also an example of the joys, the disappointments, and the challenges of bringing families together. It was the first of a number of family reconnects.
I often reflect about Portland and am reminded of Portland through different people I meet. I don’t think of Portland as a place any more but a state of mind and a perspective on life and the world.
John G.
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