Roberts Diary

                                          Jim Isbell
                                        Copyright 1997
                                       Austin Texas USA
Introduction
	In my 60 years on this earth I have met two men who came near to living
the precepts proposed by Jesus Christ.  These two men lived the attitudes that 
are taught by all the worlds major religions.  Both loved and trusted all 
their fellow men.
	Michael is now dead.  Killed by his own hand when he could not bear to 
live among men who were not like him.  
	Michael was not a religious man though he had been raised as a Catholic 
in South Africa where he was born. He was, however, by any accounts, a man who 
lived as Christ preached that man should live.
	He was a capable man and had amassed the trappings of wealth.  He was 
living a comfortable lifestyle and he was giving to anyone who asked from his 
possessions.  When I met him he was on the brink of bankruptcy because of his 
generosity.
	I had known Michael for two years when he came to me one day and asked, 
"Jim, I need help.  I cant pay my debts and I don't know what to do."  After a 
long evening with all his financial life laid out on my living room floor I 
suggested that he should not pay those debts for which he had offered no 
collateral, not at this time, maybe later.  I suggested he make payments only 
to those who held claim to collateral that he did not want to lose.  His 
response was, "But they are all my friends, I have to pay them."  He left my 
house with his papers, convinced that he could not do what had to be done to 
protect himself because others would be hurt.
	A week later he had gassed himself in his car with the exhaust pipe.  
The vultures descended and picked his bones clean.
	Robert has been luckier.  He has been protected from society by 
society.  Robert has lived most of his life in a residence community created 
for people like himself who cannot function in our deceitful society.
	Robert was born in 1940 during the Second World War.  During birth the 
oxygen was cut off to his blood for a period of time long enough to alter the 
way his brain was constructed.  The result was that he was born as a "pre fall" 
Adam.  He was born without a mistrusting bone in his body and without the 
ability to learn to mistrust.  
	In our world that is a fatal flaw.  Just as Michael, Robert exhibits 
the traits of full trust in his fellow man without any prejudice and without 
any conditions.  He expects his fellow man to treat him just as he will treat 
them, with full honesty and without malice.
	I think it is a sad comment on our society that it must provide 
protection from the predatory attributes of the majority of its members to 
those who are the most civilized among us.  It is ironic that Robert, a most 
civilized man, was born in the midst of one of the most violent demonstrations 
of mans lack of civilization, the Second World War.
	Some time back Robert came to me with his writings, a diary of his life, 
and asked if I could help him to make them into a book.  After reading them I 
was intimidated by the task of trying to make any contribution to such a 
charming story by such a wise man.  I will however, try to do justice to the 
task as we tell Robert's story.  Robert has already done his part and I will 
now try to add only that which is necessary to the story for the understanding 
of the "post fall" Adam who will be reading it.
Chapter I
"Thas is a Real story about me has I was 
a young boy growing up in Real life.
I don't Remember My Mother or my father.
I was just 5 years old when my father 
ways in the service and he got killed.  
He like just 10 day be for he come home 
for good.  He was over in the Okinawa in 
the service."
				Robert McGlaughlin
Robert was born on February 5th, 1940 in the middle of the 
Second World War.  His father had enlisted in the US Navy 
before Robert was born and had only been home sporadically 
to see his son.  However Robert does have a few memories of 
those times.  
Robert's primitive narrative is the result of his 
abbreviated education.  After trying three times to complete 
the 8th grade it was obvious that the lack of oxygen during 
birth had left him with a limited ability to learn new 
things so in what might be described as a lucky break, 
Robert did not have the opportunity to learn all the ways of 
the world that would have made him "fit in."  He did not 
learn those things that allowed him to be deceitful, crafty, 
and deceptive.  Robert is much wiser than many of the people 
I meet every day who are out and about scrapping for an 
advantage against their fellow man, but he is not educated 
in their ways.  This is a blessing.
"Thay Was came back from a ball game in 
a big Jeep and it turn over and killed 
10 of them.
Every boady that I have talk to about my 
father thay told me that he was a Real 
good man.
I can Remember When My father was home 
be for he When to the service he hade 
some hunting dog and he Put Me over his 
shoulder and took me with him and we 
stay out all Night with them dog.
That is What I Remember about My father 
he All Ways like to hunting And fish a 
loat.
He all way tried to take good Care of Me 
and My Mother be for he went to the 
service.
he Was Real good With My Mother even 
then I new that he love here he Was Real 
good With All of Us.  I thanks thay new 
What thay Weant to do With there life be 
for he got killed."
					
Robert developed a love of the outdoors from his few early 
encounters with his father.  Throughout his life Robert has 
followed the path shown him by his father toward a very full 
life of enjoying the outdoors, fishing and hunting.  
Robert's knowledge and love of the outdoors is unmatched by 
any man or woman I know and it is a knowledge that does not 
require the rape of the environment for enjoyment.  His 
total trust extends to the world around him as well as to 
man.  He trusts the environment to care for him and he 
returns the favor.
"One year leter My Mother got sick.  We 
were living in Brownwood With My grand 
daddy And My Mother.  
she went to the Brownwood hospital thay 
told us that she had Cancer so she stay 
in the hospital for a long time.
thay Would let me go Up there to see 
here all time that they When to see 
here.  I Wanted to go but thay told me 
to stay home with My grand daddy.
I new My Mother love Me.  she Was All 
Ways doing good thanks for me be for she 
Went to the hospital.
so one day hours house I Was Playing 
With My dog & me And Earl Came in to the 
Room Where I was and thay told Me that 
My Mother Pass ways.  I thank I was 
about 6 year old When My Mother Pass 
Ways.  I thank it was about 1946 When 
she Pass Ways."
So now, at the age of six Robert had neither a mother or a 
father.  But he had a caring family in his grandmother and 
grandfather who took him to live with them.  At his point 
they did not yet know of his learning limitations but even 
without that he had suffered more loss than most of us do in 
40 years of living.  Robert continued on with his life still 
trusting even though our more sophisticated logic might tell 
us there was nothing left to trust.  Robert trusted anyway.
"every boady that new here thay told me 
that she had a Real good life with me 
and my father.  even to day I have heard 
What good People I have been living 
With.
that is What the good think that I 
Remember about me and My Mother A my 
father even back then thay weant me to 
go to Church and to do the Right thanks 
in live.
that is about all I no own this story.
so I be going a hold New live all over 
in chapter II"
Robert writes about the end of his first family as the end 
of one life and the beginning of another life.  He always 
sees an opening of a new life with the closing of an old 
life and I think this is one of the things that keeps him 
young.  Robert does not dwell on that could have been or on 
what he missed or on what was taken from him but rather 
looks ahead to the next adventure and what new paths he will 
travel.
Chapter II
"After My Mother Pass way I stay in 
Brownwood With my grand mother And My 
grand daddy.  that Was the year of 1947.  
I was 7 year old then.  So I begin a 
hould new live all over.
At that time I had 2 grand Mother that 
Was liveding in Brownwood thay liveding 
about 2 miles from each anther.
So I stay With my grand daddy Boyd for a 
long time.  he all way Was making sure 
that I was all way Working.  He had a 
big garden so I help him work in it.  
Back then food was had to get so we got 
lots of food out of hours garden that we 
had.
One year grand daddy killed A hog and A 
Clafe And We keep it in the smok house."
"so my grand daddy had about 300 Aceare 
that I help him work own.
so we had hour own food that We grew so 
my grand daddy boyd toughted Me how to 
do that kind of Work.
One day I Was over at my grand mather 
McGlaughlin house she told Me and My 
Cousin that she Wanted some chicken for 
didder so We Went out there and had 
killed 5 chicken.  she told us that she 
just Wanted 2 chicken.  she told me that 
I had to stay over and go to work for 
what I did so I stay and Went to Work."
Roberts attitude as a child was always one of obedience.  If 
he was told he had to pay for a debt or a wrong that he had 
caused he paid his debt and went on with his life, not 
crying over spilt milk.
To Robert, work was just part of life and not necessarily 
something to try to get out of.  Work was something to do 
and it rarely seemed like punishment to him even though he 
could just as easily have felt that his disability gave him 
a right to complain.
"one day We Was over at My grand mather 
McGlaughlin house it was own own 
thanksgaving she had a lot of Pie and me 
and All of My cousin eat All of them be 
for dinner that day she asked me and My 
cousin if We had a enough Pie to eat so 
We said yes.
She had a son and he was in callage he 
broke his back playing football so she 
had to stay home and take care of him he 
had to stay in the bed all of his life.
that is What I Remember about my grand 
mather she Was Real good to me.
so I have been liven With My grand daddy 
for about a year now he wanted to no 
what I wanted for my Birthday so I told 
him that I wanted a gun.   he told me 
that I was to young to have a gun now so 
he said that he Would let me shot has 22 
Rum so he begain to teach me but he Was 
With me All of the time.
I wanted to shoot one of Week so he lent 
me.
that was about the year of 1948 I was 8 
year old then.
so he had me shoot tin can for a year be 
for he took me hunting With him so I got 
me a old dog and he went with me every 
wher I went.
so one day My grand daddy asked if I 
Wanted to go hunting With him so I went 
and I shoot my first Rabbit With his 22 
Rum so he begain to talk me with him 
every time he went so that make my day.
so he begain to took me fishing With him 
to.
Roberts love of hunting and fishing have stayed with him 
from his early exposure with his father to this day.  He was 
telling me last night that he is planning a deep sea fishing 
expidetion for this summer and wanted to know if I wanted to 
go along.
so one day Earl came to my grand daddy 
house and he had some hog that he gave 
My grand daddy so we make a Pin to put 
them in. one of the hog mather would let 
him eat so I make a special Pint to Put 
him in so I had me a hog for a Pet.