TED TIDRIDGE

 ABOUT INSURANCE

Wednesday April 21, 1982

Dear Ted:

Hello cousin. Don't be fooled by the letterhead. It is a somewhat lengthy story, but a starting point. A conversation piece, as they say.

About two years ago I had begun "to think (translated - "fantasize") about retirement and what activity I might engage in. Having been involved with death, disability and health insurance claims for over 40 years, done some teaching about the law and life insurance contracts, and written a student guide for a new textbook on the subject (after reviewing the proofs of the text with persuasive suggestions for additional material and revisions of other material), I thought I might want to ,engage in some form of writing having to do with educating the general public about life and health insurance from the consumer point of view. I did not want to be either pro or anti insurance industry establishment, and to avoid a conflict of interest or an accusation of bias with my former employer, I contemplated about a suitable pseudonym or nom de plume. From the 'letterhead you can see the name I selected. The odds against my fulfilling my fantasy or going public are astronomical. Progress to this point has been negligible.

I first used the stationery about a year ago when I wrote to Gwen and Maurice Raggett, (for information on Gwen and Maurice click here following Auntie Lou's (for information on Aunt Lou's (Louise) click here death. At that time I told them that my middle name was Tidridge and I thought that "Ted" gave an alliterative touch. I also mentioned that Gwen had a brother Ted. In memory I somehow recalled that my mother had a brother Ted and that she referred to him as her favorite brother. I asked Gwen to confirm the existence of such a relative.

Gwen replied to say that I did have an Uncle Ted Tidridge, (for information on (Uncle Ted) Edward click here information who died a few years ago in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and she thought that he came to America with my mother which, I think, occurred in 1909. Gwen said your father kept in touch, first with Aunt Daisy (for information on Aunt Daisy click here) and subsequently with Aunt Lou. It fell to Gwen to notify your sister Frances (for information on Frances click here of Auntie Lou's death, and gave me the address in Santa Fe. As I was not concentrating on my Ted Tidridge project at the time I procrastinated in contacting Frances. Not only that, I am ashamed to say, I did not write further to Gwen.

Neither by way of excuse, or reasons, I kept silence, as it was my intention to progress into retirement and other activities in a leisurely fashion. Except that my retirement was somewhat untimely, precipitous and unexpected, due in large measure to planned organizational changes that would have affected me adversely and, of the choices available to me, retirement became the most desirable course of action. Age 61 is too young to retire, aside from the monetary consequences of the act. For a while I was not sure whether I was glad, mad or sad, and I alternated between feeling unemployed and retired. Now, from the standpoint of hindsight, I am very happy with the choice, particularly since the social security benefits didn't get changed before. our first checks arrived this month. A year to the day, almost, of my official retirement date of April 1, 1981. Which, as it turns out was no April Fool's Day.

I have the greatest admiration, love and affection for Gwen. She has been so faithful to what I perceive as a Tidridge tradition of caring for family members as shown in her constant attention to. her mother, as her mother before her for Aunt Daisy and Uncle George. (For information on George Tidridge click here. Gwen has a "giving" quality of a nature that will surely be rewarded in heaven, but I hope her efforts will inspire some benefit and return in this lifetime.

At Christmas time Gwen wrote to ask whether I had contacted Frances, and informed me of the fact that sister Helena (For information on Helena click here) lived in Upper Montclair. That fact I relayed to my sister Gertrude (for information on Gertrude click here in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Gertrude made an initial contact by note to Helena, who responded in delightful fashion in anticipation of a meeting which has not yet taken place, due to the concern with the hospitalization and radical surgery recently performed on our brother, Harold , in Albany, New York.

Gertrude sent me a copy of Helena's letter to her dated March 24, in which mention was made of her brother Ted, in Norfolk, Conn. I wish 1 could convey the surprise I experienced in learning I have an honest to God cousin named Ted Tidridge. (For information on Ted Tidridge click here) Among my otherwise mixed emotions, I suddenly felt like an imposter and, having launched a "search" for justification to the use of the name, I wasn't too sure how I was to approach you, or what your feelings might be when you learned I had appropriated your name, however unknowingly.

My first inclination was to write to Helena and, in fact, I began the draft of a letter to acknowledge the initial contact by Gertrude. Later, however, in talking to Gertrude about Harold I asked if she had yet met Helen and she said,"no" and, because of Harold and other things, she would postpone a meeting for the present. I figured, then, that it would be premature for me to write to Helena, and that I should proceed logically with a contact of Frances.

On Sunday night my wife, Lucy, and I sat through a TV movie called, "Yanks", with Vanessa Redgrave, about the invasion of England by the American soldiers during WWII. There were aspects of the movie that were nostalgic for me and all the next day I wondered about what I was going to do about anything.

On Monday night, about eight o'clock, I dug out the area code for Santa Fe and called long distance directory and came up with a number for Frances. With certain knowledge that Santa Fe was an hour later than Pacific Time and one last debate with the propriety of a telephone call from a stranger at a comparatively late hour, I fingered the holes of the dial and listened for the ring with more than a twinge of trepidation.

What followed was the most 'pleasant, cordial and natural conversation that one could ever hope for. We chatted for over an hour and everything Frances said was, of course, new to me and so interesting to hear. Among other things she mentioned how closely the three of you keep in contact by telephone. Frances encouraged me to write to you, and graciously gave me your address. And here am I for openers.

Just after Christmas I had a telephone call from my former employers training organization seeking my services as an instructor for one of the examinations given by the industry's educational arm, the Life Office Management Association. The textbook was, "Life Company Operations", a subject I had not previously taught. I agreed to do it as a means of getting reactivated into intellectual exercises, and as a preliminary to getting back to the Ted Tidridge project. Things went well until mid-March when the classes were terminated because of too low average attendance to merit instructor fees.

Recently there have been several books published bearing closely on what might have been my subject matter and I am not interested in putting out a look-alike. My objectives have been altered to some degree by two other possibilities, one of which is to organize a course of instruction at an adult educational facility that is nearby called,"The Learning Tree". They advertise for people having fields of specialized knowledge to come in and teach. Sessions run about an hour and a half each over a period of eight weeks. ~The concept of creating and teaching such a course has great appeal for me and I have started preparing an outline. If, and I mean IF, it takes place, I would use the class as a means of resource and research as to the feasibility and desirability of either expanding the course or trying my hand at a book. I would conduct classes in the name of Ted Tidridge.

The second possibility is to join forces with a business friend in organizing a correspondence school about private investigating. This is his brain child about which he approached me last year, but has been strangely silent since.

These opportunities are just possibilities, something to turn to in case of a need to use my time, little of which I have at the present. Which is about where I am in retirement. I can say I am sufficiently programmed that I am fully occupied and enjoying what I am doing, whatever it is. In order to do something else, I will have to "give up" something, and I am happy that I have choices. Until now, I have, except for my fling at teaching, avoided becoming totally committed to an ongoing time consuming enterprise. I am glad to have some time flexibility and a schedule that survives with postponements, adjustments, alterations and delays when something arises that has some compelling urgency, like having our only granddaughter (Valentina) for a whole week recently while her mother, Karen,(for information on Karen click here (our only daughter - only child) went to Washington, D.C. for a week, during which time Valentina's father was off to El Salvador in search of news.

One of the things I have to "give up" is procrastinating in writing to the people I want to keep in communication with. I am looking forward to corresponding with my new-found cousins which, in turn, will, emphasize WILL, motivate me to write more often to Gwen and other people that I hold near and dear.

By the next time around I may be able to scrounge up a snapshot two. Neither Lucy or I take to the camera and snaps are a rare commodity. However, we have recent shots of Karen and Valentina (age 7 May 24). and I will have copies made.

Meanwhile, I will take the liberty of sending a copy of this epistle to Gwen, Frances, Helena and Gertrude as a courtesy to them.

Helena's letter mentioned your recent stay in the hospital, and I hope the shock of this letter in no way impedes your progress to recovery.

Although it would tickle my fancy to have you write to Ted Tidridge at the P.O. Box, it is quicker to write to George King at the Shoshone Address.

Thanks for listening.

Cheers!

signed George Tidridge King