My 14-Year-Old Self Came in the Mail

Should I Open It, Or Not?

A large brown envelope arrived recently in snail mail from Ashtabula, Ohio. It contained copies of letters I wrote to a young woman named Mary when we were 14. We met in the northeastern Ohio township, and decided to keep in touch when my summer vacation ended.

I found her on Facebook, and we got in touch after four decades. When she realized I’d become a writer, she mentioned my letters in a box in her attic. Would I like copies? What could I have possible said in those letters to a relative stranger 300 miles away? And why would she save them into this millennium?

“They’re about what you’d expect a 14 year old to write about,” she said.

Would I like to meet myself at 14? Not that I could go back and talk some sense into my head, but what I think about those times now and what I was actually saying at the time, well, they’re mountains apart..

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Change Back From Your Dollar

When I was a kid touring the back roads of Ashtabula, Ohio, in my friend's dad's two-door Biscayne, we headed out to the McDonald's out on the highway. It wasn't much more than a kiosk at the time, but we could each get a hamburger, fries and Coke and change back from our dollar.

Oh, yeah, back in the late 60s, there were under a million served, as I recall.

I Do Like Taylor Ham and Eggs

Taylor Pork Roll has always been known in my house as 'Taylor ham'. Ma used to throw some butter or margarine in a frying pan and let it cook. Meanwhile, she'd slice the Taylor ham roll real thin and put three cuts into the round slab. Then she'd put them in the frying pan ... and oh, boy, what a treat.

A story ran in the Star Ledger ( Sons' need for pork got duo rolling, Wednesday, July 13, 2005, BY LINDA A. JOHNSON ) about two women who started a company that ships Taylor Pork Roll to relocated Jerseyans who miss the meat. The story gave me a Jones for Taylor ham. I could hear that ham sizzling in the frying pan .... mmm mmmm

Years ago when my sister moved to Ashtabula, Ohio, whenever she came home, they always took back a cooler filled with Taylor Ham & veal cutlets and Pringles. That was stuff they just couldn't get along the Lake. Now, according to the newspaper story, you can send Taylor pork roll anywhere on the Pork Roll Xpress.

The following Saturday we headed out for breakfast at the newly remodeled Nutley (NJ) Diner for some Taylor ham. I had buckwheat pancakes to wash them down.

Later in the week we went to The Petite Cafe on Franklin Avenue in Nutley. I had the stuffed french toast with a side order of Taylor ham. (I didn't see either moist fish or stuffed lentils on the menu, btw. - And, NO, it's NOT a french restaurant.)

My main squeeze fell in love with The Petite Cafe coffee mug. She asked if they were for sale, and the fellow behind the counter had to go ask someone. Finally, they said yes. And I treated to one souvenir coffee mug.

Now, I hear, there's a sign that says the mugs are for sale. That's good to know. Maybe we started a trend? We already knew about the Taylor ham. But now will there be a run on mugs too?

A pretty bright logo, no?