ACT Blog

My Belongings … Longing To Be Kept

I’m a collector.

All my life I’ve held on to things that I’ve felt would be of interest in the distant future.

Now, I’m thinking “the distant future” is around the corner.

I’m a senior citizen.  And to use a cliché I’ve read,   I’m in the “Winter of my life”.

What to do with the space-taking things I’ve held on to for decades?

I think my children & grandchildren  would just junk them!

What are some of  these trophies of my life, important to me, but possibly junk to others?

They include:

(1)    Journals of my daily life, dating back to high school.

I remember keeping a diary writing from my  bedroom  in the attic at 6429 N. Park Ave., East Oak Lane, while a student at Central High School (188 – – for those who know what those numbers mean).

Also, letters I wrote home almost every day while being a PFC (later a Corporal) in the Army serving in Germany.

I was a reporter – writer.  My patch said “Official U.S. Army Correspondent”.

My duties  included covering military maneuvers, German-American  joint ventures, individual stories on GI’s for their hometown media.

My letters home are  a fine record of events of that era.

My mother saved them all.  They have now  been in a cellar drawer over 60 years.

STILL AT IT

From then, until now.  I have kept a daily diary.

My  closet shelves are covered with  notebooks of events of my daily life.

                                                                HISTORY?

(2)    I have the original carbon copy of the opening pages of a book President Richard Nixon’s key staffer  & advisor H.R.  Haldeman wrote while traveling with the President on his historical  trip to “open” China.

I received it from Alexander Haig, Chief of Staff to the President.

How?

At the time I had published one or two  Vanity  Press books for clients of my advertising agency.

I had visions of starting another division offering that publishing service.

Also, at that time I was program chairman of  Golden Slipper, a well-known Philadelphia  philanthropic organization comprised of Masons.

Alexander Haig was one of our prominent  guest speakers, and as program chairman, I met him before, during & after the dinner.

Later, when I heard that Haldeman was seeking a publisher, I wrote General  Haig.

Surprise!

He replied.

And sent me Haldeman’s opening  text.

There would be a large advance fee (it was not mentioned in General Haig’s letter.  I figured it would  be  well over my  capabilities) – – and that was the  end.

But I have the letter, & Haldeman’s original book opening.  It suggested he was  writing while on

Air Force One enroute to see the Chinese Premier.

*(See postscript at column end.)

VINTAGE LIQUER

(3)    One of the businesses for whom I did per/job promotional work was a huge Philadelphia Company,  Publicker Industries.

They distilled liquor, and imported a variety of alcoholic drinks and wines.

To publicize the products , I received a good number of scotches, gins, vodkas, whiskeys & wines.

They were used  by me to distribute to  media.  (In those days media personnel accepted  such gifts – –  for research and judgment.  Of course!)

Not all were distributed.  There were leftovers.

I have them.

The bottles  have never been opened.  They  are now 55-75years old (some were 20 years old in the bottle before  I received them).

MY wife wants to empty them down the drain.

And, I fear  that if anyone would drink the contents .. well, better not!

But, Man! What great collector’s items.

They say “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure”.

I’m learning “One man’s treasures are probably another man’s junk”.

My mementoes  – – and memories – – are still here.

But will they be?

                                              WHERE ARE THEY NOW?  NO WHERE?

During a recent lull in my usually hectic daily business, I had a thought:  Go through the files that we brought from our former offices at 2^nd & Chestnut Sts,., to Bala Cynwyd, and, – – for interest – – see what clients over the years are out of business.

Made sense.  We’ve been in business 57 years and some of the clients were in business for many years even before we served them.

Wow!

Here are some.  Gone.  But not forgotten – – at least by us.

… AAU (American Athletic Union) … Action Personnel, Inc. … Aero Wash Systems, Inc. … Affiliated Medical Center … Aluminum Supply Co. … American Diamond Investments, Ltd.… American Future Systems, Inc. … Applied Design Support … BNG Silverman Inc.(manufacturers of male clothing) … Bar Control Associates … Bartoff Enterprises … Becker Auto Radio …Berwyn Institute … Broad Street Hospital … burns & Burns Furriers … Cork America…Command Modular Corp. … Corpo Jet … Crell Direct Mail Advertising …

And that’s only the sample files from the first three alphabetical letters.

Note that ACT, American Advertising Services, and our radio, business trade show &

Publishing divisions are still very, very active.  PLUG.    Call us at 484-562-0060.

# # #

Postscript from my son, Dr. Robert Ball who read a pre-publication proof of this column:

“The night when General Haig spoke at the Slipper Meeting was also the historic night that prez Nixon halted the bombing of North Vietnam as part of his peace with honor agenda.  

“As I recall we were in General Haig's hotel suite watching President Nixon on the hotel room TV monitor. The President was describing the dramatic change in the war strategy. We were in the presence of the man who authored and then orchestrated the cessation of the US bombing campaign of N. Vietnam and thus led directly to our (US) end of military involvement in SE Asia. 

“I recall standing behind you and General Haig watching President Nixon on TV declaring the above and feeling “so cool"' that I was in the room with my father and the man who orchestrated that which the POTUS was describing to the American people. 

“We were standing in a hotel room with the man who got the deal done.”  

 Robert Ball, M.D., FACS

Clinical Professor of Urology

George Washington University

Medical Center

Associate Professor of Surgery

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine